Spring arrives early at Feckenham Wylde Moor

Now that Spring has arrived and the weather has become warmer there is quite a lot of activity on the reserve.

On the pool we have pairs of little grebe, tufted duck, coot, mallard, canada geese and this splendid pair of Grey Lag geese.

The tufted probably won't stay to breed as the coot that 'owns' the pool is constantly chasing them away. The issue seems to be that the tufted ducks want to make a nest where the coot usually does and he isn't having any of it. I doubt that the grey lag will stay either and the canada geese don't look like nesting again this year which to be perfectly honest is a bit of a bonus. We have had up to 14 on site and whilst they do a good job in grazing the pool banks they make a lot of noise and mess! Reed buntings are around and looking for nest sites in the tussocky areas left of the pool. I also put up six Common Snipe last week from the same area.

We were treated to a sighting of this female roe deer. She spent some time grazing the new growth to the left of the main hide, where we had random patch cut last year.

Our frogs are also getting together and we watched them leisurely swimming up and down the pool margins. No sign of our toads yet but hopefully we will have the same large numbers as we did last year which was a record for the reserve.

Not only has the wildlife been busy, my volunteers have too. We have been creating raised paths where the existing paths have become very boggy with deep mud which makes walking round very difficult. We have piled willow brash from pollards on top of dead sedge and then another layer of this on top. Hopefully it will make a difference but I suspect that once the cattle come back in they won't take long to trash it. We have also experimented with putting down logs and sedge around one of the kissing gates, again in the hope that it will raise the path above the mud.

It's a shame that our paths get so boggy but it is a wetland reserve and so we should not be surprised.

We have once again an excellent show of coltsfoot in front of the main hide and by the time you read this the first cowslips will be in flower and hopefully our next spring plant will be the lady's smock which for me is a certainty that spring has arrived and with it the orange tip butterfly.

With the warm weather I would not be surprised to see some warblers arriving and it won't be long before the cuckoo returns.

Paul, Feckenham reserve manager

Monolith trees at the Knapp

The Roving volunteers were working in the orchard at the Knapp and Papermill last  week.

Yesterday we planted four apple replacement trees in the orchard: two bramley and two Annie Elizabeth (named after Darwin’s daughter) – the varieties that are there already.

We have lost 2 trees to the storms this year and one was damaged in last year’s storms by a fallen ash. The 2 windblown apples were good and solid so we decided to prop them up to provide good quality deadwood for noble chafers, fungi and invertebrates in general. Upright trees get more direct sunlight so are warmer and generally less damp than log piles - providing a different type of deadwood habitat. The trees were secured in place using plain wire and are attached to fence strainers. They will be monitored for stability.

The volunteer group meets every Thursday at the Knapp and Papermill. For more information contact Naomi. 

James, Central Reserve Officer

Winter at Hill Court Farm

The Hill Court Farm reserve is a wetland reserve, but even here I don't think we've ever seen it quite as wet!

This was the view last week, showing just how flooded some of the fields have become -

A large number of wetland birds such as ducks, swans and waders have been taking advantage of the flooded landscape making quite a spectacle at times.  But I'm sure the conditions have made life difficult for other birds and mammals wildlife on the reserve, just as it has made every day life a little trickier for many of us.

As for our intrepid volunteers, we have spent the winter clearing, coppicing and laying a long length of hedgerow which, as we've slashed, chopped and sawn away, has seemed an almost destructive task at times. 

However, when Spring comes around and the hedge begins to sprout new growth we will end up with a healthier, thicker hedgerow which will provide an important source of food and shelter for a variety of birds and other animals e.g. small mammals and butterflies.

If you would like to become involved in the volunteer work at Hill Court Farm our next volunteer work party is taking place this Saturday 22 February, when we will be planting new trees - one of my favourite tasks because it feels so constructive and nurturing.

For more details contact Rob or Naomi on 01905 754919 or email enquiries@worcestershirewildlifetrust.org.

Sara, Reserve warden Hill Court Farm 

Roving volunteers at Upton Warren

Yesterday the rovers were putting in some new fox proof, stock proof fencing, ready in time for the bird breeding season; a pair of avocets have already arrived! The fence will stop foxes getting in to disturb birds, and we're also confident our lovely Dexter cows won't be able to bash through either.

Contrary to what you might expect, we've been having some lovely bright days on work parties recently, with temperatures picking up and the days getting longer. Thanks to everyone for your continued effort.

Naomi, Volunteer Coordinator

Creating ponds at Hill Court Farm

When our family moved out of town and into the countryside 10 years ago I didn't fully appreciate how much I would love living close to Worcestershire Wildlife Trust's Hill Court Farm and The Blacklands Reserve.  It has enhanced my enjoyment of countryside living immensely to be able to watch the wildlife attracted to the Reserve and observe some of it spilling over into neighbouring fields and even our own garden.  So when the opportunity to join the Hill Court Farm volunteers came along I jumped at it!  It gave me the opportunity to take a closer look at the Reserve, which isn't currently open to the public, and a chance to give something back to the place that has brought so much pleasure to us over the years. 

