Not much going on

Not much happening on my walk round the common yesterday. Quite a lot of fungi in evidence, but hardly any birds other than the inevitable woodpigeons.

Working party.

It was a stunning morning today for a number of reasons. Firstly a Sparrow hawk decided to catch its breakfast outside our place. Then Little S and I cycled down to the common to help out on the working party, passing masses of black berries and dog walkers (at nine on a Sunday morning?). The sun was shining and the forecast was for dry and sunny.

Reaching the rendezvous twenty minutes early (it's Sunday...meet at half nine, d'oh!), we had time to have a look around the Jubilee Boardwalk before we got to work. The pond is a sight to behold if you haven't been down there. The sun caught it through the trees as we trundled up to see it on the new Scout's boardwalk. It takes you right into the heart of the pond, and if you have young children there is no better way to get close to nature and watch the pond skaters and ruddy darters and listen to the birds. And (as long as they don't leave the board walk) NO MUD!!!

Back to the cleaning up. Brushes in hand, we swept up the board walk, weeded, climbed trees, flung pond weed, ate biscuits, scythed and listened to the happy natter of people enjoying themselves. Two hours later, we were muddier and more than a little pooped, but the common shone, not only from the sunshine but also from a good makeover. It is a great way to spend a couple of hours out of doors and cheaper than the gym. Little S barely made it back up the hill on the bike, but she really enjoyed herself. I did too, looking forward to the next working party in October. We'll make sure that the sun is available.

Praise from Natural England

Yesterday I bumped into a couple of  naturalists conducting a survey of invertebrates on the SSSI, on behalf of Natural England. They were full of praise for the way our management plan is working, being particularly impressed with the area of fen where the majority of orchids and the cotton grass grow. They did however mention that despite our best efforts there was still some Himalayan Balsam growing, so I've been over there this morning pulling it up wherever I could find it. There was actually quite a lot; enough to keep me busy for an hour and a half or so. It's pretty wet over there already, and I managed to get stuck in liquid mud over the top of my wellies a couple of times. And as Billy Connolly likes to ask, "If it wasnae for your wellies, where would you be? You'd be in the hospital, or infirmary."
Let's hope that with everything we have done this year to restrict it there won't be much to deal with next year!

Scouts' pond

Since all the recent rain Scouts' pond, like the Pit, has filled quite well. Lots of water boatmen and pond skaters, and a moorhen. Also ruddy darter dragonflies much in evidence there.