Dartford on my Xmas tree today .... martin

I collected my Xmas tree today, and spied a dartford flying away from it, just before I cut it down.  This was behind the cottages.

Amazing.  This happened to me about five years ago too.

It was in the same area as a flock of long tailed tit and others.

martin

Ponies may stay until after xmas

Spoke to Andrew yesterday and he thought they would keep them at ol, giving them some extra rations.

He thought the were still in good condition

Martin

Dartford warbler last Wednesday

Up on the plateau between cricket pitch and the crossroads, heard a single call.

Are they now everywhere.

Martin

Cattle have been moved

Corral has also been removed

Martin

Great grey shrike today

By the time this is posted the bird will be somewhere else on the forest, so don't go to old lodge to specifically see it.

Good views from the bench, being mobbed by meadow pipits.  At the top of a birch to the south East of the high beeches.

Stayed for someone there which is unusual.  The sun was bright and low, and anything in the middle of the heath would probably have been blinded. 

Martin

Woodlark yesterday

Are we getting to situation where woodlarks are seen in every month of the year?

November is now ticked, and January is normally ok.  So question is going to be December.

This one was heard on the pippingford boundary just calling.

Martin

26 meadow pipits in a line

Saw 26 m p all sitting on the power lines yesterday.  Presumably winter visitors arriving.

Couple of marsh tits calling as well

Martin

Adder on south heath today

There was an adder sunning itself on top of the black felt tin on south heath.

Martin

At last a frog

Although there have been claims of frogs before, the has always been confusion to whether it was actually a toad.  We definitely have toads.

Nobody has seen frog spawn.

However yesterday we had very good view of a small frog, near frog marsh pond.  I wonder how that pond got its name.

There are many possible routes for a frog to get to old lodge, but maybe the most likely is human intervention.  Maybe a pond in a nearby garden?

Anyway, mike m's sharp eye spotted it near where we were cutting up a birch tree.

Martin

Greenfinch last Tuesday

We had a flyover of a greenfinch, calling.  First for a bit.

Martin

Dartford on plateau

Ian saw a Dartford on the plateau above chestnut wood and the crossroads yesterday.

Must have had a good breeding season on the forest and this is the result of autumn dispersal.

Martin

Ponies to move to South Heath soon

Gary has been asked to move the ponies to south Heath. Not sure when it will be done.  If you are looking them, best have a look there first as it may save some walking.

Martin

Spotted flycatchers today

One or two seen near the stables.  Not surprising as this is usual nesting site for them

Martin

Dartford today

While looking for the ponies I spotted a Dartford on the eastern boundary with four counties. It was with a whitethroat and stonechats.

This follows seeing two or three yesterday across the boundary from south Heath.

Presumably this is a small dispersion from the current breeding sites to the south west.

Let's hope they recolonise for counties and the reserve

Martin

Bird count on Feb 19th 2016

 Here is the link to the bird count spreadsheet.

click here

 Notes

- Keith, Ron and Martin
- lovely weather in the morning with sunshine and light breeze.  afternoon threatened and delivered some rain and lots of wind.  so lots of birds singing in the morning and very quiet in the afternoon
- reed buntings were the main feature with them being seen in three places and totaling between ten and twenty.  they are always around in winter and can be in large numbers but this is first time this winter that we have seen more than a couple.
- Tawny owl called, as it did last Tuesday
- one very good view of a woodcock that got up say ten seconds after we had stopped walking.  obviously it got out-stared.
- not many winter birds around, just a couple of fieldfare.  other than goldfinches and lots of singing chaffinches, the finches were poor in species and number.
- where have all the pigeons and pheasants gone. hardly any.
- woodlarks singing in the normal territories
- tree creepers singing and a nuthatch break the ducks we have had recently.
- raven chasing away a buzzard from the nesting site
- skylark actually singing over the reserve whereas normally it is more a boundary bird.
- heard a Canada goose in the distance but did not count it.  also a possible marsh tit, which we have had recently.
- plenty of birds missing as normal
- dunnocks out singing, and a single song thrush

Note that there have been some changes to browsers and apps since I last published such spreadsheets

the click will take you (on firefox at least) to a presentation of the ODS file, and allows you to download and then run on your spreadsheet of choice ( i think most modern ones).  Libre is what I use and it is free.

