26th May 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Alan, Ray, Neil, Stuart, Keith, Mike,
David p and martin

Activities:

- looked ponies
- nestbox survey
- birch and bracken opposite foresters cottage down to stream

Observations:

- tree creeper family
- young nuthatches in nest
- Ray's birthday cake/biscuits
- mikes 1910 map
- old axe taken by Keith from shop


Martin

19th May 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, David a, Stuart, Keith, Mike, Ray and Martin

activities:

- looked the ponies
- bracken pulling along top, South heath, north of road down bank and slightly into beeches avenue
- made two squeeze type gates on south part of central fence

Observations:

- sparrow hawk, Kestrel, 3 swallows
- wood lark, redstart, green woodpecker
- new stonechat family, 2 ads 3 juvs at least
- cuckoo
- heavy showers, so kept near tool store
- shop restocked, sold out, restocked and almost sold out again

Martin

12th May 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- nestbox survey
- looked the ponies
- bracken pulling along beeches avenue
- raised barb along boundary with Pippingford
- put in two strands of barb along bank to west of heave gate


Observations:

- bb chaser
- Woodlarks, tree pipits
- cuckoos male and female
- 3 ravens
- whitethroats
- redstarts
- possible adder
- 2 slow worms


Martin

5th May 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Mike, Keith and Martin   Mark as well

Activities:

- lookered the ponies.  One lame, Mark handling it
- moved logs to wood store
- reorganised existing small log piles
- collected some bark for mark
- sawed up a few logs

Observations

- v windy
- wet last night
- but ok
- sparrow hawk, cuckoo, g woodpecker, Jay


Martin

28th April 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- bramble work along road
- birch coppicing in OL2
- lookered ponies
- some bracken work on M1
- first birdnest survey

Observations:

- 3 Ravens
- Keith saw Osprey
- buzzard on ground behind tool store
- crazy nestbox wired to tree behind tool store on SH has blue tit with 7 eggs
- Hobby seen yesterday
- 3 buzzards around
- lots of cock pheasants
- tree pipits, woodlarks


Martin

21st April 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Alan, Keith, David a, Ray, Stuart, Neil and Martin

Activities:

- work along road on bramble and gorse
- rewired and adjusted kissing gate at entrance.  It had got a little difficult to open
- checked nest boxes on second half.  There are now a few nests of tits.
- lookered ponies

Observations

- tree pipits, male brambling last thursday, redstarts
- lots of bog beacons at swamp
- Visitor saw hobby

Martin

14th April 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Mike, Andrew, Alan, Keith, Neil, Stuart  and Martin

Activities:

- some bramble work in ditch along the road
- lookered ponies
- checked nestboxes from cricket field to beeches avenue
- put up mended box at batter's hill
- cutting birch on ol2

Observations:

- willow warblers, tree pipits, chiffchaff, cuckoo, buzzard, ravens on nest, woodlarks, lots of redstarts, nuthatch, bullfinch, redpolls, herring gulls, jackdaws, pied wagtails, linnets
- brimestone, peacock
- wood ants everywhere
- adder

Martin

7th April 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

Jonathan, Alan, Pat, Mike, Stuart, David p, Keith and Martin

Activities:

- put in 3 extra posts along road where panicking deer smashed down the fence breaking the posts
- checked nest boxes upto cricket field
- birch cutting and de-tubing on ol2
- some work on beeches avenue ruts
- lookered the ponies

Observations:

- chiffchaffs everywhere
- Redstart singing by roller stand
- cuckoo
- Ravens' nest found
- Buzzards
- woodlark plus food near roller stand

Martin

31st March 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Pat, Ray, David p, Stuart, Mike and Martin

Activities:

- gorse work along road
- lookered ponies
- inspected reserve for storm damage ... None
- took down most of fallen birch just north of stone pillars.  Wood added to piles behind store
- work on ol2 clearing birch, including removing tubes constricting trees

Observations:

- Raven attacking Buzzard
- Woodlark
- chiffchaff
- pied wagtail, long tailed tits
- shop sold out almost
- flapjack and cakes from Stuart and mini-cream eggs from Alan much appreciated

Martin

24th March 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Neil, Mike, Pat, Bernard, Alan, Ian and Martin

Activities:

- ring barked about 20 trees in wood north east of the causeway and a few upstream
- pulled pine saplings near barn owl nest box, and marked 6 for keeping
- cut more birch on ol2
- put down some sand and pebbles in front of tool store
- lookered ponies
- cut some gorse regrowth along road on north side
- continued sharpening some chisels

Observations:

- yellow hammer
- ponies chewing plum tree bark behind cottages
- buzzard v Raven
- Alan and Mark sharing thursday lookering
- some of ring barked trees had yellow spots

Martin

17th March 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

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

Activities:

- lookered ponies (difficult)
- sawed firewood
- brought in more wood from the stacks
- cut birch on OL2, stacking logs and making habitat piles
- oiled some locks on the way
- filled the brochures box.  Now out of stock
- considered how to take down broken birch on bank north of stone pillar.  Work for next week
- John did work along ditch with gorse and bramble and also roller stand with hardcore

Observations:

- tree creepers singing
- dunnocks
- buzzard seen off By Raven
- woodlarks and skylarks
- lots of singing
- ice cream van gone
- shop stock just castors and bird feeder


Martin

10th March 2015 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Neil, David a, Ray, Ian, Keith, Pat, Jonathan and Martin

Activities:

- lookered ponies
- marked 23 young trees to keep in eastern part of reserve
- ring barked about 18 trees and pollarded 7 trees in area south of swamp
- did conservation work on ol2, opening up area, by clearing small birch.  Log stacks near M1.  Brash made into habitat piles.
- more hardcore at roller stand
- gravel at tool store

Observations:

- woodlarks, Ravens
- Gsw drumming
- skylark
- buzzard
- plastic wheelbarrow mended
- tame pheasants
- 2 mallard
- cakes for Keith's big birthday
- Jonathan will share friday lookering with Ray

Martin