spring is sprung 9/2/10

spring is sprung
Originally uploaded by bowsawblogger

Since i had an afternoon meeting with the JC it meant a half day for me, so I was assigned to making some bird feeders for the morning, these are simply drilled sections of Birch. In the evening it was a few quite drinks and some dinner with a friend from Bristol that happened to be working out of the north for a week.

Sarcoscypha austriaca - Scarlet Cup

Sarcoscypha austriaca - Scarlet Cup
 Another day spent clearing away regrowth, this time with the weekend volunteers along cottage drain.  In the afternoon i went to check on the sheep and on my way there came across two Scarlet Cups.  apparently its the first time they had been found in this section of the reserve.  

Sprotbrough Flash a magnesium limestone site

Sprotbrough Flash is a magnesium limestone meadow.  We were tasked with removing a section of scrub and trees to enable a new fence to be put in to allow the stocking of grazers to keep to meadow in check without using machines.  There was snow on the ground all day and the air was thick with mist, so a hard cold days work.  In the afternoon we cleared away piles of biomass from previous works onsite and moved it further into the undergrowth.

hard frost followed by sunny spells and a evening snow shower

General onsite tasks including hide checks, tightening the window hinges on the hides and removing obvious litter whilst walking between hides. 

back to work

Having been out of action for a week with an eye infection it was back to the reserve.  After a short wade out through the thinning ice it was time to start clearing off the islands on piper marsh.  This involved a scrub basher cutting back the thorns and then loppers and bow saws to remove the re-growth.  The stumps were treated with herbicide and the biomass was burnt.