You are also given the option of opening it in 'sheets'

At the moment, I am not quite sure how to permanently hide the calculation fields.  but this should not be a worry.


martin

16th May 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike p, Mike m, Alan, Pat, Ian, Jonathan, Bernard, Bob, Ray, David a and Martin

Activities:

- from box 24 onwards, nest boxes recorded, including their GPS coordinates
- lots of pine and birch pulling from car park to Reynard's way and a bit beyond

Observations:

- Woodlarks, tree pipits, long tailed tits, woodcock
- holy blue, Brimstone's, possible green hairstreak, peacock
- little bracken out in the open, air frost? Plenty in the woods
- nice day, risk of sun burn
- martin back in action, but whacked

Martin

9th May 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Steve, Bernard, Keith, Pat, Stuart, Ray, Mike m, Mike p, Ian, Neil, David a, Alan, Anda and Martin

Activities:

- first part of the nest box survey
- put back up a box Keith has repaired.  The one near fallen tree just south of the swamp.
- pond work on all three ponds nearest the road, namely Barclay's, Cuckoo and EA. (environment agency) . Aimed at raising the water level and reducing soft rush around the boundary.
- pine and birch pulling both below the roller stand and to the east of the pillow mound


Observations:

- woodlarks, tree pipits, bull finches, blackcap, whitethroat, buzzard, Raven, stonechat
- broad bodied chaser
- weather OK, but not as sunny as forecast


Martin

2nd May 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present :

John, Keith, Alan, Pat, Stuart, Jonathan, David a, David p, Bob, Bernard, Terry, Ian, Mike m, Mike p and Martin

Activities:

- final little patch of ditch
- some motion sensing photography of nearest nest box.  no luck, just passing workers
- second half of nest boxes
- ragwork around shed and cottages
- bracken pulling , first in sweep along road to m1. Very little.
- pulling pines near pillow mound
- tree cutting and clearing down stream from paddy fields

Observations:

- nice weather, light wind and sun
- gorse mite over.  Did not get big
- nice redstart at back
- martin out of action
- blackcap, goldcrest, wren, 2 territorial Jays, chiffchaff, blackbird
- male and female cuckoo



Martin

25th April 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Bernard (left early ,ill), Jonathan, Terry, Keith, Stuart, Neil, Mike p, Mike m, Alan, Steve, David p and Martin

Activities:

- bit more ditch work
- pulling birch below roller stand
- first part of nestbox survey
- bracken pulling up the m1
- put up camera in ol2
- more fencing work done, restapling.

Observations:

- martin has sciatica
- weather ok, but not warm yet



Martin

18th April 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Neil, Philip, Stuart, Terry, Jonathan, Keith, Ian, Ray, and Martin


Activities:

- major push to get the ditch work finished, after last weeks visit to ol1
- second half of nest box. One down and brought back for Keith
- checked the car park for three cornered leek, none
- some pine pulling near pillow mound
- put up the camera in ol2, aimed at a nest box


Observations:


- lots of coal tit eggs
- Weather OK


Martin

11th April 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Keith, Alan, Stuart, Neil, David a, David p, Ray, Pat, Mike m, Terry, Ian, Graham, Bob, and Martin.

Activities:

- replaced a fence post near the car park, and other fence work along the top and down to foresters cottage
- put up a motion camera on sh to check on badger diggings
- first quarter of the nest box survey.  First ever Robin in a redstart box.  Surprising activity so early in season.
- some puddle digging in the area of the sundews.
- some gorse work on ol1
- tree cutting in the ditch on the southern border of ol1, to open up the boggy areas and reduce their drying effect. Brash piles created, and logs used for Irish bridge and to stop the flow cutting through the bank.
- tubes on replanted trees taken down and put in piles. Lots.
- water from a ditch channeled more directly into the lower part of the ditch

Observations:

- woodlark, stonechat, tree pipits, redstarts, Willow warblers, tree creeper, crossbills, linnets, reed bunting,
- sundews
- gorse mite
- nice weather
- possible mouse nest in a bird box


Martin

4th April 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Steve, Ian, Stuart, Neil, Keith, Pat, Terry, Alan, Mike m, Mike p, David a and Martin. Jonathan visited taking dog to vet. David p recovering from root canal work.

Activities:

- did rest of the ditch work along the road. Cleared a path to the ditch from the hollow at the squeeze gate opposite the roller stand gates, so deer have a route in, and keep the vegetation under control.
- mended the bird box near the bench
- a bit of log sawing
- cleared daffodils from behind cottages and ol1. Mike m took these, together with remaining mouldy pony nuts.
- John cleared trash buckets
- Martin adjusted new lidl bow saw

Observations:

- whether better than expected, but damp and drizzly at times. Some sun at the end.
- Raven having dog fight with buzzard
- crossbills, wood larks, skylarks, redpolls, Chiffchaffs,
- first redstart of the year. They have apparently been arriving in s England this last week. Seems quite early.

