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Tuesday 16th January 2024 The sun shone brightly for our first work party of the year, but it was very cold with frost still on the ground and all the ponds frozen over. Five volunteers turned up to be met by warden Nick and two others from Countryside Services, who soon disappeared towards the High Ridge area with a chain saw to dispose of a couple of trees which had fallen over. In addition to the litter-pick that had been done in the morning, some more litter was cleared from deeper in the shrub, including an old mudguard from long ago, and some household refuse recently thrown over the fence separating the Reserve from the houses on the North East side of the Reserve (broken pottery, glass tumblers, children's clothes, toys, jars, bottles, ornaments etc). There was also an inspection of the repair work that Countryside Services have been doing on the boardwalks - many thanks to them for keeping at it! A number of magpies were congregating along Plotlands Way but otherwise there were few signs of wildlife, and no flowers to be seen, not even the white dead nettle which usually manages to make some sort of showing during January. Tuesday 20th February 2024 The forecast for February is lots of rain, so despite the clouds and cool wind, we were fortunate to have a dry day. It was something of a surprise to see ten people turn up, though three of them were probably there more out of curiosity to see what we got up to. Perhaps partly because of the delay in getting started, only seven remained long enough to take part. In the absence of warden Nick, Services Supervisor Frank and regular Countryside Services worker Josh were on hand to organise our activities. The initial intention was to clear the new growth that was threatening to take over Lupin's Glade, but because of all the recent rain it was covered in groundwater, as were several other woodland areas of the Reserve. Having brought along his electric chain saw and not wanting to waste the opportunity, Frank decided this would be a good time time to cut down some of the larger saplings that were likely to obstruct the paths over the coming months, and most members of the work party helped with clearing up the branches. There'd been a a litter-pick earlier in the day, but a more intensive one was done venturing further from the paths which resulted in large amounts of bottles and other discarded waste being collected. If left another month or so this becomes more difficult with the new foliage hiding everything from sight. All the ponds are now full. Willow Pond is covered with common duckweed, though why it is the only one affected is a mystery. Thanks to regular work by Society members over the years the drainage ditch leading from Puckles Pond is doing its duty in preventing the dipping platform from being submerged and the approach path from being flooded. The typha in Meadow Pond has died back over the winter months, and large areas of clear water are visible. Hopefully this will last at least until early Summer, which may tempt the waterhens to nest there again (despite the grass snakes). Some of the Spring flowers are already starting to appear. On either side of Plotlands Way (approaching the centre of the Reserve from Eastfield Road), one can see a few violets and red dead nettles peeping through the grass. In the shadier areas the large arrow-shaped vivid green leaves of cuckoo pint can be seen, some with distinctive black spots. Higher up, the white cherry blossom is putting on a fine display - we have at least two varieties, some with yellow anthers and others with orange. For anyone wanting to walk all the way round the Reserve, the good news is that the boardwalks have been repaired with many slats replaced; the bad news is that the 'Dragonfly Loop' woodland path is very muddy and should not be attempted without waterproof boots! Tuesday 19th March 2024 We had another good turnout, with seven volunteers plus Frank, Nick and Steve from Countryside Services. Despite the clouds the rain held off and it was a productive session. The grass edges of the paths in the central area were cut and strimmed, and the side-growth along the boardwalk leading to Meadow Pond has been trimmed back. A thorough litter-pick was done, with cans, bottles and plastic bags being extracted from deep in the shrubbery while they were still visible before the new foliage develops. There was also some household refuse cleared up which had been thrown over the back garden fences of houses along the Northern side of the Reserve. This included a pair of shoes, cutlery, tools, a broom, clothes hangers and an articulated dinosaur (which went to a good home). Meanwhile Frank was selecting suitable sites for placing reptile mats, some made out of bitumen (which first needed cutting up) and others made out of corrugated metal. The plan is to carefully examine underneath them at least once a month throughout the summer to get an estimate of the number of snakes and slow worms we have. We'd hoped to check behind the ponds for litter, but following