hedge laying at Wick Hill Hanger with HCV 3rd & 4th March 2012

the line of hazel (Corylus avallena) stools before pleaching

the hedgerow starts to take shape - day 1

trimming the brush of the hazel stools prior to pleaching

pleaching a hazel stool

A pleached hazel stool

tying in the end stake

heathering to hold down laid pleachers

hedgerow ongoing

reckoning the length of the hedgerow end of day 1

day 2 - pleaching hazel in the rain

day 2 activity stopped due to bad weather (rain,sleet then snow)
Thanks to Laura Parnell for photos 1,4 & 7
Hampshire Conservation Volunteers can be found at: www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

gorse and scrub clearance, Longmoor (Liss Forest), Hampshire with HCV

 

scrub clearance to regenerate heathland at Longmoor, Liss Forest, Hampshire

Hampshire Conservation Volunteers can be found at: http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/index.html

woodland "ride" clearance with HCV at Mottisfont

The photograph was taken part way through Day Two of a Hampshire Conservation Volunteers weekend volunteer activity creating 12ft (4m approx) woodland rides alongside the stream and boardwalk (far left) at Mottisfont "duck grounds" Nr Romsey, Hampshire.

N.B. the stream is currently very overgrown and silted requiring future attention. It is situated in the ditch to the left of the boardwalk

The rides will eventually be extended along both sides of  the boardwalk - to create more suitable habitat for dragonflies within the wet woodland.

More information about Hampshire Conservation Volunteers, and the work that they do can be found at:

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

Boardwalking with HCV Mottisfont Abbey, Romsey

I joined day one of this weekend's "New Members Task"  with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers, building boardwalks at Mottisfont Abbey, Nr Romsey. A cracking day out, learning new skills and building on previous experiences; meeting new vollies and catching up with the regulars.

Activity for the weekend involves constructing two spurs from the side of the original boardwalk to meet outlying features, each new boardwalk requiring a bridge to span the adjacent watercourse.

Photographs show progress at the end of the first working day.

The unidentified bug larvae was found under the bark of a dead tree which was lying wet in the peat at the side of the stream. The dead tree had to have a chunk cut out of it and moved to enable access for the bridge supports (this can be seen in the background of photo 1). The bug larvae (of which there were circa 10) were placed safely back under loose wet bark, when the logs were in final position.

Spring highlights included 2 ♂ brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) butterflies and a single early ♂ orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines) on the wing; and 2 (prob 3) chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) in song throughout the day.

For more information on Hampshire Conservation Volunteers go to: http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

Heathland management, Hawley Common, Nr Fleet, Hampshire

Hawley Common Nr Fleet, Hampshire is a derelict heathland owned by the MOD and recently under management by the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust [HWT] as part of the North East Hampshire Grazing for Wildlife Project. The management plan is to return the heathland to a wet heathland community in good condition. Conservation grazing and scrub management is an integral part of the management plan.

The site is currently dominated by purple moor grass (Molinia caerulea), leggy gorse (Ulex europaeus) and scrubby birch (Betula pendula) intrusion.

I spent a very wind-blown day with the Hampshire Conservation Volunteers helping to clear the  birch and gorse and in the process trampling bracken (Pteridium aquilinum), whilst avoiding damaging the slower growths of dwarf gorse (Ulex minor) on the south and south-eastern walls of a rectangular bund which was probably thrown up originally as an encampment for military vehicles.

The bund is being cleared to provide suitable habitat for basking reptiles. The leggy gorse across the site cut back to promote regeneration and a favourable opportunity for heathland birds, in particular the dartford warbler (Sylvia undata).

Information on the HWT grazing project can be found at:

http://www.hwt.org.uk/pages/grazing-project-2.html

Information on the Hampshire Conservation Volunteers can be found at:

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

"If you go down to the woods today .." a voluntary diversion

The days volunteering activity with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers  at Burridge Pond Nr Swanwick, Hampshire, managing the scrub layer on the bund behind the pond; turned out to be only a morning's activity due to the good turn out of volunteers and the small size of the site.

The afternoon's newly found freedom provided an opportunity for a sociable walk and bird-watch along the banks of the Hamble and the Cur via Curbridge Nature Reserve, with the added attraction of a well-earned mid-walk pint at the Horse and Jockey, Curbridge.