Martin

28th march 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Keith, Stuart, Ray, Bernard, Mike m, Terry, Graham, Ian, Philip, Pat and Martin

Activities:

- continued the work on the bank along the road
- started mending more of the spades that are broken
- put up 4 new nest boxes on ol2
- fitted pick axe handles


Observations:

- nice weather for the most part.  Some dark clouds over lunch
- Brimstone's and possible peacocks
- Crossbills, redpolls, pied wagtail


Martin

21st march 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Keith, Mike m, Mike p, Terry, Steve, Ian, Bob, David a, Ray, Bernard, Philip, Anda, Stuart and Martin.  16 is a recent record for a Tuesday.

activities:

- made the pieces for 4 new nest boxes.  Mike m has taken them away for final construction. A chestnut log from a couple of weeks ago was used. Used Jonathan's froe to do the splitting
- took 12 fence posts from store over to Gilly's paddock boundary, and erected a second fence line of one stand of barb wire.
- work continued on the ditch and bank along the south side of the road
- revisited the work in chestnut wood and pointed the split posts and made a couple of new posts/struts
- put out all the spare sheeting for reptiles, and did a complete survey of them, redoing the numbering where necessary
- finished of some clearance work in the chose next to the shed

Observations:

- Mike m returned a mended small spade
- nice sunny weather, if a little cold out of the sun.  Chilly wind.
- crossbills, siskins, redpolls, tree creepers singing, nuthatch, great spot, green woodpecker, buzzard, chiffchaff, Stonechats,
- slow worms and lizards
- Skaters, boatmen, whirly gig beetles
- repaired broken saw
- Ray building up his strength after ops


Martin

14th march 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Pat, Steve, Ian, Keith, Mike m, Mike p, Alan, David a, Bernard and Martin

Activities:

- finished and put up 3 new bid boxes in ol2.
- mended one nestbox near batter's hill
- continued work clearing ditch and bank along the road
- John did some rhody work on Pippingford boundary, and inspected the two ponds, Alan and Deep there
- inspected most of the fence around the reserve marking those bits that need repair work. At least 13 extra posts needed.
- made some struts, fence posts and mallets in chestnut wood.  Some pointing still needs to be done.
- mended and put back a broken fire beater at the cricket pitch


Observations:

- buzzard, Raven, brambling, crossbill, siskin, redpoll, great spot, woodcock, Bulfinch, goldfinch, chiffchaff, fieldfare
- warm but overcast
- Some chestnut nuts sprouting
- talked about mending the broken spades
- u3a visit this Friday

Martin

7th march 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Terry, Steve, Ian, Keith, Mike m, Mike p, Bernard, David a, David p, Bob, Stuart and Martin

Activities:

- made log piles and brash piles of the fallen beech branch
- took the fallen pine off the bank along the top, and restrained the fencing.  Checked the rest of the fencing along the top.
- made 4 nest boxes by splitting logs, splitting out the centre quarters, and tying back together.  Chestnut seemed to be the best wood to work with.  Beech was too hard to split.  Keith has a splitting knife handle to repair as a result.
- put up a nest box in ol2
- recovered the half split chestnut log that had been left on beeches avenue
- attacked bramble and gorse in the ditch on the south side of the road.  Arisings put over the fence on south Heath for burning later in year and on the other side of the road.

Observations:

- 2 buzzards doing some courtship flights
- crossbills, woodlarks, siskins, redpolls, skylarks
- 2 spades need repairing after the ditch work
- discussed some health and safety items
- broccoli seedlings distributed
- some more reptile sheets now available to be put out
- some more staples have been ordered


Martin

28th February 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Keith, Ian, Graham, Steve, Mike m, Bernard, David p, Stuart and Martin

Activities:

- 2 bonfires of the brash from last weeks felling. 
- moved the logs off the track and made them all safe
- checked for storm damage
- did check of assets asked for by swt
- put up new nest box in ol2
- John pulled pine on slopes near the crossroads, and some bramble along the road

Observations:

- pretty cold and the wind was stronger than forecast.
- Crossbills and bramblings heard. Ravens. Woodlarks.
- tawny owl calling
- one fire beater broke and is back in shed for mending
- one dead tree down along the top, which we can deal with next week
- David p going the swt event on Wednesday

Martin

21st February 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

Pat, Steve, Ian, Terry, Keith, Mike p, Mike m, Bob, Bernard and Martin

Nick and trainee on site, mark ill.

