Bridge closure between the reserve and the Rec

The bridge that crosses the river between the reserve and the Rec has been closed for repairs. One of the planks had fallen through and someone tripped on it last week.The bridge belongs to, and is the responsibility of WCC. Hopefully they will put some comms up on the with an explanation. Thanks for sorting the temporary signage Paul Hamilton.

hot hot hot

 not a day for lingering. No litter, it's good to follow Rachel!

Swan and greylag family in evidence. Not seen the Pond so low except when drained for work, but loads of footprints in the mud. Heard sedge warbler among others.

Bridge to North Walls closed for repair - apparently someone fell through, there's a bad plank. Only 2 runners as most of my regulars come from Hyde

Sunday 29th June

 Just Joey, me and the graylags.

Sat 28th June

Warm morning with a lot of birders about. Finished up the last of the raking by the pond and met Rachel, so lovely! 

Thank you to whoever left this lovely gift on my windscreen, they're beautiful. 

Headed over to the recreation grounds bridge and saw our dear swan family. 

Swept the bridge of muck and leaves to stop it rotting the boards. 

Did a walk around and found our greylags! The babies have grown so much since I last saw them. 

No cyclists, dogs or swimmers today huzzah!

Saturday 28th June

Quite a lot of litter today, only to be ex

pected in hot weather I guess. One drug spoon at the Durngate bench. I met no visitors but I did meet Joey for the first time, so it was good to make contact.

Friday 27th June

Very quiet today, but all good.

Thursday 26th

All quiet, 2 runners, 2 visitors. Light drizzle. 

breezier and cooler

 lots of runners, 8 in all including regulars. Fair bit of bird song. The weekend crew successfully cleared litter, I saw none, but there were nappies along the path outside! Can't all have come from one kid, surely. Didnt see the coloured pebble.

Met a nice lady looking for bearded tits. Had a good chat, but no success with the birds. They are around but haven't heard one lately.

Sun 22nd June

Litter in the wooded area of the boardwalk today, wet bag of dry nites which I assume someone didn't want to deal with. Also a heap of clothes behind a tree by the information board at durngate entrance which had been sat there a while.

All cleared up.

Nice small tortoiseshell up by no man's land. 

Saw the swan family by the pond crossroads as posted by Lynne and a beautiful family of roe deer along the pond path.

Got some more cuttings piled up and found a group of young boys jumping in at swimming pool. After a long discussion, they eventually moved on and I later saw them leave through durngate.

Also had a couple of cyclists who dismounted after I spoke to them. 

And during my lunch a guy came in with his dog and I said no dogs allowed. Left quickly after a short but quite confrontational chat. 

More raking and piling, managed to get the right hand side done. 

Cleared more boys away from swimming pool as they were swimming and playing loud music. 

Sunday 22nd June

Quiet.  No runners and no litter (correlation is not causation).

Swans and cygnets on the river banks.

Sat 21st June

Tiny drips of rain today! What a relief after a hot morning.

Someone's gifted a beautiful pebble to the moors.

Mother moorhen with its fluffball baby.

Spoke to a family about no swimming at swimming pool. Then again with a man throwing a ball in for his dog. Both left thankfully after a few minutes of discussion. 

Cleared up some of the cuttings at the pond into reptile hotels or hayricks. 

Found our swan family by the pond crossroads, bit of a busy place to be I think. 

Saturday 21st June

 9.30am round. Litter on the glade and at the paddling stream. A smashed vodka bottle just inside the gate to the top curve. I tried to pick up all the shards. Pond very low but I'll find out as I'm sure there's a reason why. Blue bodied chasers on it, and lovely to see marsh valerian coming out - one of my favourites. 

Fri 20th June

Quick pop around the reserve today, tidied up a bit and chatted to a lovely chap at the gate who's lived in Winchester for 95 years!

Found an extinguished fire by the bench along the main south path. 

And a t-shirt in the river just behind it, which I hooked out. 

Lots of litter around the bench which I tidied up. 

Also found a large branch that'd fallen onto red hole stream path, chopped it up and tidied it away.

Stopped a couple of young boys on their bikes coming in from the recreation park.

Friday 20th June

A few more runners and walkers than usual, most likely taking advantage of the weather. Plenty of wildlife, including goslings which is good to see.

Thursday 19th June

 Quiet, a few runners, all women and all polite, handful of visitors, minimal litter. No maintenance issues.

Goslings getting bigger

 

Sunday 15th June

 Looking very tidy

Just one fast runner at 8.30, with whom I could not be arsed to have a chat as I did not want to start the day with someone being rude to me.

