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2022
Progress on the scrub clearance
4th December
The weather was cold and dank but eight of us achieved quite a lot in the morning. We cut the scrub including brambles from three sections along the top edge of the meadow, cut back overhanging branches at the edge of the copse to let light in for woodland edge flowers, and did some repair work on the native hedge. Some of the paths were redefined with the mower to stop them creeping further into the meadow.
The work went well until heavy rain ...
6th November
Ten of us turned out, despite the weather forecast of approaching rain; we managed to achieve quite a bit considering.
We started on clearing a section of the scrub along the top edge of the meadow. This is part of the plan to cut all of that scrub on a four-year cycle in order to rejuvenate the old brambles and to provide invertebrate habitat of varying ages along the scrub belt as the plants grow up again.
A couple of us began to strengthen the dead hedge beside the cycle path, using stakes from last year's coppicing. In finding material for that a toad was discovered at the base of the dead hedge. The amphibian must have been thinking about hibernating so we did not disturb him.
Rank grass and willowherb was brushcut from beside the copse in readiness for planting (what we hope to be) native daffodil bulbs (unlike last year's non-natives). Also, the paths were mowed and a litter-pick was done.
All change for the new season
2nd October
The meadow is back to looking green after the hay cut and some rain!
During the last couple of weeks several of us have raked up the hay left behind from the baling, so today the remaining piles of hay were moved to compost heaps at the edge of the meadow.
Other tasks tackled were trimming overhanging branches from the native hedge, clearing brambles from the corner copse and doing a litter-pick.
More maintenance around the brown meadow
4th September
With the drought the meadow is looking very brown: most of the flowers have set seed and the grass is dying down. The farmer is expected to cut the hay this coming week so the meadow will look completely different after that.
Just over a dozen people gathered to remove brambles, nettles and branches that were encroaching onto the paths and cycle-path verge, to cut off remaining dock seed heads and to do a litter-pick.
Bat and Moth Evening at the meadow
26th August
The group held a successful evening event with Michael showing some moths that he had caught yesterday, and setting up his moth trap with the bright light on a white sheet to see what moths were attracted. He identified nearly a dozen species that visitors looked at with interest.
Paul brought several bat detectors which he passed out to people and they gathered mainly on the river bridge to listen to the clicks derived from the bats, some of which could be seen flying low over the water.
At the start we could see some bats flying above us over the meadow in the fading light, and later we could hear the calls of Tawny owls in the distance.
The event was well attended by around two dozen people including several children who seemed very interested in all the creatures and what Michael and Paul had to say about their lives. Species included Soprano and Common Pipistrelle bats, Brimstone Moth, Lime-speck Pug, Large Yellow Underwing and Setaceous Hebrew Character.
A hot morning in the meadow
7th August
A dozen of us gathered to do some maintenance all around the meadow. Brambles and nettles were cleared from beside the path by the native hedge, ragwort was dug from the central area, heads of dock seed were cut and removed, brambles removed from the copse and there was a litter pick. As the grass has hardly grown during the dry weather there was only a little mowing to do.
Several butterflies were seen in the sun, including Common Blue: a welcome sight as, despite their name, they are not as common as they used to be.
Ragwort, ragwort and more ragwort!
3rd July
Ten of us came, the main task being the pulling of Ragwort, there being
an unusually large infestation of it this year. We looked out for
caterpillars of the Cinnabar moth, leaving plants being eaten by these
for removal later. Paths were also cut with the mower and there was a
litter pick.
While unloading Ragwort on to a heap, caterpillars of the
Peacock butterfly were observed on stinging nettles nearby, and during
our work we saw several butterfly species, including Comma, Small
Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Marbled White and Ringlet.
There was time, too, to admire the wildflower display as we worked and,
at the end, we enjoyed a picnic together around the log seat.
A meadow fit for a queen?
5th June
OK, Her Majesty didn't visit our meadow nor did we have a celebration there for the Platinum Jubilee but several of us did spruce it up!
Alex mowed all the paths and the verge and the rest of us cut hogsweed flower heads off so that they don't seed everywhere, trimmed overhanging vegetation and did a litter pick.
During the next month or so the meadow should be at its best with many wild flowers in bloom and hopefully loads of butterflies and other invertebrates about.
On a showery morning
1st May
There were only seven of us in the meadow but we seemed to achieve quite a bit; pulling up cleavers and nettles to stop them from taking over in the copse and beside the native hedge. We also picked up litter: pleasantly, there did not seem to be as much as usual!
A pleasant spring morning
3rd April
After wintery weather in the last few days it turned out nice, allowing nine of the group to accomplish quite a lot this morning. All the pots and trays used for growing plug plants over the last few months were washed, the remainder of the bat boxes and a bird box were fixed to trees in the adjacent Baydons Wood and the old hedgerow alongside our native hedge, more brambles and ivy were removed from the copse, and young nettles and cleavers scythed from near there. Non-native daffodils were removed, some to the local community garden/verge, as our purchase of native daffodils had turned out to be mostly incorrect! The usual check round for litter happily did not result in as much rubbish as usual.
A variety of tasks
6th March
Over a dozen of us were spread around the meadow on various tasks this morning. Half a dozen more bat boxes were fitted onto riverside trees, involving ladder, hammer and nails. A final section of scrub, mainly grass, was cleared from the top edge with the brushcutter, and six trays of oxeye daisy and betony plug plants were put into the main part of the meadow. Two bags of litter were collected from all round the area, many wind-blown twigs were swept up, overhanging brambles removed and discarded Xmas trees cut up.
After the overnight storm ... the weather was kind
6th February
After a wet and windy night, the weather was kind for a well-attended task morning in which a lot more bramble and nettles were cleared to complete the scallops along the scrub belt.
We found that a large branch had fallen from the native hedge: this was sawn up and stacked as a habitat pile.
Some of the ivy that had been spreading across the ground in the copse beside the cycle path was cleared. It turned out there is plenty more to clear to allow the spring ground flora to flourish. Several Hedgerow Cranesbill plugs were planted and the snowdrops are in bud.
Other tasks were neatening up a section of the native hedge plus the usual litter pick.
Providing for bats
22nd January
The group have had the very kind provision of a dozen home-made bat boxes by the husband of a member: they are beautifully made and we hope the local bats will be attracted to roost in them. The son of another member donned his climbing equipment to position three of the boxes high on a large willow tree near the footbridge. See photos of the boxes and of their fixing in the Gallery section of the website.
Further work on the scrub belt
2nd January
There were a dozen of us today working on several tasks: a quick litter-pick, coppicing one of the hazel trees in the copse, cutting it up and reinforcing the dead hedges, brushcutting the grass against the scrub belt so that the path can be moved up a little, and continuing on from last month cutting more sections of bramble and scrub. I hope passersby don't think we are destroying all the brambles as it looks like severe treatment during the winter, but it should enable regeneration and plenty of strong growth and juicy blackberries in the next season or so.