Working on a scrape

A fresh Stoat kill at the side of a path

Today three new deal people started at the reserve, as it was their first day the morning was spent showing them around and walking the green route.

Not a bad office!

The afternoon was spent out on the furthest pond that set up to be used by wading birds as a scrape.  The scrape had been cut earlier in the year, but due to the mild weather the rushes had come back strong and needed a second cut.  The afternoon was spent shin deep in the pond following along after the brush cutter raking out the cut reed and then pitching it into piles along the bank.

Sunset to end the day

Slash but no burn

After a very windy night I woke expecting the worse and the heavens to spring a leak and a wet day ahead.  But no the sun was on its way up and little cloud in the sky.  The motorway was playing ball and the trip into the rising sun was a nice way to start the day.

The day’s main activity was to be removing reed (Phragmites australis) – if reed beds are not cut back and the old stems removed the pond margins will gradually fill in with biomass and turn from open water into a wet wood land through succession.

Luckily it was volunteer day so a small group of keen volunteer’s descended on Potteric to assist in clearing the site and reopen the view of open water from the hide. 

before the clearance

 

after the day of reed removal

The day was spent in leg waders in water often all most at the top of them raking out freshly brush cut reed, sedge and rush onto the bank.  From here the reed was then pitched onto the back of the tractor trailer to be then deposited into the undergrowth out of site to rot down and provide a site for inverts, reptiles and amphibians.

rabbit at the side of the path

The final task of the day for me was to wade into another pond and place a perching point for kingfishers in view of the hide to ensure the visitors get the opportunity to see and photograph the bird in action.

view from the hide before the kingfisher post was put in