In her regular update work party volunteer Jackie Robinson says the mild weather is confusing our plants
I tried to be a bit ahead of the game for this month’s article and nipped off during the workparty, two weeks ago, to do a quick walk around the Swaddywell pit area to have something to report and write about. I could only do about half as the guys were strimming near the boardwalk, but it is a joy to walk around he pit.
There was not much to see or hear as far as wildlife goes at this session. The weather was ok, a bit chilly but just right for when you are raking –I got down to two layers from four!
At the end of November the weather had been really good, with a beautiful blue sky, but the path down to the boardwalk was very icy and there was a slow-motion slither across it. The black ice has now been replaced with a slow running stream. I looks lovely but difficult to manoeuvre the wheelbarrow through.
The path from the cabin, was still showing that beautiful red stain, which I have been told is iron oxide, it definitely is a rusty colour. There was a giant footprint visible in the mud as well, but I think it may have been human after all – an upright Dunlop welly wearer,I think!
Last Thursday the volunteering session started with a very low level mist that just hung around for ages. There were a few birds flitting in and out of the reeds but I didn’t catch their calls on the Merlin phone app. They looked too slim to be Reed Buntings, (I get them in the garden so am more confident to identify those), maybe warblers?
The green woodpecker is still about, we saw droppings and could hear his yaffle. There is a really good clip on YouTube showing a GWP yaffling.
I tried to look for Bee orchid rosettes but am not sure that I saw any, there are some plants that look as if they could be, so we’ll have to wait a bit. (Having seen the rosettes at Ferry Meadows I think the ones I saw were too light)
UPDATE: today December 19 healthy and as yet ‘uneaten’!
The invasive willows are being cut out of the reed beds and we’re finding Old Man’s Beard in there too. The strimming is working very well as all along the banks recently strimmed there are lots of wild strawberry plants coming through, great for the butterflies if their numbers pick up from last year.
I could see many healthy looking violet plants, which I think are Hairy Violet, and joy upon joy the natural spring is bubbling nicely again creating its own little wetland area by the flat land on the left of the reserve. I call it Spring Head but has a ‘point’ name on the map I’m sure.
Our last session of 2024 was carried out under a beautiful blue sky, there was a strong breeze which made it feel a bit chilly but blue sky is soooo welcome.
My garden is still hanging on to one of two flowers, lavatera, bidens, one campanula and newly flowering cowslip, primrose and primula. All the spring bulbs are peeking through I bet they’ll be ruined before March!
I did go over to Willow Tree Fen on Monday December 16 and I was thrilled to see the Marsh Harriers, Cranes, the local Buzzard and a pair of stonechats, well worth the couple of hours over there.
Just a reminder that we always could do with more volunteers on the reserves, come along in the New Year and see what we do, it’s fun!
Merry Christmas everyone, Happy New Year and a prosperous 2025.