All posts by petesbogblog

IMMIdeate Results

Many thanks to our friends at IMMI, based on Coopies Lane Industrial Estate, who sent a working party around to the reserve today as part of their community program.

We had 9 workers doing various jobs on the reserve.

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They got through a fair bit of work helping to re-chip our parking area, path maintenance, and a bit of wood and log moving. They saved me a lot of work for which I am very grateful, and they were a happy bunch too.

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Famous Five Fledge

Our little friendly Robin had one brood predated but persisted with a second  brood, this time hidden in our woodshed which proved more successful than the previous bucket next to the entrance!

Five eggs, five chicks, five fledged yesterday, Hurrah!

Now we have our woodshed back.

Building for success

A big thank you to Francis and his team at the BAM construction site in Morpeth for their kind donation of materials. BAM are in the closing stages of building the new Goosehill Primary School next to County Hall.

 

 

John B and myself loaded several trailers of bricks and insulation materials that will be used for paths around the classroom and for building hide number 3 on the reserve.

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The BAM crew were a very friendly and helpful bunch who took a genuine interest in what we were trying to achieve, thanks again.

Those kind folks at BAM have allowed us several more trips to their site:-

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Many thanks again.

We made our final scavenging trip to the BAM school site at the end of last week as the school is due to open next month.

Once again BAM were very generous and we managed to obtain the following kit:-

10 chairs

5 tables

1 desk

3 noticeboards

6 pairs of wellies, one jacket, 2 high viz tabards, 6 pairs of work gloves

1 picnic table

1000 disposable cups

6 tubes of sealant

various signs

various packs of screws

stationary

Large glazed panel

Not a bad haul of goodies, so once again thanks to Francis and his team.

Pond Dipping for beginners

We had our first group of pond dippers on the reserve last week.

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Goosehill Nursery sent a class of fourteen (plus three teachers) 4-5 year olds to discover what is in our pond. After a brief tour we tried our hand at pond dipping. The youngsters came down to the pond in pairs and each had a go.

It was great to see the youngsters getting close to nature and maybe sparked an interest in nature too!

Thanks to Holly and her team for bringing the youngsters, who were all very well behaved. We didn’t lose any in the pond, which is always a plus!

I can post some pictures of the beasties we discovered in the small pond:-

 

Ruddy darter nymph (1 of 1)
Ruddy darter nymph
newtlet (1 of 1)
Pale evening dun
ruddy darter nymph (1 of 1)
Great water boatman on nymph
young pond skater (1 of 1)
Young pond skater
probable toadpole (1 of 1)
Young newt
broad bodied chaser nymph (1 of 1)
Broad bodied chaser nymph
great water boatman II (1 of 1)
Great water boatman
midge larva (1 of 1)
Midge larva
Phantom midge larva (1 of 1)
Phantom midge larva
Great water boatman top (1 of 1)
Great water boatman top
Great water boatman bottom (1 of 1)
Great water boatman bottom

 

KEVI Power

This week I have had 3 students from King Edward VI High School for a weeks work experience. I decided to give them a project to plan and execute over the week.

The project I gave them was to make and install gates at two points on the reserves boundary. These will allow us to more easily move materials in and out different parts of the reserve.

Thomas, Jake and Fin, with the supervision of myself and John Bell, managed to produce and install a couple of great looking gates.

 

After a couple of days work they produced the larger middle gate:-

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Then onto the southern gate:-

The finished gate:-

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Well done guys a job well done!

Room with a view

I have been learning to install windows (self taught) and, as long as you don’t look too closely, Im quite happy with the result.

I have put in a full length window in Vera’s shed to enable any wheelchair users that visit the site can have an unimpeded view of Woggle Water Pond.

New Arrival Watch

I thought I would just post a few pictures of the various youngsters appearing now on the reserve,I hope they are of some interest!

Youngster (1 of 1)
1 day old
mumandfawn-5183
5 days old
May 19 - 7 (1 of 1)
5 days old
Roe mum and daughter-3563
Pregnant doe with daughter from last year

tit box-3369

image
Blue Tit fledgeling
moorhen chick with mum-3347
Moorhen with one of nine chicks
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Moorhen with two of nine chicks
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Moorhen chick
youngdunnock-4896
Dunnock fledgeling
Female broad bodied chaser II (1 of 1)
Juvenile Broad Bodied Chaser Dragonfly
woodmouseatattention-4946
Young Woodmouse
lgereddamsel-5056
Large Red Damselfly
Bold bunny-0951
Bunny