Since joining up I've got involved with all sorts of things I would never have imagined myself doing, like cattle checking, hedge laying and pond digging.  I've learned an awful lot about wildlife and habitats and seen some amazing and fascinating things.  It's something we have been able to get involved in as a family and has also been a great way of meeting like minded people - people who listen with enthusiasm if I gush on about things like finding myself only a few short feet away from a hare, or seeing a barn owl fly from an ancient oak. 

Robin's pin cushion

Now eighteen months in I find myself unexpectedly, but very enthusiastically taking up the role of volunteer task leader for the Hill Court Farm volunteer work party, which meets on the last Saturday of every month (except December).  The tasks the work party tackle are varied and have recently included hedgerow clearing and the creation of a woodland pond, both of which we've been able to step back from at the end of the day and say 'Wow!  Just look at we've achieved'.  As the pictures of the pond task below demonstrate the work is immensely rewarding and it certainly gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside knowing everything we do is going to benefit the wildlife on the Reserve and further enrich this very special place. 

Before.... 

  

 Work in progress.... 

Almost there!  Once we get a decent amount of rain the pond will fill & it will attract a whole range of invertebrates & amphibians which will in turn attract a variety of birds & mammals.

Tasks planned for the next few months include hedge laying and coppicing, tree planting, ditch clearing and seed collection / spreading.  Plus there will be the chance to undertake some wildlife monitoring / surveying.  The next work party is on Saturday 26th October.

If you would like to get involved, either on an ad hoc or regular basis, please contact Naomi or Rob on 01905 754919, or email enquiries@worcestershirewildlifetrust.org.  You'll find us a very welcoming bunch! 

Sara, Hill Court Farm

Why Do We have Nature Reserves?

I thought the Chance Wood volunteers need a bit of a treat this month so I arrived an hour or so early, photographed the area we were going to work on and started to cut back the rhododendron.  I soon produced a pile big enough to start to cut into the small straight pieces that are essential to get a fire going; my aim was to present them with a small fire that they could soon enjoy enlarging to get rid of the rest of the rhododendron we were going to clear. Despite realising I’d forgotten the kindling, I soon had a small blaze going ready to hand over to Carl, our ex-scout and fireman.

After a couple of hours clearing, burning and cake-eating we settled down to watch the fire burn down.  We got to talking about the reserve and how long some of us had been using it.  One volunteer mentioned how, many years ago, they had often come to sit in the reserve and clear their head of problems and worries, they explained that they always felt there was a quiet spot to sit unnoticed and that they somehow felt safer in the reserve than elsewhere.  I was reminded of how surprised I was when an apparently very self-assured acquaintance confided in me that he always came to the wood to sit surrounded by ‘nature’ while he sorted out his problems.  I know of at least two other people who have told me that the wood helped them through difficult times and a couple who wanted their ashes scattered in the wood because it was so special to them.

The Wildlife Trust takes on the ownership of pieces of land and calls them nature reserves for a variety of reasons: most often to try to provide a haven for a particularly threatened species or assemblage of different species, ultimately with the hope that they may eventually return to the wider countryside. There are no rare or threatened species in Chance Wood; it does, however, provide a haven where people can regenerate and draw a little strength from the natural world, hopefully to go out and champion the natural world in their everyday lives.

...oh, and we cleared all that rhododendron too!

Roger, Chance Wood

How to Deal With Retirement

We had a glorious morning in Chance Wood last week.  Last month's work party was cancelled because snow made it impossible to get the tools up to the wood and for weeks previously it has been so wet and dreary.  After a weekend's sunshine the snowdrops started to show well and we can expect lots of visitors; time to top up the leaflet dispenser!

Although the air is still frosty the birds seem rejuvenated by the sunshine and the wood is full of activity as the tits chase each other through the branches and the other woodland birds sing their hearts out.

The main job last week was to arrest the wood's encroachment over the boundary and across the public path; anything that will encourage the cyclists to avoid using the path through the wood.  We don't work long before our cake break and soon we were sat either side of the partially cleared path putting the world to rights  (Might the country be in less trouble if WWT volunteers took over Westminster? We certainly think so!) when a cyclist appeared struggling up the path, pushing his bike.  As he regained his breath he was drawn into conversation: "Are any of you retired?  Don't you feel guilty and a bit lost for things to do? I do."  Poor man, he was met by astonished cries: Friday had been taken in preparation for the local group meeting, today was our work party, tomorrow another local work party and a visit to Smite farm needed, later in the week some were volunteering for the National Trust, another work party on Saturday, walking to do, birds to see, sunshine to enjoy…. how can you be bored when you are part of the Wildlife Trust?

Coming up to retirement?  Don't bother with those courses - £3 a month and join Worcestershire Wildlife Trust!

Roger, Chance Wood