Hertfordshire Barbel.

See a shoal of feeding Barbel at http://youtu.be/ueFklRKfgLY

Little Hallingbury Marsh survey.

On the afternoon of Saturday 7^th June 2014, nine members of the society met at Gaston Green and walked down  Mill Lane onto the Marsh.

 

There had been very heavy rain showers during the morning and threat of thunderstorms but the afternoon was warm and sunny. The group crossed the backwater and were excited to see a large pike holding station in the quite fast flowing water.

 

 

During the afternoon 106 species of plants and trees were recorded on the marsh and the towing path along the river.

 

 

 

We were pleased to see a Little Tern fishing in the river and had to sightings of a Heron one being very close-up as it took flight. Other birds recorded were the Whitethroat singing from a Blackthorn thicket, Wren and Chiff Chaff .

 

Damselflies recorded were large numbers of Banded Demoiselles, the males of which were engaging in chasing females and fighting between themselves, the Common Blue and Azure Demoiselle.

 

 

We were pleased to see a number of large mayflies being the Green Drake- Ephemera danica.  

 

We were pleased to see a number of large mayflies being the Green Drake- Ephemera danica.  It was pleasing to see that cattle grazing had returned to Tednambury Farm but it was commented upon that there was very little water weed growth in the Navigation. A very pleasant afternoon was enjoyed by all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jackdawcam tragic end.

Unfortunately, in spite of our best expectations the young jackdaws have been killed. Last week there were six young chicks in the nest but today there is one dead one and the rest have gone. The same thing happened last year and it is probable that the young have been killed by other Jackdaws who are more dominant in the social hierarchy. It is difficult for us to believe that this would happen but it is nature's way of regulating numbers. The female Jackdaw brooding and nest housekeeping can be seen at  http://youtu.be/qSFOs_dEg5g before the nest came to a tragic end.

Society visit to West Wood, Thaxted. Saturday 12th of April 2014.

On an overcast afternoon 12 members of the society were given a guided tour of this Essex Wildlife Trust Reserve by the warden Mike Rowley.

 

Strict control of deer numbers has paid dividends with regard to the large number of wild spring flowers that we enjoyed during the afternoon.

 

                                                                               Oxlips.

 

                                                                    Wood anemones.

 

 

                                                                         Bluebells.

 

                                                                   Dog Violets.

 

                                                                 Early Purple Orchid.

 

Large areas of Ladies Smock.

 

 

 

                                            Common Twayblade in the pre-flowering stage.

 

 

The wood is largely Ash and Hazel coppice with Oak standards. A large number of conifers have been removed in recent years to allow the natural woodland to regenerate.

 

Newly coppiced areas are protected using tall chestnut fencing.

 

 

Unfortunately, Ash dieback disease is prevalent throughout the wood and is particularly attacking younger shoots.

 

A big Thank You to mike Rowley for a very interesting and enjoyable afternoon on this splendid EWT Reserve.

 

                                                       

Construction of the artificial Kingfisher nest bank at Hatfield Forest Lake.

The process started back in 2011 with the selection of a site and the application for a licence from Natural England.

 

The first stage in the autumn of 2012 was to clear the marginal vegetation from the bank of the Lake where there was a reasonably firm gravel base. A three-quarter inch plywood box was constructed, 8 feet long by 4 feet wide by 2 foot high. This was put in place and levelled. The base was then dug out inside and 20 sandbags filled with a dry mix of six parts of ballast to one part of cement placed as a foundation.

 

 

In the spring of 2013 several tonnes of ballast and cement were mixed up to form a basal plinth. The work was reinforced using a large quantity of old concrete fence posts.

 

The next stage was to build up a block work wall. 50 blocks were used, each block being 9 inches wide. As the block work was brought up reinforcement irons were placed inside to hold the sides in place and prevent spreading. The voids in the blocks were filled with a mixture of Type I stone and some ballast/cement mixture.

 

 

 

 

When the block work had set sufficiently a sheet of plywood was held in place against the front. A sand fill was then put in place consisting of soft sand 20 parts, cement one part. As the level of the irons was reached a layer of 10 parts of sand to 1 part of cement was used to stabilise the sand fill. Also, as the film was put in place some links of sink waste were introduced which could be withdrawn later on. These would form starter tunnels. 

 

 

Roofing battens were held in place using stub bolts previously set into the block work. On top of this was placed a green Onduline roof. It was organised so that there would be a good overhang at the front to prevent rain driving onto the sand fill and causing erosion.

Finally, a fence was constructed around the whole bank to exclude grazing stock and a plastic skirt attached to the plywood base to prevent rats and weasels climbing up onto the bank and into the nest tunnels.

The construction was carried out using volunteer labour from the National Trust with photographs by courtesy of Peter Matthams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JackdawCam

You should be able to see nest building Jackdaws at http://youtu.be/TlMiRwtoGdE

Rooks at Three Mile Pond.

You can see progress at the rookery  if you go to You Tube.  http://youtu.be/Ko8M3ErEu_8

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Winter Programme 2013-14

WINTER PROGRAMME 2013

 

FRIDAY 27th SEPTEMBER

Wildlife and Rural Crime in Hertfordshire – Part 2

An illustrated talk by Sergeant Jamie Bartlett – Hertfordshire Police

 

FRIDAY 11th OCTOBER

Thorley Wash – restoration of a nature reserve

An illustrated talk by Jenny Sherwen – Community
Nature Reserves Officer for Herts and Middx Wildlife Trust
 
FRIDAY 8^th NOVEMBER

Under African Skies – an illustrated talk by David Sampson, BSNHS

Member
 
FRIDAY 22nd NOVEMBER

Rivers Down the Drain – the chalk streams of South East England

An illustrated talk by Charlie Bell – Hertfordshire Living Rivers

Officer

 

FRIDAY 14th DECEMBER

Christmas Social Evening including Members’ contributions.

FRIDAY 10th JANUARY

The Making of a Local Nature Reserve

An illustrated talk by Bob Reed, BSNHS Chairman.

FRIDAY 24th JANUARY

Antarctic. A talk illustrated with slides, by Peter Wilkinson.

 FRIDAY 7th FEBRUARY

An illustrated talk by Judy Adams. Details to be confirmed.

 
FRIDAY 21st FEBRUARY

Fisheries Monitoring Programme. An illustrated talk by Benjamin

Radbone – North Thames region of the Environment Agency

FRIDAY 7th MARCH

Beekeeping – Supporting Britain’s Natural History or an

Economic Enterprise. An illustrated talk by Richard Ridler
 

FRIDAY 21st MARCH

Conservation Management in the Stort Valley. An illustrated talk by

Tim Hill, Conservation Manager for the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust.

 FRIDAY 4th APRIL

Tortoises of the World. A talk by Peter Maynard, with live specimens.

FRIDAY 25th APRIL

Annual General Meeting and Social Evening