Bits and Pieces

The last owl boxes were put up yesterday.  As can be seen from this photograph conditions were no better on the training area than they were at Foxglove!

The boxes have to be fixed securely and given their nice thick layer of sawdust.

Whilst out and about the nest box team saw Primroses growing in woodland.  Still none to be seen at FGC.  Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage is showing its flowers along the vertical banks of the stream that runs from the Voley Pond.  It always flowers here first.

Elder leaves burst their buds early in the year, but then almost appear to stop growing.  

During the summer we were a little concerned that our sphagnum pond on the wetland was drying up.  This area is not connected to the network of ponds and so has to rely on rainwater to keep it filled.  Marsh Cinquefoil grows in this pond.  It was good to see that after all the rain it now has plenty of water and the moss looks very green, as it should.

Storm Henry is on its way and was beginning to make its presence felt on the lake. There were waves blowing straight down to the weir.  Only two Mallard were braving the conditions.

The stream flowing into the new scrape on the moor was coming into it from the wetland side.  So that the water would not flow straight out the exit has been made at the moorland side.  The mud and shallow water looks very inviting to waders.  Hopefully the Snipe that reside on the wetland will soon begin to explore this new habitat.

If you looked in the right direction there was some blue sky and sunshine making for a lovely photograph.