Marshing

It was another gorgeous day when I was dropped off early at Stover for a Friday volunteers day. The Mistle Thrush was once again singing beside the car park to serenade my arrival. I wanted to make the most of the sunshine, so started with a walk around the lake.

The photographers were yet again out in force to make the most of the early light. The Buzzard was up in his tree, watching over the Snipe roost in the northern marsh. The frogspawn was frozen over, the lake was also partly frozen and this is where the gulls were choosing to sit. I could see just one Grebe on the lake, and it was asleep - I wondered where the other two had gone in the last couple of days.

My first sighting of otters at Stover??

The bridge over the outlet channel was my next stop to look for spraints again, but nothing today. Somebody had put bird seed down on the hand rail - first in were the Robins and Blackbirds, then a Dunnock, followed by the cheeky Nuthatch... and three Mallards which scared everything else away.

The lake looked stunning under the clear sky

I continued round to the aerial walkway, where several Nuthatches were singing, as well as a couple of Siskins in the canopy.

I arrived back at the centre in time for Jon to open up - only three volunteers today. We went for our walk and filled up the feeder, watching the birds flock to it instantly. We chatted about today's task which would take place in the southern marsh, north of the boardwalk in the deep water between the marsh and the island. We were removing willow that was growing in water, burning it and the brash piles cut last week. Areas of the marsh were surprisingly deep - once or twice my foot - and my knee - vanished and the water level came dangerously close to the top of my waders! We collected some wooden palettes from the compound, and some non-slip planks to place for a sturdier foothold.

We were working in warm sunshine and the layers gradually came off, though after lunch the sun had moved and gradually we were shaded by the trees. There were one or two near accidents as the heavier palettes began to sink and tip as we stood on them - Ron and I almost went in a couple of times, and we had to use the planks as see-saws on a stump at one point!

We removed all the willow on the corner to improve visibility across the lake. We took out a fairly large chunk, considering how inaccessible the area was! There was still more to do, but it will have to wait until next week. The chill had begun to set in and my fingers were turning to icicles in my wet gloves! We returned to the centre for a hot cup of tea, then I had one last walk in the fading light to see what work had done before getting picked up.

Looking out to the remains of our fire in the marsh,

and the trees we had started cutting back.

Viewed from the boardwalk