keeping it active M

crossbills have bred

A visitor has reported seeing a young family of crossbills.

The species probably needs regularly on the reserve in very small numbers, but it is very nice when this is reliably reported.

If one sees a bird flying alone in a purposeful way, regularly, then I normally take this as a clear sign of likely breeding.  To see a family group is a real bonus.

Martin

Tarvin, the bull, arriving Wednesday 4th August 2021

Tarquin is a belted Galway  bull.  He is expected to be very docile, and likes his botton scratched.  Not recommended of course to do the latter. 

We are putting him in the sw half of the reserve, created by closing the central fence.   This allows people to walk the other half, without encountering a bull.

Probably cows with calves are probably far more dangerous.

He will probably stay with us for a couple of months

Martin

 

 ps must have received a mispelling.  He is actually a Tarquin

river Island photo shoot

Just to record a static photo shoot for River Island today.

All seemed to go well, though did not stay for lunch and afternoon.

Cattle made an impromptu visit, and seemed very interested in the proceedings.

Men's clothing were basically displayed hanging on various scenic things with a scenic background.

Warned the crew about ticks and told them they must keep clear of the owl box.

No idea if there was some financial arrangement.

Martin

morning walk 8 sept 2021

... with p and h.

Looked the cattle at the cricket pitch, then back along beeches avenue.  Redstarts and spotted flycatchers.  Deer still hanging around.

The down to swimming pool, and shmond pond.  Black darter.  On past sundews to paddy field and aldergrove.  Golden ring displayed nicely.  Swallows migrating.

Then back along ditch, with at least one clouded yellow. Up the hill to bee swarm and cup of coffee.

Very pleasant

M

mowing patterns for heaths

You basically want to have a variety of Heather ages or heights in order to sustain diversity.  Getting to the diversity from a uniform heath can be tricky.  You cannot efficiently do totally random cuts.

And this can be particularly difficult the achieve, using a large mower.

You also want to avoid drawing attention to what you are doing and definitely do not want to encourage people to use the works as shortcuts or off piste tracks.  

You may also want to hide the "brutality" of a close mow, where it looks as if you are getting rid of the Heather.

Our first attempt to do some hidden cuts was on the plateau, where we cut a large v shape in the middle, at carefully calculated angles, so that from the visitors tracks you could not see down either of the straight lines.  As a once off it works reasonably well, but designing subsequent cuts in the following years is difficult and increasingly so.  The process involves some inefficiency at the corners.  there are some risks that the straight cuts may be attractive for use in short cuts.

The next plans for breaking up the age profile will be based on spirals.  These are

- easy to continuously cut

- have little visibility from any angle

- act as a guide for the next years cut

- cannot be used as a shortcut track

- provide uniform corridors to safety, albeit quite long.  Animals don't have to leave the security of a certain height of Heather, to get away.  Though it could be relatively long.

Novel

M

Note that firebreaks are necessarily going to have a simpler straighter construction, for ease of use.

tree pipits?

Not sure what is happening, but I am seeing / hearing very few tree pipits this year.

Are they just too busy finding food?

M

siskins and redpolls

There are a good number of these two species around the reserve and singing.  I assume some are nesting, though difficult to prove.

M

car park erosion

It looks as if visitors are having a problem with the erosion at the entrance, with quite a steep step up to the main road.  This is probably caused by drivers spinning their wheels to ensure they get up the step, since this is mostly on the left side as you exit.

I have put a cone on that side to push drivers over to the other side where it will be easier, and with less likelihood of grounding.

Situation is being discussed with conservators , who own the car park land.

M

sitting by the kissing gate

Made the felled birch by the kissing gate safe for the long term.

The trunk was made temporarily safe last week,  but it was still sitting on four points, two of which would have only lasted a year or so.  So this week we reduced the total weight by cutting off usable firewood logs, and the getting the main trunk on the ground.

This was quite an interesting task, as cutting a load bearing branch is hazardous to tools and body.  We built a temporary support structure with the new logs, then carefully cut out the supporting branches, and finally toppled the support structure from a safe angle and distance.  Then turned it over with the remaining branch, which basically now stops the trunk rolling.

We then moved the remaining trunk using the logs as rollers, stopping the trunk digging into the ground, and a felling lever   Moved it away from the steps of the kissing gate, and round into the hollow parallel with the fence.  Nowhere now for it to go.

This makes a nice long seat for weary travellers, and we had our first visitor formally open the seat.  A quick group photo of the team, and back for coffee.

People may wonder how it was all done.  A couple of large bow saws, a felling lever and lots of grey matter.

Thanks to the team.

M

for the record....

covid etc

Volunteer workers have always under government rules and guidelines been able to do work that the volunteer operation thought was essential

This is to record that the volunteers at Old Lodge have followed this throughout the pandemic.

Initially when numbers were very small we could treat our working as personal exercise in open spaces, as well.

I have not recorded work at old Lodge during the pandemic, until SWT issued a suggested new daily report form.   Since then I have on a trial basis recorded all our work and made it available for SWT head office.

I will at sometime record these here.  I have no evidence whether or not they are being seen or used by SWT head office.  

I would like to thank all who participated in this essential work for their efforts and support.

M

tree cut down at kissing gate

Last Tuesday we cut down a dead birch at the kissing gate.  The main trunks are still there on the ground.

This tree died sometime over the winter, and one of the top branches snapped in a recent gale, but did not fall to the ground.  This was dangerous, and the best action was to cut it down while most of the wood was still sound.  No idea why the tree died, though it was on the oldish side.

The broken branch could have fallen anytime onto visitors entering or leaving the reserve, being directly above the kissing gate.

