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Tuesday 18th June 2013 The June work Party was one of the best attended so far with twelve volunteers assisting Rangers Mark and Gary and an extra worker who'd been brought in to do some strimming. Most of us were kept busy using up the pile of wood-chippings to line the sides of the Woodland Path giving better access for vehicles and machinery to East Meadow and Fox Pond. (The wood-chipppings were left behind from the spring felling of some of the willows overhanging the benches in the central area of the Reserve.) The barrier to Puckles Pond was removed. It had been placed there because heavy early summer rainfalls had made the dipping platform dangerous to walk on. Although the pond is still very full (as are all the ponds on the Reserve) it no longer floods the platform. The regular tasks of litter-picking and clearing the recent sidegrowth along the path were carried out, and a survey of flora in the recently cleared woodland area was done, with 57 species of woodland plants being recorded. Tuesday 19th July 2013 The July work party took place on one of the hottest days of the year, so nothing too strenuous was attempted. We collected some litter, investigated the area in the far north-eastern corner of the Reserve (where occasionally unauthorised camps are found), and looked for dragonflies and damselflies. Ranger Mark identified a Southern hawker, a large red, a blue-tailed and some azures. There were several butterflies fluttering about in the meadow areas (mainly speckled woods and ringlets), and plenty of newt tadpoles to be seen in Puckles Pond. Tuesday 20th August 2013 The August work party attracted one of our best turn-outs of the year (a dozen!), and it was especially good that thanks to the summer holidays we had some younger volunteers. The weather was very hot and there was no wind, so we didn't strain too hard. As Ranger Mark was away on holiday, Ray took on the job of organising the activities. There was the usual litter pick, and there were enough of us to make sure all the paths were clear of side-growth. Work continued lining the edges of the Woodland Path with material from the woodchip pile, and the holes from where the old bench by Fox Pond had been were filled in. The sun brought out lots of the smaller butterflies (whites, blues and heaths), and there were sightings of damselflies and the occasional dragonfly. In the meadow areas crickets and grasshoppers were jumping about and lots of bees were gathering nectar from the late summer flowers. The ponds are being affected by the hot weather but so far only Prewers Pond has dried up. To keep it as an active pond it may need some of the encroaching willows removed. Another task to be done is to clear the new blackthorn from Lupin Grove and allow more light to penetrate, but the heavy June rains led to the area being semi-flooded - we will have to wait till next year to see whether the lupins have survived. The Spanish Steps continue to deteriorate, and anyone using them is advised to hold on to the handrail. (There are plans for replacing both sets of the wooden Steps which lead down from the High Ridge into the Western part of the Reserve, but this probably won't happen for a few weeks.) If you're walking through the Reserve, keep an eye out the heron which has been visiting Fox Pond. One was spotted earlier this month feeding on the fish which were probably introduced there earlier this year. Because of the nature of the Reserve, with its emphasis on newts, damselflies and dragonflies, fish are unwelcome in any of the ponds and much effort has been taken over the years in trying to keep the ponds fish-free. Hopefully the heron will do the job for us this time! Tuesday 17th September 2013 The September work party wasn't as well attended as the previous month, with just four volunteers turning up to assist Ranger Mark with the various tasks that needed doing. This was partly due to people being away on late summer holidays, and perhaps also because it was spotting with rain. There was the usual litter pick and site check, and some renovation work was carried out on the Spanish Steps, though more repairs are still needed as the wood which keeps the steps in shape is starting to rot and needs replacing. The Reserve is full of Autumn berries and fruit - hips, haws, brambles, sloes and damsons (from the tree opposite Lupin Grove). The two pear trees along Plotlands Way are also laden, but their pears are a bit too coarse for pleasant eating. Several species of fungi were seen, including some boletuses (still to be identified). Tuesday 15th October 2013 [cancelled] |