Chiffchaffs here

Taking my ears for a walk this morning, I was pleased to hear my first Chiffchaff of the year as far as the Common is concerned. I knew they were around, and had heard a couple at UEA during the week, but it's always great to get the spring migrants list for the Common under way. Now all we need are the rest!

Wildlife survey launched

Our wildlife survey for 2011 is now officially under way! We are surveying 7 easily recognised species: swifts, swallows and house martins for the bird lovers, brimstone, peacock and speckled wood butterflies for the lepidopterists, and hedgehogs for the hedgehog-ists.

We're hoping the children at the school will take part in large numbers, and involve their families. Tim Willey has explained what the survey is all about to them in a school assembly and every child was given one of our forms to get the started.

Forms are available from the Information Point at the Lower Street entrance to the Common, the Post Office in the High Street, and the Vernon Arms. Forms can be left for me at the Information Point and the Post Office, or posted to me.

However, we're hoping most reports will be submitted electronically, through the website. Jeannette, our wonderful website wizard, has done magnificent work to set up online forms, which generate an email to me. We have our first 3 records, all of brimstone butterflies, and as more come in the website will be updated with the results.

I do hope that lots of people take part: it's our contribution to a big push by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to develop a clearer picture of the wildlife in the county, and I think it's well worth doing.

Gathering pace now

I think it's fair to say that spring is well and truly under way now. A walk round the common yesterday in glorious sunshine proves it. Blue tits were everywhere, including one investigating the nest box they use every year opposite the school. Great tits were singing wherever I went, along of course with lots of other birds. I'm not aware of any summer migrants having arrived here yet, but swallows, house martins and sand martins have already reached some parts of the country, so it won't be long now!I

Last week I had had a lovely view of a singing robin near Scouts' Pond, so this week week I brought my camera, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

Slightly further along the boardwalk, at the pond itself, I could hear a moorhen: with luck they will breed here as I think they did last year.There was frogspawn in the pond, and indeed last week I had seen a couple of frogs, doing what they do.

Last Monday evening five of the SCT trustees were lucky enough to attend a reception at County Hall given by the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk for representatives of the five organisations nominated in the county for this year's Queen's Award for Community Service. We won't know the result for a few months yet, but it's great that the work we're doing is being recognised.

The latest project is our wildlife survey, which is almost ready to be launched properly. The online side is set up and working (3 brimstone butterflies recorded so far) and there are now forms available from the Post Office - you can also return completed forms there is you wish. We're waiting for more supplies, and then will be able to put them out fir use at the Information Point. Meanwhile, we hope to be telling the school children all about the survey very soon.

Working Party 6th March

Hello All,

Simply, thanks for the splendid work done this morning. 

Everyone can take satisfaction from, and be justifiably proud of, what's been achieved together.

Sadly, we didn't find a pingo so that bit of excitement was short-lived, but we live in hope.  There must be other special things lurking and discoveries to be made.

 

On Thursday week I shall set the BTCV to tidying the edges and odd bits of reed-bed that we left, together with a bit more scrub clearance on the periphery of what we did today.  And that really will be it for this season.

 

We next all meet together on Sunday May 8th at my place, when the Trust says thank you.  Shall we go the whole hog and make it black tie, or can we get away with something a little less formal?   The following evening, Monday 9th. May, is AGM, which is when you sieze the opportunity of becoming a Trustee.

 

Kind Regards from John

P.s. from Duncan:

It was a particularly enjoyable working party, with 17 volunteers having a thoroughly good time. the weather was just right: fine, without being too warm for the physical work we were doing. The ground conditions were good too, and even the vegetation was easy. There was even a faint smell of hay about the grasses and sedges we cut. John's cart was a great boon, as it has been throughout this cutting season.

And together we even managed to see quite a lot of wildlife. A sparrowhawk was spotted circling over Warren Woods, being mobbed by a crow. When a second crow joined in there were some serious aerobatics to be seen, before the hawk decided it was better off diving down into the woods for cover. A short while after, a barn owl flew across, presumably hoping for a nice easy vole brunch disturbed by our work. And indeed we had disturbed a couple of voles, but these were shepherded away to safety. A skein of about 30 pink footed geese flew overhead for good measure. 

And we found an early marsh marigold growing in a particularly wet patch. All in all, an excellent way to round off the season.