Activities:

- beech branch winched to ground and cut up. Now safe.
- all locks oiled
- barb on M1 mended, and fence checked
- pony poo collected and bags of bracken part filled.  Some bags of peat left behind the mound for collection. Poo mostly taken
- orchard of birch pollarded taking out most of the leaders. Also birch near cuckoo pond.
- Nick plus trainee felled 8 trees on Pippingford boundary.
- Keith and Mike m cut some sweet chestnut for making nest boxes, and brought them back to the tool store.

Observations:

- brambling, crossbills (singing), woodlark, herring gulls
- warm weather

Martin

14th February 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Ray, Mike p, Mike m, Terry, Steve, Ian, Neil, Stuart, Bernard, Keith, Alan and Martin

activities:

- did not look the ponies as they were in process of being moved. Saw 5 koniks in the distance and told Gary where we saw them.
- finished burning up the brash on the boundary with Pippingford, and making the logs safe
- John pulled pine, birch and bramble on the slope down to the stream, and did some work on west pond
- put up a nest box that Keith had mended on beech near the tool store

Observations:

- warmer weather
- crossbills, missel thrushes, fieldfare, redwings, redpolls, woodlarks, Raven


Martin

7th February 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Terry, David a, Mike m, Mike p, Keith, Bob (new), Jonathan, Ray, Bernard, Stuart, Alan, and Martin

Activities:

- mended fence, where last week a felled tree hit it.
- looked the ponies. Alan found 10 in the morning, but not the last one.  11 found as we were going.  One may be being difficult.
- 2 bonfires of brash from last weeks cutting
- moved the remaining brash and trunks away from the path
- mended nest boxes
- inspected the fallen beech branch in beeches avenue. Photo sent to mark.

Observations:

- weather quite nice, with some sun and gentle breeze.  Pretty wet under foot, with ponds very full
- buzzard, woodcock, crossbill, siskin, redpolls, goldfinch, brambling, ravens, woodlark singing,


Martin

31st January 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Terry, Keith, Mike p, Mike m, Graham, Neil, Stuart, Ian and Martin

Mark plus three were here to cut down some trees on the boundary with Pippingford

Activities:

- looked the ponies.
- cut and split some logs in the tool store.  Brought more into store to dry
- discussed the trees to be felled
- cut some gorse for the ponies.  Preparation included hitting with maul, bashing with club, and treading.
- John led party along the length of Reynard's way, digging up gorse birch and pine
- some work late on, in the copse beside the shed


Observations:

- Not cold, but Misty and damp
- Jonathan and Martin sampled the gorse after crushing.  Pea pods.
- meet Lady (linda) who was interested in the poly tunnel
- Keith showed some photos from Egypt

Martin

24th January 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, David a, David p, Alan, Mike m, Mike p, Bernard, Terry, Ian, Jonathan, Neil and Martin

Activities:

- looked the ponies
- finished cutting along the bird count trail in ol2, with bonfire of the brash. Have now meet up with the track along the edge of the cricket pitch in ol2.  Did some extra cutting around a group of pines
- checked the route for stumps, and did some reductions
- created a couple of good log piles for collection
- did a little explore round the back of the cricket pitch following the relatively new drainage ditch, taking out the odd rhododendron
- did an experiment of cutting bundles of gorse and crushing them and hanging them up on the feeding ring for the ponies

Observations:

- Brambling, reed bunting, woodcock, Raven, herring gull
- weather cold, but not as bad as forecast.
- Mike found us this time

Martin

Lapwing flying over

Saw a lapwing yesterday, 28 the April, 2017 flying over south Heath.

It was surprisingly high up, and therefore did not look like a local movement.  It was also on it's own, which seems rather odd.  Flying roughly south east in a reasonably determined way.

Trying to catch up a larger group that I missed seeing?

Martin

Badger on South Heath near the grass diggings

We set up a motion activated camera at the bottom of South Heath last week to see if we could identify what was digging up the grass.

The camera took lots of photos of gorse bushes waving in the wind during the day, and this one photo of a night time visitor.

not the best of shots, but we learn each time.

