Wildlife Garden Improvements
What our brilliant volunteers have been helping achieve on our reserve.
Last Monday we had a new practical based volunteer start called James. Together with Jake & Sandy on our reserve team, we started the day with a Barnacle goose count in which we counted a mega 84 geese! Incredibly low for the site but this is to be expected as the birds make their way back to Svalbard.
After this we removed part of a small fence line in one of the compartments near the Saltcot hide. This is because the posts had no stock fencing on it so wasn't actually doing anything, the posts which are in very good condition have been left where they'll be used in an upcoming fencing task.
Tuesday’s task was to tidy up the picnic area by dismantling a wooden planter that had seen better days and replant some of the plants we are keen to keep into a metal trough which is now looking brighter.
We also made a start on a couple of solitary bee posts that have been installed in the wildlife garden. These are a simple construction of drilling 7 milimetre holes in posts and then installing it. The important thing when looking for a place for these posts, is to make sure they’re in a sunny spot, preferably south facing. Hopefully the posts will be used by solitary bees this summer who essentially lay their eggs in the holes and fill the entrance with mud.
Tuesday also saw Sandy, volunteer Malcolm and former warden Steve get the tractor going and mow the summer trail which opened again Sunday 1st May. Volunteer Brian also started our mowing at the entrance to the site.
Wednesday was an extremely busy but productive day! Jake, Miriam and volunteer Charlie started with some nest box monitoring, in which our Tree sparrows seem to be thriving. Half of our newly installed boxes are currently being used so well done everyone! Great news considering how fresh these boxes are. We also have House sparrows, Great tit and Blue tit confirmed to be using boxes.
After the nest box fun we went out to get the summer trail ready for opening day and picked up some more troughs to add to our trough pond collection (again a future task).
Thursday saw volunteer Martin mow some areas in the wildlife garden and orchard. This is to manage as a traditional orchard and remove nutrients from the soil, by mowing and removing the cutting, to hopefully plant some wildflower plugs at a later date.
Whilst this was going on Miriam was dismantling the sorry looking pond in the wildlife garden. There's still more that needs to be done there but the current objective is to decide on the pond’s future, as to whether we make a bog pond out of it or not.
We’re truly grateful for all the help our volunteers give across the reserve, without which we would not be able to achieve the numerous tasks required to keep our site in good condition.