all the rain we've had they were too full, especially Fox Pond which now covers part of the approach path. Fortunately the drainage ditch leading from Puckles Pond is doing its job, as in the past this was the pond most prone to overflowing. There is still lots of groundwater in the meadows and wooded areas, and though most of the paths are fine, Dragonfly Loop remains very muddy and is probably best avoided if you're walking round the Reserve. Spring is now well underway with the white blossom of the blackthorn replacing last month's cherry blossom. Primroses, daffodils, greater stitchwort, hairy bittercress, and lesser celandine are all starting to flower; bumblebees are emerging from their hibernation; and we had our first newt sightings of the year! Tuesday 16th April 2024 We had a busy afternoon with five workers from Countryside Services already on site (led by Warden Nick in the absence of supervisor Frank) and six volunteers turning up. It was quite cloudy at first until the sun eventually came out, so it was a reasonable April day. The main task was cutting the East Meadow which is starting to become overgrown with shrub. Despite all the recent rain a fair amount of progress was made, though the piles of raked grass still remain to be collected and moved. There was also some strimming along the sides of Plotland Way, checking the High Ridge for any trees that might have come down during the heavy winds over the weekend, removal of overhanging foliage along the woodland paths, a litter-pick (done earlier on the day), and an inspection of the reptile mats laid down on the last work party - no reptiles or amphibians were found, probably because it was too cold for them. It was also too chilly for the butterflies to come out, though several species have already been sighted this month on warmer days - brimstone, comma, orange tip, peacock, small white and speckled wood. Last year there were noticeable increases in the number of UK sightings of brimstone butterflies and red admirals. However the most abundant Spring species locally is probably the orange tip. All the damp weather has encouraged a few fungi to appear but at last the ground-water is drying up and the paths are no longer so muddy. The dominant flowers in the Reserve this month are cow parsley and garlic mustard which flourish in the hedgerows, while down amongst the grass can be seen common mouse-ear, creeping buttercup, ground ivy, and herb Robert. Our few bluebells are now on display, the greater periwinkle is out, and the large lilac tree on the left towards Fox Pond is in full bloom and looks magnificent! Tuesday 21st May 2024 With light but steady rain throughout most of the day and two apologies for absence, it wasn't surprising that only four volunteers turned up. Supervisor Frank and trainee warden Josh mended two broken boards on the Meadow Link Boardwalk, and then did a fine job of strimming both sides of Plotlands Way (which runs between the main entrance and the storage container). Meanwhile the rest of us were busy with a litter-pick and taking down small branches overhanging the paths. Insect sightings have been lower than expected because of all the wet weather. The commonest butterfly during the last couple of weeks has been the speckled wood. Hardly any red admirals have been seen so far this year. Other insects recorded include red-headed cardinal beetles, three damselfly species (at Meadow Pond) and a tiger hoverfly (also known as a sunfly). Most of the Spring flowers are now out, with cow parsley continuing to dominate, and buttercups replacing nearly all the hedge garlic and greater stitchwort. There's a fine display of yellow rattle on the left approaching the western woodland walk as well as along the west side of Plotlands Way. Spotted medick, oxeye daisies, chickweed, crane's-bill, red clover and ribwort plantain can be found in the grassy areas, wood avens amongst the shade, and the lovely white blossoms of dogwood and dog rose higher up in the shrubbery. Clumps of stately yellow flag adorn Willow and Puckles Ponds, and we have a wonderful 'island' of irises in the middle of East Meadow - not to be missed if you're visiting the Reserve! Tuesday 18th June 2024 This month we had five volunteers on a pleasant but somewhat cloudy day, with just a light breeze. We were met on-site by Nick and Steve from Basildon Countryside Services. They had already cleared the path leading to Fox Pond, which had become very overgrown, and were about to start strimming down the sides of Plotlands Way. A litter-pick had been done earlier so we eventually set to work cutting back side-growth along the paths, especially the long creeping bramble stems that have been growing at the rate of a foot a week during the last month following the recent rain. The Reserve is in good shape with all the ponds full of water. Edible frogs have been frequently seen and heard in Meadow Pond, and Fox Pond seems to have a healthy population of common frogs. We had our first grass snake sighting of the year, but still no reports of common lizards, which were regularly basking