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Tuesday 21st January 2014 It was a lovely day for the January work party, with a clear blue sky and bright sun, but it was cold in the shadows - the temperature had dropped below freezing the previous night. All the recent rain has left many parts of the Reserve water-logged, and the ponds are full to overflowing. Five volunteeers turned up, coordinated by Ranger Mark. There was a litter pick, and some bat boxes were attached to an oak tree in a glade in the main wooded area. The boxes are to provide summer roosting sites. Three boxes were put up, facing north, south east, and south west, so that the bats can move from box to box, keping warm, but avoiding the full strength of the midday sun. The next work party will be on Tuesday, 18th February, starting at 1pm, meeting as usual at the Eastfield Road entrance. Tuesday 18th February 2014 Four volunteers turned up for the February Work Party. There were a few spots of rain, but also some sun, which there hasn't been much of so far this month. The usual litter pick and path clearance took place, and some bird boxes were put up in the Eastern half of the Reserve. Ranger Mark conducted a mini-foray into the woods behind Willow Pond to search out the two glades, which for some unknown reason have completely different ground plants. We also discovered two large patches of snowdrops, their first occurrence on our 'wildlife list'. The Reserve is still very water-logged, with Willow Pond close to overflowing on to Plotlands Way. The paths are just about walkable, but wellies are definitely needed. Signs of spring are apparent with early catkins now showing, and clumps of large dark green leaves of the cuckoo-pint visible along the High Ridge. In the Autumn it produces a mass of bright red berries. Tuesday 18th March 2014 The March work party started off with Ranger Mark demonstrating to the six volunteers how to use the Society's strimmer safely, with everyone being given a go at starting it up. We did a litter pickand cleared the foliage from the entrance area and where it overhung the fence along Bridge Street. Meanwhile Ranger Gary and his assistant were busy mowing using a heavy duty grass-cutter. The catkins are in full display (lots of different colours, shapes, and sizes), and the white blackthorn blossom lines the paths, while in East Meadow the daffs and primroses are now out. Along the sides of Plotland Way are patches of purple and pink wood violets and the smaller light-blue flowers of germander speedwell. Further into the Reserve, some of the woodland areas are still very water-logged, including Lupin Grove. (A possible future work party task, when it's a bit drier, is to clear the encroaching scrub which is threatening to overwhelm the lupins there.) Tuesday 15th April 2014 Eight volunteers turned up to assist Ranger Mark on the April work party, including a couple of younger helpers, which was good to see. We replaced some nesting boxes, and cleared up after Ranger Gary and assistant Andy who were strimming and cutting back the side foliage along both sides of Plotland Way. The Reserve is now looking lovely, with spring blossom everywhere, especially the white flowers of the cow parsley, garlic mustard and greater stitchwort which line the paths. The ponds too are coming to life, with moorhens nesting, and occasionally a newt to be seen. The sun brought out lots of butterflies, mainly orange tips and speckled woods, but there were also sightings of a comma, peacock, red admiral, and small tortoishell. Among the birds to watch out for (or listen out for) in the Reserve are green finches, great tits, chiff-chaffs, blackcaps and goldfinches. Tuesday 20th May 2014 There was a good turnout for the May Work Party with nine volunteers helping out Mark, Gary and Andy from Basildon Countryside Services. It was a lovely spring day, sunny with a light wind, but just a few spots of rain towards the end. As usual we split into groups, some clearing the areas round the steps and benches, others raking up the cuttings from the sides of the paths, and of course the monthly litter pick. The ponds are still very full and looking healthy. The tall iris-like yellow flag is in blossom around the edges of Puckles Pond and Willow Pond, with the latter now home to a couple of broods of mallards. Summer flowers are appearing in the grassier areas, especially meadow buttercups and fodder vetch, while along the woodland path are elder, wild roses and honeysuckle. We had a mini-expedition to check out Meadow Pond. Very little has been done in the eastern side of the Reserve, mainly because it was difficult to access until a path was cleared last summer at the far end of East Meadow. Although very overgrown with bullrushes (typha) the pond had water in it and is probably being used as a nesting site by mallards. We planted some alders about a dozen years ago to help hide the ugly railings separating the Reserve from the builder's yard. The ground there is often boggy, which alders prefer, but it also looked polluted with oil and general waste overflowing from the yard. However four of the alders have survived, and were bearing catkins. Tuesday 17th June 2014 Once again we had lovely weather for the work party, warm and sunny and a light breeze. Seven volunteers turned up to help Rangers Mark and Gary and an assistant with this month's tasks, which again were mainly strimming and cutting back the sidegrowth along the walks. We also cut up and removed a large branch which had fallen across the Woodland Path and took down some of the small willow saplings which were growing round the edge of Fox Pond. It was a good day for wildlife sightings. A slow-worm was sunning itself on one of the paths and a small grass snake was seen swimming in Fox Pond. About 30 blue damselflies (species not identified) were swarming and mating on Puckles Pond with an emperor dragonfly busy laying eggs amongst the pondweed. Summer flowers to look out for on the path in the Central Meadow area are ox-eye daisies, common mallow, yellow rattle, ragwort, red bartsia and birds foot trefoil, while the tall purple spikes of hedge woundwort can be found in the