Once again perfect weather, but being bank holiday weekend we had a lower than usual turnout. We focused mainly on path work. The first job was to move a fallen dead tree from the eastern path near the party site. Then we spread stones from the delivered supply near the Wheatcroft gate to a 20m stretch of the main path (“swamp of doom”) that was still soft enough to take it. We must have shifted the best part of half a tonne, and there is now a good amount of stone along the centre of this stretch of path. David scraped some mulch off the walkways by the wood chip pile and used it to create a triangle in the middle of the junction, where we can allow vegetation to grow. Also Mike had a go at some of the encroaching vegetation along the main path using a grass hook, but to make inroads we will need to borrow scythes or use the brush-cutter.
Afterwards we tended to recently-planted whips along the western boundary. Unfortunately a number had not survived, probably because the ground was dry at the time of planting and for much of the time since.
As usual a substantial quantity of litter was collected.
We found what appeared to be an unusual beetle near the wood chip pile. The jury is still out on identification, but it might be a Red-headed Cardinal Beetle. We also saw an adult Great Tit entering and leaving one of the nest boxes known to have chicks. While working outside the western boundary 2 Common Buzzards were flying around, relatively low and quite close at times. There was plenty of singing, particularly from Wren, Song Thrush, Chaffinch, Blackcap and Chiffchaff.
