Tuesday, 26th February 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John b, Bernard, Jonathan, Mike p, Mike m, Ian, Keith, Pat, Mark, David w, Stuart, Paul, and Martin Activities: - looked ponies - fencing work along the central line - Stuart did some work in the ditch while waiting for Ray - Mark m-t cut down and processed birch on the pillow mound near foresters cottage, helped by Jonathan and Mike m - some work on solving the water collecting at the cross road. Looks as if it was caused by a poorly sealed pipe inlet combined with reasonably steep slope. - made some more fencing posts in the quarry. A tree still needs processing. Some froe splitting of fire wood done - collected log pile from car park area, and part of beech pile on beeches avenue - Mike did some pine sapling work - the tube protection of the Hornbeam seedlings checked near the existing old hornbeams Observations: - buzzard hunting in woods, near the slope - Dartford warbler on sh - crossbills on cottage, possibly nibbling the mortar, males keeping guard - watched the two Heath fires, one on kids hill and the other at nutley. saw the start of the kids hill one. Spectacular. - reviewed Graeme's note with mark mt - lovely summer weather Martin

Tuesday, 19th February 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Jonathan, Mark, Mike m, Mike p, Ray, Alan, Stuart, Bernard, Ian, David w, John b, John, Keith and Martin Activities: - looked the ponies. Nuts have now run out - John and Stuart did some work on the ditch along side the road - bark stripping and pointing of split chestnut logs to make fence posts - took out a lot of fence posts to the crossroads to repair the central fence. These supplemented by the new ones from the quarry - marked posts to be repaired and placed new posts as markers - repaired most posts along beeches avenue - restacked the cut birch log roundels, to make water proof and aired. Made reasonably safe for visitors - took the removed posts back to the shed - looked at sphagnum Heath for a site for a new pond - John did some earth/stone work in the car park to reduce the level of mud there - discussed the reasons for a lot of mud above the pipe at the cross road Observations: - unseasonably warm and not too windy. Too dry for any fires - buzzards - crossbills - some ripe bananas were refused and passed on to Keith's worms - a week older banana was eaten - the hedge cuttings were still mostly inside the cottage gardens. The ponies had nibbled the ones that had fallen outside Martin

Tuesday, 12th February 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Stuart, Paul, Mark, Keith, Ian, Mike m, Mike p, Bernard, David w, John b, Ray, and Martin. Martin was traveling in the morning and arrived in time for lunch. Activities: - looked and fed ponies - put out new reptile tins and did some renumbering and repositioning of old tins - did fencing work from hunt gate to the corner along the central fence. Carried new fence posts from behind the shed out and brought back the old posts for firewood - some bracken peat was dug and taken off site - some more sawing and splitting of the old chestnut logs at the roller stand was done - Mike did some work on drainage in front of the shed Observations: - Mark birthday buns - crossbills - pony nuts almost at an end Martin

Tuesday, 5th February 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: David a, David w, Pat, Alan, Mark, Terry, Paul, John h, Bernard, Mike m, Bob, Ian and Martin Activities: - looked and feed the ponies - bonfire of brash from the three trees that mark felled last week near the hunt gate. Stacked up the useful logs - made conservation log piles of the older trunks lying near the Pippingford boundary, that mark sectioned last week - investigated the central fence from hunt gate to the left bend, noting work to be done soon - cut some logs - mended some of the dog notices, along top and one near roller stand Observations: - foggy, damp, and breezy. Felt cold, but mostly wind chill. No views - buzzard heard, and possibly seen with prey - crossbills, possible marsh tit, bull Finch, redwing Martin

Tuesday, 29th January 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Ray, Mike m, Bernard, Paul, Alan, Jonathan, Mark, John b, Terry, and Martin. Mark m-t on site cutting last three marked trees down and cutting the old felled trunks into manageable logs. Activities: - looked and feed ponies - bonfire below the crossroads of the felled trees. Stacked up some of the logs, and created some habitat piles - Jonathan helped mark mt , and we all joined in roping and pulling a pine that had decided to go the wrong way Observations: - baked potatoes from Paul - crossbills, stonechat, herring gulls, nuthatch and GS woodpecker - weather cold, but not too breezy. Rain held off. - a firelighter used by Jonathan together with the pre-formed kindling pile meant a quick start for fire Martin

Tuesday, 22nd January 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Ian, Mike m, Mark, Ray, Bernard, Alan, Pat, Jonathan, Paul, Keith, Bob, John h, John, Stuart, and Martin Activities: - looked and fed ponies - bonfire of the brash produced near the cross roads - tidied up the various log piles - prepared for burning the other site of felled trees - did some small amount of tidying up old fallen trees - put up mended nest box Observations: - a bit on the cold side, but sheltered from the west wind there - noted that three trees remained to be cut down, and no work was done on the old felled trees on the boundary - Dartford on south Heath - Jonathan donated a large number of bow saws and blades, which had been discarded by the butterfly group - ground and bracken very damp and last weeks technique of starting the fire did not work well - crossbills Martin

Tuesday, 15th January 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Ian, Mike m, Mike p, Stuart, Ray, Alan, Bernard, Paul and Martin. David a and Neil joined us for coffee, not being fit enough yet to work. Mark and Paul Copsey +1 were on site for felling work Activities: - looked ponies - bonfire of the old brash at the quarry on the Pippingford boundary. Plus extra brash from new work in quarry _ coppiced a number of chestnut limbs in the quarry, cut into lengths and split into proto fence posts, and stacked to dry. Also some logs and brash generated - Stuart took some bracken peat Observations: - photo of Mike's one match achievement sent to Keith - weather dry but mostly overcast. OK. - noted that there had been a wild fire on the common the previous day. The ground and bracken were unusually dry - Mark m-t brought bag of feed for us to give a couple of handfuls to the ponies, and some more fence posts delivered behind the store Martin

Tuesday, 8th January 2019 ... weekly volunteers

Present: Keith, Bob, Mark, Mike p, Mike m, David w, Neil visited, Alan, Paul, Ian, Ray, Bernard, John, Jonathan, Stuart and Martin Activities: - bonfire of Heather, gorse in the quarry on south Heath. Heather on the sides of the quarry removed to encourage insects in the sunny sand. Ling cut and pulled, but bell Heather left or pruned - Keith cut some ledges in the quarry walls for sunning snakes - some pollarding of birch trees in the corner - fencing work on the perimeter of the main reserve finished with rotten posts brought back for firewood - logs brought into the top store to dry - some log cutting - fire beater snapped due to wood worm. Mike p has taken to be repaired - looked the ponies Observations: - crossbills, stonechat - nw wind reasonably strong, but some shelter in quarry. Not too cold and some sun. Nice views - Ian and Paul going on first aid refresher - Neil visited with bad knee, which is mending - David a at home after complication with stent procedure, but should be visiting/ supervising soon - mended nest box awaiting being put back - more Christmas chocolates eaten, some new things in the shop, and some taken Martin