Our second volunteer session of the year was very well attended with committee members, regular volunteers and new volunteers. This morning’s event started earlier than usual as the group undertook, under the leadership of local expert naturalist Joe Beale, an early morning bird survey. Full results will soon be available on the website, but the list included gold finches, robins and a sparrow hawk made their names to the list.

Regular tasks resumed later, including the general tidying up of the entrance area with further removal of fallen wood to be added to the existing dead-wood piles and removal of Ivy around the young hazel saplings that were planted last year in the entrance area. It’s a quiet time of the year in terms of planting, which allows the group to concentrate on more practical tasks.

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This included clearing the area at the entrance and covering with felt our outside store unit. Not all items need to be stored inside, some items can be happily left outside, this extra storage space will be a welcome addition.

The other project started today was to did a small trench or ditch at the bottom of the mound. This will allow for water to build up, creating another water feature for the woodland. It’s hoped that when the lining is added next month, rain water will keep this new feature topped-up and therefore providing another small, local wet area for water-liking fauna.

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Although we are only half way through winter, there were plenty of signs of Spring’s arrival including primroses and snowdrops in flower. Bluebells are looking much bigger than last month, and the good quality woodland plant Lords and Ladies was seen in very good numbers. Hazel catkins we’re still plentiful, but all the trees were still without leaves, although next month’s volunteer event will start to have the first leaves of Spring on display.

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