Sat 14th June

No sign of the swans or geese today, sadly. Got a kayaker at swimming pool who had a bit of attitude, told them no paddling and they paddled off downstream without a word. Saw them get out further down thankfully.

Not sure what's in the air today but I soon after found a dog walker who I redirected to the exit, very polite though.

Finally finished up all the strimming, ending with the mini boardwalk. Although I'm already thinking about cutting the main boardwalk back down again. 

Saturday 14th June

One syringe cap by the Durngate bench, but no sign of the rest of it. Friendly chats with visitors.  Litter on the glade. Blackcaps singing everywhere, and lovely to see the purple loosestrife out.

Fri 13th June

Had a lovely chat with my predecessor Charlotte and cleared out some branches in the morning.

Saw the beautiful swan family, heard from a couple of visitors that they were being territorial, rightly so. 

Was joined by Tom G to do some strimming in the afternoon, only the mini boardwalk to go now. 

Friday 13th June

Lovely morning this morning on the South, met a couple of ladies who were very interested in how the site was managed and what the hydrological survey was.

The swans still have their 4 Goslings who were all swimming on the Barton this morning.

Thursday 12th

Tree down at the very top of public area just over the fence into private area. 

A couple of visitors and one runner. All quiet and no litter. 

Wednesday 11th June

 Afternoon visit today

Fairly quiet with a few people enjoying an afternoon stroll. Very little litter. Great job with the strimming along the path!

Anne and Tim

warm if not sunny

 All weekend litter seems to have been cleared. No issues. Joey's strimming shows well.

Saw one deer, next to no birds except wren and reed warbler, missed swans and geese!

About 20mm rain in the last week, some channels are damp but not flowing, though main channel is "rising".

some usual users, 2 runners and photographer plus some others. Nice and quiet.

Sun 8th June

More strimming today up near fisherman's and no man's land.

 Still more to go but making good progress. 

Met a lady with her dog up by fisherman's and said no dogs allowed, she was reluctant to put it on a lead to leave the site but eventually left. 

Beautiful to hear lesser whitethroats flitting about and singing at fisherman's. 

Sunday 8th June

 Very lush after the rain.

A couple of walkers

Baby moorhen on the river near the top of the boardwalk.

Someone had a party last night and I cleared quite a bit of beer packaging from around the glade.

Sat 7th June

A unexpectedly dry start to the day with a litter pick; saw a lovely comma despite the cloud cover. 

Cheese and chilli festival at the recreation park today which meant it was quite busy in the reserve, lots of people asking for directions. 

Got a lot done down red hole stream and Barton carrier paths.

The torrential rain started around 2ish, so tucked the strimmer back in the truck and cleared some branches.

A very busy board today, lots has been added. 

As the spot had previously been claimed by a swan family, today it was greylag territory!

Unfortunately quite a few cyclists I had to speak to but all were understanding and dismounted. 

Friday 6th June

No one around this morning, most likely due to the weather. There are a couple of low hanging branches that somewhat block the footpath at one end of the boardwalk (heading to the entrance). Its manageable to walk through though. Other than that, all ok.

Thursday 5th June

All clear, two runners and a gentleman from Eastleigh who came especially for the rain. Had a nice chat and he thanked us for looking after the reserve, it provides him with a lot a peace and calm. 

Wednesday 4th June

 Lovely fresh morning. Had a chat with a few people enjoying the reserve - a photographer trying to snap a photo of the cygnet , a chap who was just discovering the usefulness of the Merlin app on his phone as he identified a Cetti's warbler and a couple visiting from Shropshire close to where we have just been on holiday! Suggested tomorrow they could walk out to St Catherine's Hill.

The yellow flag iris looking splendid in the sunshine! Not much litter though decided not to disturb a chap fast asleep on the Durngate bench clutching a wine bottle to pick up the litter there!!

Anne and Tim

post half term

 bit more litter but not massively so. Couple of regular runners are back. 2 swans but no cygnets in Swimming Pool Meadow. Nice day. Waiting for rain. Some of the channels are as dry as I've seen them. Pond is low, lots of bird footprints in the dry(ish) mud.

Sun 1st June

Mike and I fixed the boardwalk bodge this morning with a new rail to support the boards.

Proceeded to get the strimmer going and trimmed along swift lake and red hole stream paths.

Also saw this gorgeous scarlet tiger moth which I added to the now June species board. 

Plenty of lovely people enjoying the site today. Did stop a group of cyclists who were bombing it down the path from the boardwalk. They were understanding and I watched them walk their bikes to the entrance.

Sunday 1st May

What a difference some rain makes,  everything is green and tall!

A few walkers and one runner.  Some litter

Haven't bumped into Joey yet but heard the strimmer going when I was flailing about in RCM.