shadier areas along the sides of Plotland Way. Tuesday 15th July Another sunny day, though only 5 volunteers turned up, some of the regulars being on holiday. Ranger Mark split us into two groups, one doing strimming, and the other trimming back the sidegrowth along the milkcrate path. Meanwhile contractors were finishing the rebuilding the Spanish Steps and replacing the handrail. The ponds were full of life, especially Puckles Pond which was infused with clouds of daphnia - a large diving beetle and a stickleback were also spotted. Flowers in bloom included meliot (not sure which species, tall or ribbed), bindweed (field and large), yarrow (in the main meadow) and lots of thistles! Tuesday 19th August 2014 The August work party was well attended, with nine volunteers guided as ever by Ranger Mark. We'd hoped to have some heavy cutting machinery on site, but unfortunately that wasn't possible, so we made do with strimming and chopping and cutting back the sidegrowth along the paths, our main work during the summer months. The weather started out fair but there were a couple of short showers before the sky finally cleared. The Reserve is still very colourful. Hips and haws and sloes now decorate the hedges, and there's an abundance of fruit on the ancient apple and pear trees. Most of the fodder vetch in the meadow areas has been replaced by goats rue, ragwort and meadow vetchling. The East Meadow is looking especially attractive although very overgrown. There are patches of knapweed (thistle-like with dark purple flowers), mallow and field bindweed along the sides of the paths. The tall purple flowers around the edges of some of the ponds are purple loosestrife, and there is water mint (small spherical light purple flowers) to be seen on the approach to Puckles Pond. A few butterflies came out as the sun reappeared, mainly whites and the occasional ringlet. There weren't many damselflies around, but migrant hawkers were flying back and forth across the central area of the Reserve and there was a possible sighting of a southern hawker. Tuesday 16th September 2014 It was another pleasant day for the seven of us who turned up to help Ranger Mark at the September work party. The Reserve is in good shape with all the ponds still full, hedges full of ripening Autumn fruits, and lots of bird song (including chiffchaffs). Sadly Lupin Glade had no lupins this year, almost certainly the result of being water-logged for a couple of months following the heavy Spring rains. We will have to wait and see whether they will be back next year, but there has been steady encroachment by blackthorn, so they might not return. Another flower thought to have originated in plotland gardens which may be in danger of disappearing from the Reserve is golden rod. Large patches of them were common in the area around Prewer's Pond, though there are still plenty of Michaelmas daisies to be seen there (mainly the white flower variety). Again most of our effort went into strimming and cutting back the sidegrowth along the packs, as well as the usual litter pick. Meanwhile Mark was leading a couple of volunteers along the path of the stream which emerges from under the bridge at the end of Plotlands Way and flows east alongside the woodland path. It eventually ends up running into the River Crouch, but for the last month the water hasn't been flowing because of blockages. Suitably kitted out in waders, the mini-expedition set off to investigate. The water was very stagnant and the bed filled with deep mud in parts and several blockages were found along the way. However the one causing the main problem was further downstream, outside the Reserve, past the point where it joins the stream coming from the lake by Waterfront Way. We will be contacting the River Crouch Conservation Trust who may be able to offer us some help and advice. Tuesday 21st October 2014 A blustery day with heavy showers in the morning, which cleared up just in time for the work party. There were seven volunteers, led again by Ranger Mark, who organised most of us into clearing the cut grass from the East Meadow. Unfortunately the rain over the last few days meant the ground was very wet with pools of water everywhere. This meadow has always been prone to bogginess, especially in the south west corner where in parts the grass has given way to clumps of rushes. As the cut grass and other vegetation had been lying for some time it was very sodden and the raking and forking was hard work. The only other activity was the litter pick. There was less rubbish then usual to be collected now that the summer is over, though there had been a some vandalism earlier in the month which had previously been cleared by members of the Society. If you're walking through the Reserve keep an eye out for muntjac deer. One was spotted a couple of weeks ago in the central area (at the end of Plotlands Way). Also seen was a red admiral butterfly. These used to be considered migrants, but now that it's sometimes seen on mild days throughout the winter it is considered to be a resident. Tuesday 18th November 2014 As Ranger Mark was ill, Ranger Gary took over the job of organising the eight volunteers who turned up for the last work party of the year. The big tractor was on site with a flail attachment and there was plenty of tidying up to do after it had travelled down the woodland path cutting back all the sidegrowth. There were still plenty of hips to provide splashes of colour amongst the bushes, and even some honeysuckle in flower! Photographs were taken of various fungi that had sprung up following the recent rain, but we miss not having a mycologist amongst us, and most remained unidentified. Some excitement was had following the discovery of a tent which had been put up in the patch of woodland between the main path and the East Meadow. There was no sign of any occupants, and it was taken down. One of the Reserve's regular users reported having seen a polecat. It's possible, but there don't seem to be records of them being sighted locally, so it's more likely to have been a ferret. (Apparently feral ferrets tend to turn into polecats within a few generations, no doubt helped by cross-breeding.) |