No camera - silly!

This morning was bright and warm, but foolishly I decided not to bother to take my camera across the common and round about. Whilst this was vindicated on the common itself (I did see two Reed Buntings, but would not have had a chance of a picture), when I reached the path behind Warren Barns I found myself surrounded by Goldcrests. Now these are never going to be easy to photograph, and sometimes they are very hard to see although you can hear them. Sometimes however, as today, they are very confiding and show themselves quite openly. Then I saw a Tree Creeper and again would have had a chance of a picture. Perhaps I've learned my lesson, but we'll see!

Was pleased to see the water level on Scouts' Pond is a lot more healthy after the recent rain.

Redwings amid the winter thrushes

Very little of note about today, but the district is full of thrushes that have come for the winter. These are mainly blackbirds, but I did find a couple of Redwings this afternoon, enjoying the berries on School Common.

Yet more thanks from the Chairman

I was one of those unable to attend the working party on 3rd December, but walking across the Common later I saw that the cutting of Area A had indeed been completed. And this despite the mulled wine!

Was pleased to find a female Bullfinch at School Meadow, but not much else about.

The chairman's message:

Big thanks and appreciation go to all those who helped yesterday morning.

We were a bit shorthanded but quality certainly made up for quantity.  I know that several regulars couldn't come;  each with a very good reason but they all add up.  Nevertheless, we have made huge inroads into this season's work and can justifiably forget about cutting and raking and pulling and pushing that cart around, at least until the New Year.

 

Special  thanks go to the Catering Corps which dispensed a their own unique encouragement.  SCT  now appears to have a magic teapot that turns water into wine!

 

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year from John 

Further thanks from the Chairman

Dear All

 

Those who worked this morning deserve a special thank you and recognition for doing a splendid job which deserves, and gets, the appreciation of the whole village.  On a truly autumnal morning which certainly lived up to the poet's mists, if not his mellow fruitfulness, you turned to with a will and worked as a team to achieve a great result which has put us right on track to finish the Warren Road part before Christmas.  Please do not let the morning's interesting climax cloud the huge esteem in which we are held both by the community at large and our Parish Council.  It concerns me when people show disapproval of our efforts, however small a minority that may be, so I shall be working this week to build bridges and foster understanding. 

 

Thanks again for your continuing  efforts.  The final working party for this year is Saturday 3rd. December, by which time our Treasurer may have an answer from the European Central Bank about buying more Jaffa Cakes.

 

Finally, we are working so well together that it seems some sort of Christmas get-together would be appropriate, indeed it would seem neglectful not to.  I need to know how you feel.

 

Regards and thanks again from John

Fieldfares and starlings

On a fabulously sunny and warm day a trip round the common seemed a good plan. I didn't get there until 2.00, so the sun was already getting low, and being so bright made seeing a tad difficult. There was not actually much to see, but lingering on the platform at Scouts' Pond for a while, I was rewarded by a glimpse of two fieldfares. Not the first of the year I know, but welcome just the same. They are very flighty birds however, so my view was only brief.

Further on, the was a nice group of starlings disporting themselves in the sunshine on the wires crossing the field opposite The Pit. I love to hear them sing in conditions like this, and indeed there had been a lot at it when I was in Sheringham just before I came to the Common. They were good enough to pose for a picture:

I see the BTCV people have cleared away all the cuttings from the last working party, so it's all systems go to try to finish Area A tomorrow. Let's hope it stays dry!

Thanks from the Chairman

Thanks go out to everyone who helped make it a blinding start to the cutting season yesterday.  Despite waking up to grey gloom and drizzle, nearly all the regulars, 16 in all, rose admirably and cheerfully to the task in hand with impressive result. 

 

It has to be said that some ideas are so good you wonder why no one  tried them before.  Such is the Dowland Tea Pot, actually a catering size pump-action Thermos flask, which had its inaugural outing and dispensed much hot satisfaction.  Consequently, those present yesterday might reflect on the fact that they were witness to a flowering of Trust infrastructure with new officers in both Catering and Health & Safety; thank you Margaret and Roger.

 

The next working party is on Sunday 20th.November, 9:30am, continuing where we left off yesterday,  and after that the 3rd. December will conclude matters for 2011.  With BTCV booked to help twice, and given reasonable weather, I am optimistic that we can complete Area 'A' and resume on the other side of the Beck in January.

 

Thanks again for your help

Regards from John

First frost and fieldfares

Having the day off work, and the morning being so glorious, a walk across the boardwalk seemed essential. It had been cold overnight, and the first frost of the season was still lying on the shaded sections of the boardwalk. Not much wildlife to report, but I did find a female reed bunting on the reedbed. Walking down Bradfield Road my attention was drawn to what sounded like a duck in the undergrowth, but it turned out to be a couple of cock pheasants having a set-to.

As I was taking a look at Scouts' Pond, which was slightly fuller as a result of yesterday's rain, a flock of about 20 fieldfares flew overhead. These were my first for the season, and all the more satisfying for that.