New Year's Eve

Water here there and everywhere (good for boot washing after squelching through NML).  A couple of walkers, no litter.

Happy New Year!

Friday 29th December

 

Mild and still morning. Saw five swimmers treading water and discussing their Christmas’s in the early gloaming. The ‘No Swimming’ sign has been removed. To be fair, it had lasted a long time, cohabiting as it was with ‘freedom’ swimmers 😄. The water deepens. Probably 8cm in new money in some places along the paths. Several Song Thrushes doing vocal battle around the pond. Several new ponds as well !!! Nine Mallards in a new pond by the start of the boardwalk (going anti-clockwise). Mr and Mrs Pheasant strutting out along the boardwalk, not to be rushed. Saw not a soul, probably because of the flooded paths. 

Winnall moors 28th December

 Paths well flooded in many places,  wellies are a definite requirement.  Few people, no dogs and no little. Some running water across paths near swimming pool end.

Wednesday 27th December

 An overcast, wet and windy morning only met one  person which given the weather conditions,  the overflowing river, and all the puddles wasn't too surprising! Picked up a couple of small bits of litter.

Anne and Tim 

Christmas Eve

A few people about.  Water has receded but still some puddles. Very tweety birds.

My nemesis, the Opal Fruit eater is back for Christmas but no other litter. 

Merry Christmas Lookers and Wardens🎄

Friday 22nd December Solstice

 Got out early to experience the sunrise on the winter Solstice. Slightly underwhelming due to cloud on the eastern horizon but still …….

Very windy which largely put paid to bird observation. Just did the public area today as I’m quite tired just now and the early start didn’t help. All well. Saw three swimmers in their usual spot. No deer by the pond today. 

As you’ve read this far let me regale you with a couple of snippets. The Winter Solstice used to fall on the 25th in the old Julian calendar - hence the Church co-opting it for the Birth. The Gregorian calendar recalculation put on the present 22nd, but by then the Church was fixed on the 25th. ‘Yule’ is an anglicisation of the Scandinavian ‘Juul’ which is/was a celebration of the lengthening of the days after the Solstice. The increasing light and heat from the Sun was represented by the light and heat from the ‘Juul’ log. For whatever reason, give yourself a moment for reflection today. Merry Yuletide and Merry Julian Christmas !

Not available Sunday 21st January

Thursday 21st December

Quiet. Couple of mums with kids, one jogger. A few plastic bottles. No sign of the deer. Pair of jays on the west side.

Maintenance: nothing new - the path at the north end by the main river has a strong flow over it and more of the black base layer is exposed cf. 2 weeks ago.

Wednesday 20th December

 Very quiet this morning chatted to a couple of walkers wearing wellies who were pleased to be able to walk all the way round. Another couple were forced to turn back and asked the usual question - is it always so wet.  Saw quite a few grey squirrels but could have been the same one stalking us! Met a monthly litter picker and contributed a couple of pieces of litter we had found. As last week there was an unpleasant odour along the path to the pond, however the pond itself looked good in a rare moment of sunshine.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Anne and Tim

Monday 18th December

Covering for Paul this morning. Only saw one other person. Boardwalks all good & clear of leaves. Spring-like warm with plenty of bird activity. Red kite overhead, numerous goldfinches, long tailed tits and a small flock of siskins amongst others. I’ll raise you a robin Lynn!

Happy Christmas to all our bloggers 

Sunday 17th December

 Still wet.  A few people about, some with the wrong shoes.  Two speedy runners. Not smelly.

Bumped into Miranda, one of our regular photographers, who was on the look out for kingfishers but had to settle for a Christmassy robin.  She had seen lots of firecrests and goldcrests during the week.

Another photographer wasn't having much luck either so I directed him to where he could snap the deer family snuggled down in the mid section. 

An injured wood pigeon on the path.  I moved it to the verge.  It will make a nice lunch for something.

Friday 15th December

 Up before the sunrise but the clouds soon put paid to a brief flash of gold. Five swimmers in the usual place, although it turned out that they were more ‘treading water and chatting’. The roe deer family were ambling around the pond as two Songthrushes battled it out with ever more complicated triplets. Seems the wrong time for staking out territory but I know that they can be quite possessive of a berry tree at this time of year. Walking past our wooden otter I was finally able to share the dubious pleasure of the ‘sewage’ smell. It just seemed to be in the area between the footbridge and the otter. Maybe a sort of marsh gas ???

missing birth certificate

Hi all,

Had a call in that someone has lost their birth certificate at the moors so please keep an eye out and let me know if you find it.

