29th October 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Alan, Keith, Jonathan, and Martin

Activities:

- inspection of perimeter after storm at weekend
- tidied up a few fallen or leaning trees.  Tied up tree hung above Jilly's stable.  Trying to contact Mark
- coppicing and burning gorse on SH

Observations:

- siskins
- bramblings at tool store (3+)
- Raven
- Buck rutting
- Fieldfares and redwing
- interesting fungus in grass like stagshorn without the horn

 Martin

22nd October 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Keith, David p, David a, Pat, Mike, Jonathan  and  Martin

Activities:

- switched off water to troughs
- coppiced gorse both sides of road
- collected some dung behind top lodge
- cut firewood and kindling in tractor shed
- cleaned and oiled some tools
- keith took saw dust

Observations:

- crossbills, bullfinch
- 11 Ravens in a group !!
- fieldfare and redwing
- kestrel


Martin

15th October 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan,  Mike, Pat, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- cutting and coppicing gorse on SH and having bonfire of arisings
- search for nail fungus
- digging up birch on slope near high beeches

Observations:

- crossbills, siskins
- 100 fieldfare
- redwing, mistle thrush
- hornet, bumble bees
- beautiful day of sunshine
- Raven, kestrel


Martin

8th October 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Mike, Neil, David a, Alan, Keith, Pat and Martin

Activities:

- bonfire on SH of gorse mostly
- coppiced gorse in ditch and tall bushes around
- pollarded birch near trough
- pulled birch, downwards from power lines in middle of reserve
- looked for nail fungus but no luck
- checked lock after coppards had picked up JCB. Readjusted.

Observations:

- kestrel, siskins, pied wagtails
- crossbills, linnets
- brimstone, peacock, small copper
- green woodpeckers

 Martin

1st October 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

Mike, John, Jonathan, Alan, David a, Keith, Neil and Martin

Activities:

- helped Monty and Anna with shipping out the ponies
- gorse work along road
- lowered remaining 3 nestboxes and took a fallen one back for Keith to repair
- pulled some birch at far end of power lines

Observations:

- flock of starlings
- mistle thrushes, siskins, Raven
- paul copsey present with delivered tracked machine

Martin

24th September 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

Jonathan, Mike, Alan, Keith and Martin.  Mark but no Sam was doing felling work

Activities:

- lookered ponies on ol2
- bonfire of brash below slope
- piled up some birch logs by track

Observations:

- Raven, buzzard
- meadow pipits
- siskins
- chiffchaff

  martin

17th September 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan,  Mike, David a, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- mended two nestboxes with new lids
- took down a nestbox .. Blue tit at end of pylons ...for  mending
- bracken and ragwort along  m1, road and beeches avenue
- lookered ponies in ol2 and closed the gate.  Told Mark and Monty. Did not see Frank.
- gorse coppicing in the ditch far side of gate on south side of road.
- cut some wood in the tractor shed

Observations:

- raven
- kestrel
- dodder



 martin

10th September 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, David p, Mike, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- bracken pulling along the top to bench and a bit
- reduced tree stump by notice board by popular demand
- bracken work on SH near trough, and along road, including some ragwort
- pollarding birch and holly on SH behind tool store, brash in ditch
- lookered ponies.  Above and below high beeches.  13 on the reserve and 5 on anita's.  Phoned Monty.  The 6 from broadwater, were unloaded today and one jumped the fence.  Frank happy with gate being open.

Observations:

- ol2 has been grazed, but plenty of food still there. Plenty of work for the ponies to do.
- redstarts, swallows, 2 herring gulls.
- no deer
- meadow pipits
- many fungi
- speckled woods, brimstone


 martin

3rd September 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, David a, David p, and Pat.  No Martin

Activities:

- pond work near bridge finished
- bracken work up to cross roads and a bit


Martin

27th august 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Neil, David a, David p, Keith, Jonathan and martin

Activities:

- mostly near the bridge
- repaired fencing where stream flows out of reserve
- more pond work nearby
- pine coppicing and birch pulling on slope to the sw
- bracken pulling on way back across the middle across stream under power-lines and cuckoo pond

Observations:

- 2 gr dragonflies, common darter, southern hawker
- s copper, commas, brimstones, gatekeepers, meadow browns, s tortoiseshell, clouded yellow, peacocks
- grey wagtail, tree pipit
- bull finch


Martin

20th August 2013 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Pat, Jonathan, David a, Mike and martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies.  At causeway, making towards the trough
- pond work below bridge
- repair work to one slat on bridge
- pulled down with ropes broken pine branch on nest box tree n east of beeches avenue
- opened up vista from notice board with pole sawing branches, coppicing gorse and felling smaller birch
- bracken work around quarry on SH and various  from car park to M1

Observations:

- 2 silver washed fritillaries, commas, s copper, s tortoiseshell, peacocks, brimstones, s skipper, m browns, small heath, c blue,  small white, gv white
- gr dragonflies, c darter, s hawker, b chaser, azure
- 2 clouded yellows
- lots of redstarts, stonechats, whitethroat
- 2 buzzards
- 2 sparrowhawks
- swallows
- nuthatch

Martin