En route we were unexpectedly entertained by the garish assortment of plastic motifs and votives attached to one of the path side trees. Although not completely sure if the self titled "Fairy House" was the product of some quasi pagan whimsy, or simply child's play?

A sense of play was certainly present in a nearby dead-hollow tree with a tiny dumper truck placed ironically at its centre. And in fairness if you are going to willfully litter in a semi-natural and ancient woodland a GSH is probably the only way to get a conservationist any where near on side?

To add to our bemusement the Horse and Jockey was closed on a Saturday lunch-time?

A second well-timed diversion to Hook with Warsash, enabled us to bird the high tide roost at the Bunny Meadows and follow it up by a quick pint at the Rising Sun whilst we collated the final and most important bird list of the day the "pub window list".

The "pub window list": turnstone (Arenaria interpres), pied wagtail (motacilla alba), rock pipit (Anthus petrosus), bh gull (Larus ridibundus), redshank (Tringa totanus).

Please N.B. this blog item does not represent the views of Hampshire Conservation Volunteers, if you would like to find out more about the great work they do please go to:

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

Stockbridge Down - Spotfly hotspot !

The end of a hard day's scrub-bashing at Stockbridge Down with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers was rewarded with great views of five spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) - a total of eight individual birds had been seen earlier in the day by Dave Hurst and Ed; willow warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) and chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) provided added interest.

Goswell Brook (Study Centre) incidental highlights

A days volunteering activity with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers at Goswell Brooks (New Forest Tree Study Centre) constructing pathworks also gave some opportunity for exploring the local wildlife.

Highlights on the day:

♂ small red damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) which alighted on the picnic table during the morning's first squash break.

A mid day sojourn to check the tins for reptiles in which three out of seven tins were productive: one tin producing singles of common lizard (Lacerta vivipara), a large ♀ slow worm (Anguis fragilis) and a grass snake (Natrix natrix). The second tin produced a single common lizard - disturbed from basking on top, the third another grass snake.

Birding wise a 3J robin (Erithacus rubecula) was very confiding taking the opportunity to feed around the aggregate stash  as we filled wheelbarrows, disturbing the ground and revealing tasty morsels for it. An ad. robin had done similar recently at Minstead Study Centre - picking its way through the disturbed soil beside us as we dug 4.5 ft holes to sink deer fence straining posts.

Singles of grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and ♀ mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) on the pond, and up to three buzzard (Buteo buteo) provided the rest of the interest.

Volunteering at Noar Hill, Selbourne

At Noar Hill I learnt how to fell small trees with hand tools, under the instruction of the Hampshire Conservation Volunteer [HCV] Trainer, David Hurst.

http://www.hcv.hampshire.org.uk/

picture courtesy Mark Dakin [HCV]

Whilst we concentrated on cutting back Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)  and holly (Ilex sp.) with hand-tools, chain-saws dealt with the much larger beech (Fagus sylvatica). The felling took place as part of the Hampshire and IOW Wildlife Trust management plan, to clear secondary woodland and expand the chalkdown grassland on site.

Despite excellent health and safety instruction the day was only slightly marred by a freak handsaw accident.

1 x red kite (Milvus milvus) was the birding highlight of the day.

Blashford Lakes Volunteering

Pulling Himalayan Balsam Impatiens glandulifera along the banks of the Dockens Water at Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve (Nr. Ringwood, Hampshire) produced an unexpected and much needed highlight when a grass snake Natrix natrix was uncovered beneath the damp tangle of ferns and bramble - this individual was carefully replaced behind the advancing line of the volunteers where it quickly recoiled and settled.

Natrix natrix For more information on this species see http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/grass_snake.htm

The path edges around the reserve are brightened by the displays of St John's Wort sp. Hypericum sp.

Hypericum sp.

Several Buddleia Buddlleja davidii or "butterfly bush" are growing around the visitor centre attracting a large number of butterflies including the peacock Inachis io, painted lady Vanessa cardui, red admiral Vanessa atlanta, brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, large white Pieris brassicae, small white Pieris rapae and comma polygonum c-album. Speckled wood Parage argeria, small heath Coenonympha pamphilus and gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus were also noted around the site.

Inachis io (top) Vanessa cardui (bottom) feeding on Buddleja davidii

Parage aegeria on common nettle Urtica dioica