Friday 31st January

Lovely and quiet today on the south. Met a couple out for a walk with a pair on binoculars. Saw the Muntjac in swimming pool meadow and the kingfisher was sat down at Durngate just as I left

Thursday 30th January - all good in the South

 A couple of photographers, no litter.

Wednesday 29th January

 Still lots of puddles especially on the eastern side. A few people  enjoying  a walk round and a couple of photographers enjoying themseves trying to photograph a friendly robin but having difficulty with some very active bluetits ! A couple of noisy Canada geese on the main river and one on the fishing lake - easily visible since all the tree felling there. Managed to retrieve a china coffee cup and beer bottle from the very centre of a big bramble bush at Durngate - fortunately some large branches nearby came in handy! Having spoken with Trust staff earlier at the northern end I gather there is funding for the boardwalk on the southern end but some reserves in South Hampshire have priority over any bridge repairs on the north.

Anne and Tim

wet wet wet

 wow. 33mm rain since yesterday. depth 37.3 and "steady" but its well up on this time yesterday. No surprise there are many flood warnings in the area today. Wellies advised! Overtopping rife including at the repairs. 3 booze bottles at Durngate but nothing else. A bit of debris about but nothing serious. I was alone today apart from swans. Deer footprint in 1st pic at Durngate entrance, joine by swan footprint later

Sunday 26th January

Some walkers.  Some silly runners.  A family with a large out-of-control dog and a small out-of-control child.

The fishing club have cut down a lot of trees, you can see right in now.  How are they able to do that?

Thursday 23rd

All quiet, a couple of visitors, no litter. 

bit warmer

 very little litter. Saw a walker and a couple of regular runners. Nice view towards Nun's Stream. Fed the robin, he was glaring and pointing at his watch.

No recent  rain (but yesterday felt like it!). Height 37.19 and steady. Lots of noise from fishing lakes, looks like they're having a tree clear out before nesting season.

Sunday 19th January

Several walkers, a couple of runners.

Branch sagging by the NW bridge entrance.  I gave it a tug and it's a bit creaky.

Saturday 18th January

Very quiet at 9.30am, not even runners. Drinking at the Durngate bench with lots left behind. Very unpleasant human deposit and soiled underwear on the glade.

Mallards pairing up and the early shoots of Flag Iris starting to show.

Friendly visitors arriving as I was leaving.

Thursday 16th - late post

 All good on Thursday. Met Sheila the Trust photographer, nice shots of the Kingfisher. Minimal litter.

Friday 17th January

Lots of bird song today, I saw a very pretty Muntjac Doe and a water rail, and once again I forgot my camera. I didn’t see anybody on site today and didn’t seem to be much litter either.

Thursday 16th Jan

Pretty calm and a little dull on the moors today.  A few joggers and a couple of photographers, two of whom have never been before so had a nice chat.  They were lucky to have seen their first Water Rail. Usual bouncy boardwalk which is gradually deteriorating over time. Sam said they have a quote to replace. Saw what I thought was a muntjac? 

Wednesday 15th January

 Very mild morning especially after the sun came out. A moderate amount of litter especially at the Durngate bench. Met several people enjoying a stroll round. Also two young lads fishing opposite the old swimming pool area. Despite having a pleasant chat and explaining why fishing isn't allowed on a nature reserve,  they refused (albeit politely!) to leave. They had given up by the time I got back to the bridge.

Anne and Tim

still chilly

 couple of runners, pond still frozen (bet that branch didn't put itself there). Evidence of moles along the path to pond. Heard a cetti's warbler and saw a heron being mobbed by a gull - with loads of sound.

Sorted the damaged tree opposite canoe club. Easier than expected as it was completely rotten, solely held up by ivy. Also snipped a bit of ivy and bramble around the site - yes, it's already growing!

No recent rain, water 37.19m and rising!

Saturday 11th January

Happy New Year. Cold, frosty, bright and delightful. Not much litter but worth getting rid of it. Some cut willow branches have been thrown on the frozen pond.

The pics are from 2 years ago, the last time it was so cold, on a workday with Rachel, clearing the area around the pond.

Friday 10th January

Lovely and quiet today, only saw a runner and one person out for a walk. Lots of birds hopping about in the trees and having a sing song.

Thursday 9th January

Lovely day, a couple of photographers and about half a dozen other visitors. No runners or litter. The pond frozen over. 

All good, nothing else to report. 

not a day to hang about

 although it did actually stop raining during my visit.
No litter but I met a man whose trainer was disintegrating. He was happy for me to take some in my litter bag! New pair needed. Small tree leaning opposite canoe club. I'll try to sort the branches but I cant see damage lower down. It may need more drastic treatment. Plus a helium balloon in Red Poll stream. No chance of reaching it from either bank. Plenty of water. It looks high and is. We had 42mm rain yesterday, over 2 weeks worth. Plenty of flow over paths and some of the repairs have already bypassed. Depth 37.31 at Durngate. this is only 9cm below the "top of normal range". And there's a Flood Alert for lower Itchen (Bishopstoke downwards) 
Saw either 2 herons or the same one twice, plus a little grebe and the usual ducks, otherwise wildlife was very quiet

For some reason the algorithm has put these photos in reverse order!

This one's interesting. By the sluice at the dipping stream. It's not overtopping but has found a crack in the bank and is welling upwards.

Saturday 4th January

 Cold and frosty with the pond frozen. Nice chats with regulars and minimal litter. Roe doe at the paddling stream. 

Thursday 2nd January - all ok - some maintenance

The late morning (after doing the North) even nicer than earlier on.  A few folks and families out. Couple of polite runners (it’s not Sunday). Minimal litter. Kingfisher had been spotted 

Maintenance: as others have noted the main boardwalk is in imminent need of attention at several points once work parties restart.  Couple of people commented on it. 

Wednesday 1st January Happy New Year

 A very wet and windy first visit of 2025! Very quiet on the reserve just met Mike braving the weather.  Lots of small twigs on the path but no branches. Just small amount of litter - perhaps the rest had been washed and blown away!

Happy New Year everyone!

Anne and Tim