A cold start turned into a pleasant sunny morning, although it was still best to keep working to remain warm. The planned water-based activities were completed (removing overhanging branches, and repairing the mooring of the raft) along with removal of moss from the concrete block which forms the ‘basking’ area.
The remaining task, to do some more raking, was dropped in favour of studying mosses and lichens, which is rapidly becoming the favoured recording theme for 2016.
Two members participated in this month’s work party, and apologies were received from two others suffering from injury/illness/early kick-off.

Just for a change, this month’s tasks are of a light nature. In the rough-grass areas there will be some gentle raking out of dead vegetation, in a manner so as not to unduly disturb the emerging wildlife; on the concrete plinths a bit of scraping to clear moss from the basking areas; and in the brook some delicate footwork is required to make adjustments to the hazels in order to re-establish the perfect balance of light and shade over the water (wellies advised). The nautical-minded can attend to the moorings of the monitoring raft, which have been damaged by the winter swells.

To help at the work party, meet at the reserve on Saturday, 16th April at 9:30 am. We will finish around lunchtime. All members are welcome and no previous experience is necessary. Please wear appropriate work clothes, stout shoes, boots or wellies, and gardening gloves or equivalent. Bring a rake or a pitch-fork if you can.

Organised work parties take place at the Jim Mart reserve on the morning of the third Saturday in every month, except in December. For further information about the reserve visit the Jim Mart NR pages on the Ogston Bird Club website, or contact Peter Faulkner by email (jimmart@btinternet.com) or on 0784 214 8888 nearer the date.

A decent turnout of 5 members saw all of the advertised tasks completed, with the exception of cleaning out the west ditch, which somehow got forgotten about. Some additional tasks were completed, including raking old vegetation off the drier part of the marshy area (C6a) and pruning the big Buddleia. A small willow was coppiced and suitable cuttings used to form the framework of the short ‘fedge’ which is under construction on the corner of the bank in front of the Hide Pond.
Amongst all this activity, four of the butterfly transect team held a pre-season session to refresh their memories on the finer points of procedure and on the survey route round the reserve, and to admire the conservation work carried out over the winter.

For those members not heading off to the Derbyshire moors on the first of this year’s club meets, the alternative is to come and help out at this month’s work party at the Jim Mart reserve. The accumulated ash in the fire-pit needs to be shovelled up and away, an area of cut grass needs a second raking to lift any remaining litter, and we need to rake leaves from the length of the west ditch that wasn’t completed last month. There are other general tidying jobs to do, but there will be time to watch the frogs ‘in action’ and generally soak up the sights and sounds of spring.

To help at the work party, meet at the reserve on Saturday, 19th March at 9:30 am. We will finish around lunchtime. All members are welcome and no previous experience is necessary. Please wear appropriate work clothes, stout shoes, boots or wellies, and thorn-proof gardening gloves or equivalent.

Organised work parties take place at the Jim Mart reserve on the morning of the third Saturday in every month, except in December. For further information about the reserve visit the Jim Mart NR pages on the Ogston Bird Club website, or contact Peter Faulkner by email (jimmart@btinternet.com) or on 0784 214 8888 nearer the date.