LATEST NEWS

 

Our next workdays will be Saturday 6th September and Saturday 4th October at 10am.

 

Work mornings occur every first Saturday of the month (except January unless otherwise notified) at 10am on Pound Lane outside the schools, ending around 12 noon.

 

If there is any doubt about the weather you may want to phone us before coming. We provide all of the tools and the refreshments.

March 2025

 

14 volunteers carried out a variety of tasks more scything of the reeds at top end of the meadow around the pond, initially clearing the ground on a section of the Land Yeo bank near to the top pond in readiness to create another wildflower seed patch on the drier ground above the meadow, more work on the drainage channels in the meadow and clearing the carr outflow. This is a challenging job, becoming more so as the year goes on and the water vegetation increases dramatically. Where the water comes from and where it goes to, has always been something of a puzzle for us, it sometimes even stops completely, so we do our best to keep it flowing.

 

Viv and Jon did an early survey and were able to identify some of our regular birds and some new ones. They found  Kestrel, Song Thrush, Greenfinch and Chaffinch and a couple of Meadow Pipits.

 

April 2025

 

A copy of our 2024 Annual Report is attached here.

 

Frog spawn was found in the top pond at the end of March. Unfortunately, it was likely to be eaten by ducks, herons, otters to name but a few! It is estimated that only one in fifty tadpoles will survive to adulthood.

 

During our April work morning, we found a huge black beetle while weed clearing in the middle pond - a Great Silver Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus) our largest beetle, which predates largely on snails. It is extremely rare in this part of the country due to over-collecting in the past and habitat loss.  Therefore - an exciting find!  We also recorded four newts.

 

July 2025

 

We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from the Wessex Water Foundation Environment Fund.  This grant will allow us to undertake environmental DNA sampling to establish whether which species are using ponds at the nature reserve. The Environment Fund supports charitable and community activities across the region that have a positive impact on the local environment. The fund is part of the Wessex Water Foundation which provides dedicated funding for projects across the Wessex Water region every year. Testing is likely to take place through September and during early 2026, depending on species.

 

February 2025

 

The new year started with a workday on 4th January when our band of 16 regular and new volunteers gathered on a cold but dry morning to carry on with the scything and raking in the reeds area. It was a concerted effort to get the work completed and to start the bonfire, then keep it going. Another small group continued working on the drainage channels in the meadow, which seem to be showing benefits to the water levels.

 

Hilary spotted a Common ChiffChaff in the vegetation between the carr and Land Yeo in January. They do not usually reveal their presence until March when they start returning from Africa, it is quite unbelievable that they they have been surviving in the extremely cold spell which suddenly hit the UK in the first two weeks of January. Sub zero temperatures persisted until 13th January. 

 

At the start of February, 14 volunteers worked very hard scything and raking up the fast-growing reeds at the top end of the meadow, which were obliterating the Dogwood saplings planted a few years ago. Identifying and avoiding the saplings was a task in itself. They have all now been tagged. Another small group worked in dreadful conditions to clear the drainage pond of vegetation and increase the drainage channel to get the excess water away from the field.

 

August 2025

 

During our August work morning, we found a larva for the Great Silver Beetle (Hydrophilus piceus). We found an adult of the same species in April with a photo further down the page.