There was a large flock of pink footed geese on the hIll above West Field this morning. Well over a hundred and very vocal!
Month: November 2018
Volunteer Saturday 10th November 2018
Once again I forgot to post Jonathan’s email but here is what we did yesterday:
Eleven volunteers attended the monthly Saturday session on a dry if chilly morning. Thanks to Keith for using his truck to get the heavy tools we required up to the beehive area.
- The broken fence at the bottom of Sowerholme Lane was repaired with new posts and wire put in.
- The top wires of the fence between Lower Sowerholme and Flora Field had been damaged and broken, probably by the cows. We re-threaded the wire and re-tightened it. LITTLE BIT MORE TO FINISH OFF, NEEDS A SHORT STRAND OF WIRE.
- The edges of the two Flora Ponds were scythed back.
- Continuing the scything of undesirables on the Flora Field beetle banks.
- Trimming back the hedge between Lower Sowerholme and Flora Field.
Too mild for snipe?
A lovely morning for a flush count: warm, dry and with the trees still displaying their autumn colours. But the snipe were clearly less impressed. Graham had noted plenty around on his reserve inspection during the recent cold spell, but today’s tally was disappointing. Only 14 snipe flushed in total, 3 of them jack. There were 9 in Big Meadow, 4 in School Pond, and one in the Hay Meadow. Not even a fifth of the birds counted last November, when the temperature was 7 degrees C instead of 12.
But there were compensations. A woodcock was in Upper Sowerholme by the Lucy Brook willows. A heron flitted across from Anna’s Pool into Willow Pond, which is now holding water well. And the teal are back on School Pond, eleven flying up.