Martin

17th January 2017 ... weekly volunteers

John, Alan, Steve, Ian, Terry, Bernard, Mike m, Mike p, Stuart, Ray, David a, Jonathan and Martin

Activities:

- extended the track clearance in ol2, with cutting birch and bonfire of brash. Two good size log piles built.

- cleared some problem stumps from the track, but there are still a couple at the beginning to do

- pulled down some ring barked trees that had bent over or snapped.  note that small birch do not ring bark well

- cleared some birch that were crowding some oak and chestnut

- cleared a little glade at the side of the track

- John pulled some pine on the m1 and a rhododendron in ol2

- looked the ponies

Observations:

- brambling, bull Finch, redpolls

- ravens being territorial in ol2

- 2 collared turtle doves

- stock dove

- Coal tit singing

- goldcrest, GS woodpecker

- cold, but sunny

- David made a nice fire in Keith's absence in Egypt.

Martin

10th January 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, David a, Neil, Stuart, Ian, Steve, Mike m, Mike p, Bernard, Terry (new volunteer) Pat and Martin

Activities:

- looked the ponies
- mended the kissing gate
- pollarded some of the birches along the top
- coppiced gorse to the east of the reservoir and had bonfire.
- pruned odd branch that was unsafe or bullying

Observations:

- crossbills
- nice, but cold wind starting


Martin

3rd January 2017 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Neil, Stuart, Keith, Bernard, David p, David a, Ian, and Martin.  And Mike p who had wrong instructions on where to meet us, did some work around tool store.  My fault.

Activities:

- looked the ponies.  There were 8 koniks and 3 Exmoors.  Apparently Gary brought us an extra one that had been out of action for three weeks with foot trouble.  Some eating the gorse.

- widened the track for the bird count to allow vehicular access in ol2.  Logs stacked for collection and brash burnt.  Filled in one hole with pine logs. More work needed.

- some birch on the old road in ol2 cut and stacked.

Observations:

- pretty cold and a fire needed
- crossbills, redpolls, Raven, brambling


Martin

27th December 2016 ... weekly volunteers

everybody too busy

martin

20th December 2016 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Keith, Mike p, Ray, Bernard, Stuart and Martin

Activities:

- looked the ponies
- cut and pulled gorse along Reynard's way and had one bonfire

Observations:

- missing some loppers
- crossbills and bramblings
- ravens
- cold and foggy weather
- no one can look at the weekend

Martin

13th December 2016 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, Alan, Keith, Neil, Stuart, Bernard, Ian, Mike p, Mike m, and Martin

Activities:

- looked the ponies
- coppiced more gorse in the triangle and had a bonfire
- cut and split lots of fire wood in the shed. Brought more wood into shed for the future
- cleared a Pile of gorse logs near the small gate for fire wood.  Mike p took home.
- cut a couple of Xmas trees

Observations:

- weather not very nice.  Warm, but foggy and drizzling most of the time.
- crossbill, brambling

Martin

6th December 2016 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Jonathan, David a, David p, Mike p, Mike m, Steve, Ian, Graham, Keith, Pat ( but had to deal with car), Alan, Stuart, Jack (came to see us), and Martin

Activities:

- two gorse bonfires at the gorse triangle, burning arisings from about a month ago and further cutting.  Some cutting done along the side of the road.

- searched for any lost tools from the visit of Sackville pupils the day before.  One lopper may be missing.

- two attempts at looking the ponies failed.  Were seen the evening before and not a worry.  Looked on Wednesday successfully.

Observations:

- crossbills, reed buntings, ravens, Stonechats, bramblings
- cold but warming weather, slight wind

Martin

29th November 2016 ... weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Pat, David p, Ian, Mike m, Bernard, Stuart, Keith, Steve, Jonathan and Martin.  Ray visited us for lunch, going for a walk.

Activities

- looked the ponies
- two gorse bonfires along the top and Reynard's way, burning stuff cut two weeks ago and more coppicing today. Gorse has been cleared from most of the path and down the first part of the ditch and bank.
- repaired the fence near the forest car park along the top, where the two top stands of barb appeared to have been cut and a fence post knocked over.
- Stuart dug some bracken peat from the roller stand piles, and took home
- John did some small gorse and pine digging near the bonfire sites

Observations:

- meet John luck visiting the reserve
- crossbills, reed buntings, Stonechats, fieldfares, redwings, song thrush, blackbirds, dunnocks, Goldcrests
- leucistic blackbird in normal patch
- bramblings at tool store
- cold, but clear skies. Early frost


Martin