Because the brash has been collected together to form a habitat pile, it would not be immediately obvious that the tree was dead.

Used a two man saw to fell the tree, and earthed the stump so as not to draw attention.  Habitat pile is in the near corner. A smaller birch had to be taken out to make felling safe.

The stumps of the trees are left at roughy 3 foot, as this makes them more obvious and less of a tripping hazard.  They will become useful dead standing wood for insects etc.

We will be doing a bit more work on it next Tuesday to collect some logs for volunteer perks, and probably to make a sitting place of the main trunk.  This will make it safer as people won't tempted to clamber over it.

Thanks to visitors who either braved the kissing gate or went the scenic route of the nearby gate during operations.

Thanks to person who reported the dangerous branch.

Martin

three words

For the fire brigade we are tending to use three words for giving them our position.  This seems to work quite well.

Not totally sure where our three meter Square area is but somewhere near the cottages.  Much easier than roads and place names or coordinates or post codes.

Gossiping compound hears

Adjective noun verb

GCHQ might help one remember

While I am at it, please remember that post codes in a sparsely populated area is hopeless on satnav.  Just do not use. We get a lot of lost souls looking for ghylls lap coming down the lane.

Martin

now accepting new volunteers

I just heard that SWT are allowing new volunteers to join the gang.

People are welcome to turn up on any Tuesday for a test run.  

Martin

Tuesday, 17th September 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John b, John, Mike m, Mike p, Ray, Ian, David w, Paul, Keith, Bernard and Martin. Jonathan visited briefly with damsons.

Activities:

- Did some repair and maintenance work on the bridge
- lookered the cattle. 14 and 6
- put up the Mandarin nest box
- bracken pulling across centre and up to the corner
- some more birch cutting in ol2
- log splitting continued behind the shed
- John took some bracken peat

Observations:

- buzzard, kestrel
- 2 Dartford, 2 spotted flycatcher
- Bulfinch, greenfinch, grey wagtail, nuthatch
- tree creeper singing
- commas, speckled woods
- lizards
- ravens, jays, but no magpies
- freshly dead rabbit, with no apparent cause
- weather fine for work


Martin

Tuesday, 10th September 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Mike m, Ian, Martin, Bob, David w, John, Bernard, Mike p, and Jonathan.  Terry visited. Tom Parry moved cattle

Activities:

- bracken pulling along beeches avenue, and along Pippingford boundary
- moved cattle from south Heath to main reserve
- looked cattle
- looked for missing lock at the heave gate, no luck
- put back the posts and tubes on the cherries.  Most should survive although bashed about
- some more log splitting behind the shed


Observations:

- nice warm weather
- wheatear on south Heath
- 2 Dartford there
- stonechats, Bullfinch, Raven


Martin

Tuesday, 3rd September 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Stuart, Mike m, Mike p, Bernard, John, Ian, Keith, Mark, David a, Jonathan, John b, and Martin

Activities:

- looked the cows
- took down the electric tape around the badger sett, leaving the posts for next years spraying
- bracken pulling along beeches and over to ol2 for coffee
- cut birch in ol2, split some logs and partially stripped others.  Brash piles made for future bonfires

Observations:

- another sighting of a probable grasshopper warbler
- warm weather, but little sun
- small copper
- Dartford again
- Raven

Martin

Tuesday, 27th August 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Martin had to leave at coffee time.
John, Keith, Bob, Alan, David a, Mike p, Ian, Jonathan,  and David w

Activities:

- bracken pulling up to coffee
- some log splitting afterwards

Observations:

- basically too hot to do any work

Martin

Tuesday, 20th August 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

Mike m, Ian, Mike p, Mark, Bernard, Ray, John, David w, David a, Keith, Alan, and Martin.

Activities:

- check Bernard report of archangel in the car park.  Cleared some bramble and bracken, but archangel seemed to have disappeared.  Maybe some helpful visitor, as while we were away, a dirty nappy disappeared!
- large sweep of bracken pulling along beeches avenue and down to the stream.
- checked state of the bridge.  Probably now needs to be formally checked by Swt.  Safe at the moment, but thought needs to be put as to it's future
- put up electric tape to protect saplings that the cows have taken a liking to.  Put back the tubes.  Heavily nibbled
- did some log splitting to speed up drying
- cleared the ragwort along the road up to the old lodge ornamental gates, and at the cricket pitch. Bags taken off site for composting
- investigated new site for old tawny owl nest box, with thought of it becoming a Mandarin duck box
- Mike did some scything along the path to the car park
- Looked the cows

Observations:

- nice working weather
- more painted ladies
- possible migrant hawker
- greenfinch again
- Bulfinch, Raven, Lt tits

Martin

Tuesday, 6th August 2019 ... Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Pat, Alan, Jonathan, Stuart, Mike p, Mike m, Ian, Keith, David a, David w, and Martin

Activities:

- looked the cattle
- piled up the logs that had been dumped behind the shed last week, and re-covered all the stacks
- did some splitting of roundels
- cut back some of the encroaching brambles around the shed
- moved the pile of machine cuttings from the path going up to the car park
- did a big sweep of bracken pulling across the reserve and up to the ne corner
- cut bracken on the track parallel with the m1 in ol2
- cut down and removed a dead leaning  pine from that track, and removed one lying across the track
- a dead birch near the bridge was threatening to shift part of a dam downstream of the bridge. It was cut to reduce these forces
- reptile count
- bagged up some bracken peat for perks

Observations:

- nice weather, but a bit windy
- adder under tin on south Heath
- 2 Dartford warblers on south Heath
- possible party of 12 ravens
- discussed pony situation
- plenty of slow worms
- David w taking a wedge for reducing the angle of attack


Martin