Feckenham's mystery picture revealed

Coltsfoot

Well the quiz received massive interest and comments from you keen blog readers. The answer is shown below but before you rush to scroll down to see if you were correct, let me tell you what we've been up to on the reserve.



Our Volunteer Taster day was a great sucess with a good number of people attending. The day started with a guided walk around the reserve then a session working on brash clearance and pond digging. Everyone enjoyed their day and subsequently we have had 4 new volunteers come to our Wednesday work parties.

I've been out on the reserve with a group of volunteers from Chaddesley Woods who are helping us to regenerate our old hedge along Moors Lane. This has not been managed since we purchased the reserve in 1981 so it is long past it's best. We are coppicing down to around 48" which will give us a basis for laying at another time when the stumps have put on decent growth. There are many gaps between so we plan to plant with native hawthorn and blackthorn in the autumn to enable the hedge to thicken in the years to come. When thick enough it will create a far better habitat, particularly for birds that like to nest in a thick hedge.

Little grebe

The sun has come out and it's been very warm; it felt like spring was already here and just to make a point our coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara - cough dispeller) is in full flower. It was exactly a month later in mid-March last year!


We have 14 Canada geese on the main pool - it's a shame because they can't stop arguing which spoils the peace and quiet somewhat. They have paired up and hopefully they will move on to nest elsewhere, we just don't have the room. Our coots are back and re-asserting their ownership of the pool and we have a single little grebe who is waiting for a mate. 

Now onto the quiz. I'm afraid that no-one got it right. It was in fact the great reedmace (bullrush) Typha latifolia. So, due to the great success of the mystery pic, here is another one. Now this one is really easy...! 
 

What's this?

Paul, Feckenham Wylde Moor