Work Party Sunday 25th September

10am - 3.30pm. Meet at Redwood Drive entrance.

We will be burning brush created from recent felling on the dry heath restoration area, loading/removing logs as well as possibly tackling some scrub elsewhere on
site. Please wear old clothes that will not burn. It will probably be advisable to bring a pair of wellies - if there are enough of us we may venture into some of the scrub near the boardwalk. If staying all day bring some lunch, but a drink and refreshments will be provided.

Nature Notes August

August brought heavy rainfall with winds and fluctuating temperatures. A few warmer bright days were experienced towards the end of the month. Another month not providing much to report, although a good selection of Fungi was brought forth by the warm damp conditions.

SIGHTINGS
Birds: Jackdaws, Buzzards, Carrion Crows, Magpies, Jays, Black-headed Gulls, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Nuthatches, Willow Warblers, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Siskins, Dunnocks, Wrens, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Blackcap.
Reptiles: Adder, Common Lizard.
Butterflies: Large Whites, Grayling, Peacock.
Plants in flower: Common Helleborine, Cut-leaved Geranium, Heather/Ling, Low growing Gorse, perfume from Bog-Myrtle.
Mammals: Pipistrelle Bats, Grey Squirrels.
Fungi: Yellow Swamp Brittlegill Russula claroflava, Paxillus atrotomentosus, Paxillus involutus, Brown Birch Bolete, Leccinum scabrum, Willow Bracket, Phellinus orgniari, Lactarious quieticolor, Green Brittlegill, Russula aeruginea, Sickner, Russula emetic, Primrose Brittlegill, Russula saronia, Blucher, Amanita rubescens, White Knight, Tricholoma stiparophyllom, Yellow Staghorn, Calocera viscose, Collared Earthstar Geastrum, Cream Pinkgill, Eantoloma sericellum pos. Russet Toughshank, Collybia dryophila, Collared Parachute Marasmius rotula.

Nature Facts

During August young Fox cubs began to forage for themselves and slept apart from the adults. Adult Frogs lived in long grass. Young Bats started to catch insects with females leaving the nursery sites to find males. Many migrant birds were preparing for the long flight to warmer Winter climes during September. Most resident birds were completing their moult - several species were securing their Winter territories.

Work Party Thursday 25th August

Usual time 10am-1pm, meet at Redwood Drive entrance. We will be installing waymarker posts on the open heath to clarify where the permissive footpaths are. Please bring your own refreshments if required and be prepared for some digging work. Unless we have lots of rain between now and next Thursday, wellies shouldn't be needed.

This will be the last Thursday morning work party for the time being. Starting next month and through the winter we will be going back to the full day Sunday tasks (last Sunday of the month 10am-3.30pm). The first date will be Sunday 25th September.

All volunteers very welcome.