Thanks for your time,

Sam

Wed. 13th December path erosion

Path being washed away where the river is overflowing at the north end of Swimming Pool Meadow and forming deep gulleys across the path exposing the black underlay. In need of repair once the river level has dropped a bit.

Otherwise very quiet - met a lady who wished she had worn her wellies!

Anne and Tim 

Saturday 9th December

A wet Saturday morning with only one runner for company. Three deer at the pond, pairs of mallards enjoying the flooded areas, noticeably more birdsong including a song thrush and lots of

great tits, gold finches foraging on the paths.  

Friday 8th December

 A fresh sunny morning. A few people about. Like Jim, I was treated to a close encounter with the four roe deer by the pond. The three youngsters look small for a spring batch. Perhaps they are late summer babies. 

Pleased to see that the sprouting reeds in the newly cleared pond have been cut. 

Thursday 7 December - all good

Nobody around, a few empty cider cans near the Durngate entrance. 

Highlight was the four deer - two on the path near the pond, two peering out of the scrub.  They seem to have taken up residence on the high ground.

The main river overtop near the north end is dry but there are several channels in the path eroded down to the underlay.  Might be worth sandbagging to prevent further damage if/when levels rise again. Otherwise no maintenance issues.

Path eroded down to underlay

Wednesday December 6th

 Nothing untoward in the public part of the reserve this morning . The amount of flooding from the river into the central part of the reserve has reduced significantly but not stopped altogether . Much standing water present unsurprisingly. Few people about , a mix of runners and a few walkers plus three photographers . Boardwalks all fine . 

Julian bevis 

Sunday 3rd December

Grey and drizzly.

A few people about.

The no entry sign has disappeared from the gate between SPM and NML.

A couple of chaps hanging about behind the bench at the north end of the boardwalk, looking in the river.  I chatted to them for a bit and they said they were waiting for their sister.  I'm guessing that they were going to spread ashes in the river.  Seems to be a popular spot for it.

Four deer at the pond.

Still smells of drains.

One very fast, rude and aggressive runner.

*Reminder*: I am off next week.

Sat 2nd dec

 By the time I got there the hoar front had all but gone, but still mist over the water. All good, and quiet. FH was unlocked but fine. Barn secure.

Thursday 30th nov work party

work party -

clearing the brash north of the long boardwalk.

Areas by the glade, entrance and up to the pond have been brushcut. To be raked Tuesday. This is to remove nutrients and thatch, to encourage a more diverse sward.

Hindgeing/pleaching. This has been done East of the glade so may look quite open at the moment. We've tried to block access points with living brash to discourage anti social behaviour in there. Fingers crossed it works!

Sam

Wednesday 29th November sewage smell

 Sewage smell detected on turning onto pond path.

Pond looked good however!

Anne and Tim Ardill

Wednesday 29th November

 Beautiful sunny morning- wellies not needed!

Chatted to 4 lots of people enjoying a walk round. Met one couple at the northern end who asked about going into No Man's Land as thought the path to King's Worthy went through there. Explained about the Nun's Walk and redirected.

Anne and Tim Ardill

Tuesday 28th nov

Work party in the south. 

Clearing back, processing and burning some scrub north of the boardwalk. Reducing encroachment and encouraging denser habitat within the scrub.

Pond has had the reed regen cut back for the year. It is looking really nice. Hopefully we have some time to cut some rides and open up the pond even more. Lots of water rails making themselves heard around there.

I smelt the sewage smell referenced by some of you. Called southern water to see if they could check for leaks. But they say it is a private pipe so I'll need to investigate further. Please continue to blog if you notice the smell. I notice it as I'm  going up to the pond and near the south of the long boardwalk.

Sam

Sunday 26th November

Grey and drizzly.  A few people out and about. There is still water on the path by the sluice, otherwise just a couple of puddles.

NW Bridge needs a sweep.

Quiet morning at South.

Some standing water in small areas of footpath but not too deep. Probably same single cyclist who dismounted on sight. Boardwalks good. Theres a hulahoop in water close to bridge from rugby field, too far to reach.  Sunshine was a bonus.

Thursday 23rd - all good

Quiet. One photographer finding nothing to photograph. A guy on a bike who got off as soon as he saw me coming, “I know, I know …”. Minimal litter. There’s a bit of a weed block forming in Red Hole stream (with a hula hoop in it). Otherwise no maintenance issues.

