In view of the recent rainfall and the likelihood that our intended work location might be boggy we had a last-minute change to do some tidying up in the Copse at the north of the site. It had been observed that during the winter a number of branches had broken and fallen so we cut these up and relocated them to the dead hedge alongside the Country Park and a log pile against it.

The Copse was had largely been composed of dead and dying Elm trees when we took it over nearly thirty years ago but the saplings we planted then are trees in their own right and even the Elm whips we planted a few years ago are starting to establish. A future task will be to replace the dozen or two Tree Sparrow next boxes that are worn out but did have Tree Sparrows and Great Tits occupying them – a nice project if anybody fancies it?

Thanks, as usual, to our volunteers Julie and Mark, Pete, Fiona, Judi and Mick who’ve spruced it up ready for Spring. The sun was shining, the birds were singing we were on dry land.

Thanks also to our grazier Gary who had cut the hedge alongside the Reservoir Basin a few weeks ago, after we’d cleared most of the wire and posts in readiness. The birds can nest undisturbed.

We have our next work party on the 24th March and subject to flooding we’ll be back at the Pond at 10:30 to check on the flood debris and rake of where necessary.

Further to the conversation with a dog walker on the Cornfield Grassland, when gates are closed and chained it means no public access, especially when it says it on the gate. This is not a public park or extension of the Country Park, it’s a nature reserve and managed on an agricultural basis. Certain areas needs to have dogs and owners prevented from trampling across them for the sake of the wildlife.