On Saturday 1st (our first weekend volunteer day on the reserve) Harry and volunteer Liam cleared part of the green lane side of the Pennsland Lane fence ready for replacing the rotten posts and repairing the fence. A flock of about 70 mixed finches were in the North Park hedge/new crop on the 5th. Mainly Chaffinch and Linnet with smaller numbers of Goldfinch. A flock of 30 Redwing were over the Top Field and a small unidentified bird of prey was chasing pipits/finches in the Top Field. A Crest/Tit flock was in trees around River Ashburn and a Kestrel hovering over the old crop. 2 voles were seen under the corrugated iron sheets. Volunteers Steve, Tom and Harry joined Harry to continue clearing the green lane side of the Pennsland Lane fence.
On the 6th there were 20 Chaffinch plus smaller numbers of Linnet and Goldfinch in the trees and old bird food crop near Pennsland Lane. A Goshawk circled over the neighbouring clear-felled plantation and North Park. There were Stonechats on the old crop. When new Administrator Sarah had her inaugural tour of the LLP the sun came out for a while and the Bee’s in the Mandarin Duck box on the Tractor Shed were really active, there was also a Barn Owl roosting in the Kiln Close Field Shelter where the windfall apples are being stored for winter feeding.
A Grey Heron flew up the valley and over the orchard to the ponds in the endless rain on the 9th. The river was in spate. On the 10th Harry put the final touches to the 3rd and final Field Shelter in North Park and confined the goats to do some concerted grazing in that field. By the 10th we had some rain every day and had totalled 88mm.