on the boardwalks in 2022. Butterflies have been scarcer than expected, though hopefully the food plants for their caterpillars may have benefitted from the wet weather and we'll have a surge of pupae hatching in July and August. The early summer flowers are now out, with white campion, mallow, field and hedge bindweed, cleavers, sow-thistles, nipplewort and tufted vetch all very visible, and red bartsia, spear thistle and teasel just beginning to blossom. However the fodder vetch which dominated the more open areas and hedgerows as recently as five years ago is nowhere to be seen, perhaps crowded out by goat's rue, once relatively sparse but now seen throughout the Reserve. It's several years since we last had a survey covering the many species of grasses in the Reserve, so perhaps we should invite someone with expertise to help out with identification? This would hopefully include the various sedges and rushes found in the East Meadow and Meadow Pond areas, as well as the very tall graceful reeds which grow behind the bench near Prewers Pond. Tuesday 16th July 2024 It was yet another grey day, though the rain held off and the sun eventually started shining through. Six volunteers turned up to be met by Warden Nick and an assistant, who had brought along a large grass-cutting machine (a Scag 36" Advantage Cutter Deck). This was put to good use firstly in the East Meadow, and then along Plotland Way with both sides being cleared. A litter-pick had already been done, so those of us not collecting up the cut grass focussed on cutting back the brambles nettles and thistles encroaching on the paths, especially the east approach to the High Ridge. We also removed a chair, shopping trolley and some other rubbish which had been abandoned in the Reserve. Towards the end of the session Supervisor Frank turned up with doughnuts to mark his last appearance at our work parties before he leaves Basildon Countryside Services for a new job. We wish him well! Hopefully a replacement can be found soon. All the ponds remain full, though water levels have dropped slightly from last month. Willow Pond, which is covered in duck weed, looks especially pretty. Typha (great reedmace) is taking over Meadow Pond, but it's still the best place to see damselflies or hear the frogs croaking away. We'd hoped to check the reptile mats laid down earlier in the year, but they were difficult to get to (and hard to find) because of all the summer growth, so they need to be resituated in places which are more accessible. There were lots of butterflies, mainly meadow browns, gatekeepers, ringlets and large whites, but none of the more colourful ones - painted ladies, small tortoiseshells, red admirals and peacocks. This could be because of all the Spring rain we had, though migration routes to and from Africa may have been disrupted by extreme weather events. Goats rue, the dominant plant in the more open areas of the Reserve, is starting to be replaced by the lovely purple flowers of the great willowherb, but the brightest splash of colour comes from the large patch of Canadian goldenrod near Prewers Pond, which always puts on a fine display. Sighting of the day was a slow worm disturbed by the grass cutting. Sadly it looks like we may have lost many of the reptiles and amphibians from the Noak Bridge side of the Reserve over the last twenty years, no doubt partly because of cats from the houses bordering Oak Wood, which can occasionally be seen hunting in the undergrowth. Tuesday 20th August 2024 This month's work party was not one of our best attended. Two regulars sent in apologies for absence, one only attended briefly, suffering from a bad back, another had to leave early, and a couple weren't able to be there until later on. And no one from Basildon Countryside Services turned up! Nevertheless a litter-pick had been done earlier in the day, and the worst of the brambles and briars encroaching on the paths and boardwalks were cut back. The afternoon started cloudy, but the sun eventually broke through resulting in yet another warm day. The last month's hot weather is now affecting all the ponds - Willow and Meadow Ponds will probably be ok but Rosebay is already dry, and the water levels in Puckles and Fox are very low and decreasing daily. Many of the summer flowers have gone to seed (or for the shrubs into fruits and berries). The knapweed, fleabane and great willowherb are beginning to fade, but there's late blossoming white yarrow in the centre area of the Reserve, hedge bindweed high in the hedgerows, and a pretty display of bittersweet and water mint by Meadow Pond. There are still dragonflies to be seen patrolling the paths (they are very territorial) and plenty of butterflies once the day warms up (mainly speckled woods in the shady areas, and small/large/green-veined whites and common blues in the meadows, but very few skippers). The edible frogs seem to have expanded from Meadow Pond to Fox Pond, where they are far more more visible, and can often be seen jumping into the water from the sides as you approach, but this looks like being the second