This afternoon we saw this spotted redshank by Alder pond.
It is probably on its way to somewhere much warmer!
Month: December 2017
Finches in Fairfield
Walking around Fairfield this afternoon we saw around 100 linnet, many of which can be seen on this photo of the hawthorn on the Pads path.
Linnets on the left and chaffinches on the right!
Several goldfinches were around in the Orchard.
And two greenfinches were seen between the paddock and the allotments.
Volunteer Session Saturday 9th December 2017
Here is Jonathan’s message
Greetings All,
A couple of items for your attention.
First, there’ll be a volunteer session at Fairfield Orchard, Fauna and
Flora thIs Saturday morning, starting at 10.00am and finishing at 1.00pm.
Here’s the To Do list for this time:
* Clear leaves from the track between Sunnyside Lane and Orchard.
* Cut and/or dig out sucker saplings and invasive bramble from the Orchard.
* Plant gorse. Fifteen small gorse saplings are on their way and will be
planted in groups near Pony Wood and the Aldcliffe Road gate into Flora
Field.
* Some of the saplings in Pony Wood and the extension have been knocked
about by the wind. So we need to repair where there’s been damage.
Hedge trimming along the Pads footpath between the path and the Flora Field.
Second, an update from Mick Short on the Dementia-Friends Induction
Workshop. Over to you, Mick…
REPORT ON OUR FIRST DEMENTIA-FRIENDS INDUCTION WORKSHOP
The first induction workshop, on 23 November, was attended by 17 FA
members, of whom a very creditable 15 people signed up as Dementia Friends
at the end of the session. Thank you all! The induction lasted about an
hour and was thought by participants to be both informative and fun to do.
Steve Fairclough, a Dementia Champion at the Dukes Playhouse ran the
session for us.
So we have taken our first steps on our way to becoming a
Dementia-Friendly charity. I will organise a couple more induction
workshops early in the new year (I thought that people might be too busy
in the run-up to Christmas!) . So don’t worry if you could not get to the
first session. In the meantime, now that I am a Dementia Friend, I have
signed up for a Dementia Champions induction on 12 December, so that I can
help run our future Dementia Friends inductions and not overload Steve
Fairclough too much.
I will send out more induction invitations in the New Year. In the
meantime, if anyone wants to ask me anything or sign up as an ‘early
bird’, please email me at: m.short@lancaster.ac.uk
+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+
…Thanks for that Mick.
And that’s about it for this occasion,
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
HM=8, US=0, SP=4, BM=15
This was the tally of snipe in the Fauna fields this morning, including one Jack in Big Meadow. After two months with bumper counts, the measly total of 27 was the lowest December figure since we began doing flush counts. Possible explanation is too much standing water in the marshes.
Making up for this disappointment, two water rails were noted. One was identified by sound, calling from Lucy Brook at the back of the Hay Meadow. The second took flight from the Big Meadow marsh, about a metre away from me. And then just after we got home Paul spotted a buzzard flying over the Hay Meadow.