Bench graffiti 

Wednesday November 22nd

 All quiet in the southern sector . Watercourse all very full and much water in reed beds . Also river still overflowing across the path in a number of places albeit clearly not as aurongky as has recently been the case. Boardwalks all fine . Got a fleeting sighting of a lady with a dog on the  path along the stream next to the playing fields but I was too far away to remonstrate and anyway she was heading out of the reserve . 

Julian bevis 

Monday 20th November

Covering for Paul. Quiet probably because without wellies parts of the reserve are impassable. No shortage of water about. The moorhens are loving it!

Nothing new to add on the boardwalks which are all functional. Not too many leaves either. 

Sunday 19th November

 Sunny and breezy.

At the north end, water is pouring over the path creating a pool around the willow.  Also water on the path around the Sluice and the end of the boardwalk.  

Still smells around Durngate.

Quiet, one family with the wrong footwear.

Friday 17 November 2023

 Glorious morning. Out with the sunrise and all of 5 degrees C. Mist over the moors and river and the sun slanting through the autumn trees. Three hardy women in dry robes waddling across the field after a swim (on the River Park side). They don’t actually swim but tread water and try to control their breathing. Ten minutes and they’re out. The pond is clear and clean. Lots of new reed shoots appearing. Frost on the boardwalks and Redwing flock in No Man’s Land. 

Wednesday 15th November

 A beautiful sunny morning. Met a couple of people getting their feet wet in the puddles and where the river was flowing across the path, plus a regular visitor to the reserve taking advantage of the light to take photos. Nothing else to report

Anne and Tim Ardill 

Monday 13th November

Very wet and very quiet in the south. Boardwalks all ok. A number of breaches of the Itchen. No litter.

Sunday 12th November (am)

Drizzly and warm.  A few soggy walkers and a couple of runners.  Puddles, but less water on the paths than last week although still enough for ducks.

North Walls Bridge is slippery with wet leaves

There is a fallen tree branch and hula-hoop (not the edible kind) in the river at chopper.reconnect.similar and a bit further down, a football.  

The area around the pond turning and towards Durngate is very smelly.

Thursday 9th - all good in the South

Quiet. Cattle already moved from SPM to Eastern Meadow in the North. Couple of photographers - one had a shot of  a kingfisher perched on the frog’s head. Minimal litter. Boardwalk repairs at location jolly.good.job were looking good …

Can't do Sunday 10th December

Tuesday 7th November work party

 Hi all,

On Tuesdays work party:

 We fixed the broken stringer on the north south boardwalk

I cut down more willow north of the boardwalk, this is part of the scrub management to diversify age and structure of the willow and reduce encroachment into the open fen habitat, it will also allow more ease to pollard the large willow next to it.

Adrian continued scything the glade as part of the meadow management to remove thatch and nutrition building up.

Regards,

Sam

Monday 6th November

Boardwalks. I’m sure this has been reported from the bin liner attached to the rail but the long boardwalk has a significant collapse (7 boards) at W3W location “difficult.rocker.bibs”. The support rail underneath has collapsed at one end. Requires an urgent repair. Also we have another loose board at “forgives.carbonate.angers”. Not urgent. Otherwise boardwalks are ok although despite Sam’s leaf blower efforts there’s more clearing to do. Water is over the top of our concrete sluice near the bench. Cattle in SPM happy.

Sunday 5th November (am)

Lovely warm and sunny day. Itchen and Barton are over-topping or about to in some places.

SPM (duplicated from northside blog).  Five happy cows, clearly not traumatised by spending the evening next to a massive firework display. A couple were balancing on the edge of the river in search of a tastier meal. Beginning to flood at the north end by the willow.

South-Southside Busy this morning  or perhaps it just felt that way with less space.  Chatted to a few people who were here for the first time, one couple admiring our cows over the gate.  Bargey runners are back, had a word with three of them.

Standing water around the pond turning, a new lake forming and a drainy smell.

River about to burst its bank at the north end of the main boardwalk and there is a stream on the path by the sluice.

Saturday 4th November

Group of 6 adult runners charged past. My friendly hello hardly slowed them down, but I managed to explain and I assume they went to River Park as I suggested,

as I didn’t see them again.

This half-broken branch above the bench at the top of the long boardwalk has very sharp tips at eye height.

Otherwise a quiet, damp morning with a few happy visitors and not much litter.