year in a row that we've had no sightings of common lizards or shrews. Tuesday 17th September 2024 It was a lovely sunny day with just a slight breeze. Four volunteers turned up to be met by Warden Nick and a couple of others from Countryside Services. The boardwalk slats and the broken stair on the Spanish Steps were mended last week by contractors, so with nothing specific scheduled we had a low key rambly afternoon. There was some litter-picking to be done, and a bit of cutting back along the paths, and the triangular section of rough grass near the storage container was mown. We also checked along the Eastern edge of the Reserve where it borders on the industrial units and discovered that people had been entering via a hole in the fence and using the area behind Meadow Pond as a toilet! The recent warm dry weather has led to the ponds continuing to shrink, and although there is some rain forecast, most of them could be dry by the end of the month. However this provides us with the opportunity to remove some of the rubbish that's been thrown in, including a bicycle tyre from Puckles Pond. There were very few butterflies about, just the occasional large white and speckled wood, but we saw several dragonflies, probably Southern migrant hawkers. Some species are still laying eggs, which will survive the winter and hatch next Spring. We also watched a solitary bee doing some burrowing. It could have been an ivy bee, which emerges very late in the year when there are ivy flowers for it to feed on. The Canadian goldenrod by Puckles Pond has finished blossoming, but the Michaelmas daisies also growing there, another survivor from the Plotlands era, are about to start flowering. Much of the colour now comes from our various Autumn fruit and berries - hips, haws, sloes, holly, brambles and honeysuckle - though perhaps the brightest splashes of red are the fungus-like growths on the briars at the far end of the boardwalk, commonly known as robin's pincushion, home to the larvae of the bedeguar gall wasp. Tuesday 15th October 2024 We were fortunate to have another dry day for our work party, with the sun peeping through the clouds by the end of the afternoon. Five volunteers turned up to be met by Warden Nick and three others from Countryside Services who had already been hard at work doing a major cutback of the shrub that has been steadily encroaching over the last few years. The heavy duty cutting equipment on the big tractor was put to good use further opening up the area to the west of the storage container, as well as completing the Autumn mowing of East Meadow all the way through to Meadow Pond. We focussed on helping clear away the young blackthorn and willow saplings that have grown up in front of the brick bridge where the little stream emerges - (this flows along the Northern edge of the Reserve, continuing east until it merges with another stream which eventually leads into the River Crouch). And there was also a litter-pick! Although the purpose of the Cleared Scrubland was primarily to create a meadow area to encourage a greater diversity of flowers, it's also become the best area for fungi, though interestingly the species there vary from year to year. In the past we've had flushes of scurfy twiglets, and tubaria, and we've also had large 'fairy rings' develop, but this year it's mainly shaggy inkcaps (also known as shaggy mane). However there are also some bright orange fungi that look like a species of waxcap. It would be good to get a firm ID as they've not been recorded in the Reserve before. Tuesday 19th November 2024 The weather was disappointing for our last work party of the year - grey, rainy and cold. Nevertheless six volunteers turned up, but unfortunately no-one was there from Countryside Services because of staff shortages. Hopefully their attendance will be more regular now that a new Services Supervisor has been appointed to replace Frank Street, who left three months ago. We did some cutting back of overhanging side-growth along the paths, and despite parts of the meadow areas being water-logged we managed to have a thorough litter-pick, taking advantage of the lack of greenery to venture deep into the shrubbery along the Eastern edge of the Reserve. The recent rain hasn't made a lot of difference to the water-levels in the ponds, which apart from Meadow Pond are all quite low, and this allowed us to clear up cans and bottles around the far sides of Puckles and Fox Ponds. Most of the deciduous trees are now looking quite bare, but their fallen leaves provide splashes of Autumn colour throughout the Reserve. Shorter days (or rather longer nights) is an important factor in causing trees to start shedding their leaves, but it's also affected by the amount of rainfall earlier in the year as well as by temperature change. Trees losing their leaves early include ash, blackthorn, field maple, hawthorn, horse chestnut and the poplars (September), followed by alder, crab apple, elder, hazel, goat willow, rowan, silver birch and sycamore (October), and then beech, crack willow, oak and weeping willow (November). |