26th July 2016 ... weekly volunteers

present:

John, Ray, David a, Jonathan, Neil, Keith, Steve (new), Graham (new), Pat, Alan and martin

activities:

- looked the ponies
- completed the Irish bridge on the boundary with pippingford.  pond extended and bracken cleared around it
- ragwort cleared all over the reserve either covered in ol2 or taken off site. work was concentrated on flowering plants to avoid them seeding
- bracken clearing along m1, around the pippingford boundary and back to the store. some work on south heath in pm
- padlocks oiled and maintained
- nest box near holly taken down and taken off site for repair.
- some rotten wooden struts on top of fences along beeches avenue removed
- fence repairs on south heath, where sheep were coming in.  the bank has been badly eroded in places unrelated to breaking through.  one replacement post and a sheet of stock fence to fill the worn gap.

 observations:

- 2 tawneys at Irish bridge
- crossbill
- redpolls, siskins
- green woodpecker
- 7 woodlarks in a flock
- dodder along the road
- centaury
- nice weather, not too hot
- ravens
- kestrel
- dead mole (sunday)
- small white, gatekeepers, ringlet (sunday), meadow browns, small copper. no ssb
- Azures, keeled skimmer, brown Hawker, golden ring, l red, common Darter


martin