As some of you know I volunteer for the

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every second Wednesday. So I thought I would start a diary of what goes on. Especially now that there is so much wildlife around while we are working.

I'll start with yesterday, Wednesday 29th April 2009.

We went to Red Moss in Netherley. It's the same place I built the dams for the peat regeneration scheme. Now we have to fence off a strip of land between the farmland and the SWT land. It's seperated by a burn. We are doing it to stop the cows from churning up the land as they come across the burn and provide easier access to the Red Moss. Thankfully there was no cows on the land just now, they can be very nosey!. As usual, these things are never simple. The ground was very rocky and all the work is done by hand.

Wildlife Sightings;

Pipits ( debate whether it was Meadow or Rock)
Cuckoo

Any questions, or if you want me to elaborate just ask!

Great stuff! Volunteering is so much fun

amazing :D

That's great that you volunteer. I personally love pipits, even though they're ordinary looking. But, then again, I love all birds, .

Extra Volunteering Day since my Jury Duty was cancelled.

Wednesday 6th May;

Back to Netherley for the fencing that needs done. Dug out two more holes for the straining posts. It started out really sunny but it started to rain after lunch. I'm afraid there's not much to say when it's the same job for a few weeks.

Wildlife Sightings;

Swallows

That's it, there was not much going about since it was raining most of the time!

Working out in the rain can't be fun but I guess the job needs to be done!

Wednesday 13th May 2009;

It was back to Netherley for fence work. It is going to be a 7 line fence and designed to keep the cows at their side. So there needs to be a 'delicate' balance between strength and give. You need the wires to tight, but not so tight that if a cow leans on it, it will snap so there needs to some give. We finished off the struts and got 2 lines (bottom and top) up. The next stage if to put the fence posts in.

This is the first fence I've put up from scratch. Repaired plenty though!

Unfortunately it looks like it's going to be finished before I go out again. Which won't be for another 4 weeks as Mike (Co-ordinator) is on holiday.

There was a bird that kept flying in and out of the wall near where we were working. We reckoned it must be nesting in there. I didn't get a good look, so couldn't say what it was.

Thursday 29th May 2009

I wasn't supposed to be out this week, hence why it is a Thursday! Unfortunately nothing much to report as we are still putting up that fence at Netherley.

It is by no means boring and the weather has been great. But reading about the same thing can get boring.

I am due out again soon and will probably be cutting back some vegetation to help keep the pathways open.

Till then.

Apologies, I have been very lax with this.

Sadly, I don't have much to report.

I have been strimming pathways to help keep the SWT sites open to the public. Some walkway repairs. It's been hot work with th recent weather.

Back to Red Moss for dip well readings. Pathworks and flood damage repairs at Longahven and Beech clearing at Gight Woods.

I'll be looking to get a Volunteer Leave week in February, big projects planned for Longhaven.