13th September 2011 -- Weekly Volunteers

- Windy sunny with showers, both forecast and correct  Not nice and day short



Present:

John, Pat, Neil, Ron, Mike and Martin
Martin late after appointment

Activities:

-  road works on m1
- cut down small birch on m1
- marked out edge for remaining road work
- sapling Birches near batter's clump
- cut down three small birch in pines, being the source of saplings
- checked fire beaters at cricket pitch.  2 definitely need immediate repair.
    took 2 away to be replaced/mended
- pulled up bramble in ditch and bracken behind tool store
- pollarded birch along road
- filled 3 bags of bark,

- things not done because of bad weather and early departure.
    Ring barking,  switch off water, collect dung,  cut gorse


News:

- archaeologist plan
- ring barking ok
- restrict pollarding to edges
- road to go ahead
- no scraping
- finding felling contractor, but difficult
- new neighbours at top lodge
- returned angle grinder via paul's helper



observations:

2 ravens
Hobby calling
Meadow pipits moving
Lots of chaffinches on beech mast


Pat took 5 bags of bark
Ron took 2 bags ballast


Martin

20th September 2011 -- Weekly Volunteers

Present:

John, Alan, Lee, Mike, David, Martin and Jonathan

Activities:

- made safe hanging branch over path near stoney pond.  Took out another branch that was getting too low
- cleared birch saplings at exit from tree tunnel
- cleared some birch from the bad patch
- cleaned nestboxes in vicinity .  3 had bees/ bumble bees, one with lots of horse hair, the other with dung!
- inspected pillow mound and then it started raining

Observations :

- raven
- meadow pipits
- siskins, redpolls, bullfinches
- kestrel
- swallows
- fungi ..  lots
- 3 woodlarks
and
- signing card for Antony, who has moved to Hastings area


Martin

25th October 2011 -- Weekly Volunteers

Present:

 Lee, Alan, Pat, Neil, John, Keith, Martin, Jonathan and David

Activities:

- finished mending m1
- replaced the 2 mended firebeater.  Thanks to Mike for mending them.
- helped collect birch log piles behind cottage and along reynards way for Alan's friend
- cut gorse along road, making gaps for deer to browse. Brash mostly under oak tree, but
   with some along the path
- collected dozen bags of dung for John

Observations:

- saw nail and burnt pine fungus
- saw two nice gorse mite colonies
- meadow pipit, 9 woodlark, fieldfare, flock of redwing
- crossbill, redpoll
- raven
- big buck on m1, small buck near cuckoo pond
- red admiral by wood pile

Martin

18th October 2011 -- Weekly volunteers

Present:

John, Mike, Alan, David, and Martin


Activities:

-- made an irish bridge from the south bank to the island. Cut yellow
   spotted trees, brash  and bracken.  Still needs wiring.  operational
   now for deer etc
- made start of a berm down stread from new bridge.
- noted that causeway needs more road surface sometime

Observations:

- crossbill, siskins , redpolls
- jackdaw
- interesting fungus, like a black orange peel
- woodlark


Martin

11th October 2011 -- Weekly Volunteers

Present :

John, Alan, Ron, Neil, David, Keith, Jonathan, Pat, and Martin

Activities :

- cutting more pine with yellow spots near 13th pond
- finished clearing weed from pond
- ring barking a few pine to break up lines near stream.  Principle of allowing
   more light through for the dragon flies.
- switched off the water to the water troughs.  We did not drain.  Need to
   reconsider when Cattle come

Observations :

- 9 woodlark in flock.  Some singing during day
- siskins, redpoll, crossbill
- 2 types of caterpillar, one a looper, the other not
- 4 swallows plus
- common darter, migrant and southern hawkers
- meadow pipit, skylark
- herring gull
- damsons all taken


Martin

4th October 2011 -- Weekly volunteers

Present :

John, Lee, Alan, Pat, Keith, Mike, David and Martin

Activities:

- cleared nestboxes in first half of circuit
- felled some yellow spotted pines shading 13th pond
- ring barked a couple of birches at ditto
- added some logs to dam
- dredged out west end of pond onto dam

Observations:

- raven, masses of redpoll and siskins
- woodlarks, including family party of 8 at west pond
- male young kestrel on stream
- crossbills
- meadow pipit, tree creeper
- a bat in one nest box, plenty of bumble bee nests which were left
- damsons next week
- alan wanting some logs
- david's friend wanting dung from mike's contact

Martin

27 September 2011 -- Weekly Volunteers

Present :

John, Ron, Neil, Alan, Keith, Mike, Jonathan, Pat and martin

Activities :

- cleared nestboxes back to high beeches.  Some bumble bees in residence, which
   we left if we spotted them in time.
- ring barked some trees near stream source
- cut bracken near bench and along the wood
- cleared some pine saplings along reynards way
- hot work and left a bit early

Observations:

- 2+ woodlarks
- Crossbills
- cauliflower fungus
- patches of gorse mite
- skylark
- meadow pipits, siskins, tree creeper, stonechat
- Sparrow hawk, kestrel, tawny owl
- Common darter, southern hawker
- house martins

martin