Sun 27th July

Much milder day today and very little litter. Kids event still going on so lots of loud music. 

Plenty of folk asking about the closure today. Closure sign at the rec has not been torn down since the last replacement. 

Spotted some sleepy swans sans cygnets! 

Strimmed some of the top loop and the swimming pool path. 

And finally a full family unit back down at the pond crossroads. 

Sunday 27th July

Blackberries in abundance here!  

Some walkers and a few runners including one large mixed group, who I flagged down.  The girls were polite, the boys were rude and carried on running.  I had a chat with the girls, explaining why we ask people to run considerately.   We caught up with the boys at Durngate, one channelled his inner Matt Hancock to tell me I was talking to him in the wrong tone.  

Two homeless guys heading in with tents.

Sat 26th July

Another humid day with a quick downpour at noon. Litter at durngate again but not much. The pooer strikes again but this time on the glade margins, binned the loo paper and threw some grass over the pile. 

Pretty quiet, a couple of people asking about the closure. 

Mother Roe and her Bambi spotted in the woods at the pond crossroads. 

No swans nor geese but two lady mallards enjoying red hole stream. 

Oddly a load of grass has appeared since yesterday at the mini boardwalk, not sure how.

Sign was torn off at the rec bridge so I put another up. 

Strimmed up a bit of the path leading up to the boardwalk. 

Fri 25th July

Lots of high energy music coming from the kids event at the rec park today, made me feel energisered.

Added another sign on the rec side of the rec bridge to inform about the site closure from 28th July.

Lots of birds foot up at the top loop, lovely golden colours. 

Swans at the top loop as well, cygnets are looking big. 

Loads of litter at durngate today, including drug spoons under the bench and in the wooded area. Needle in the wooded area too. Filled the bag the rest of the way around the reserve. 

Campfire in the tree covered hollow area at top loop once again. Hadn't been cleared away so I assume it's a fresh one.

Two boys swimming at swimming pool but after a quick chat and acknowledgement that the weather isn't perfect for swimming, they got out and headed up the rec. 

Bottle smashed across the path near the rec bridge which took me some time to carefully tidy away. 

Two women with a dog found me tidying the bottle and I informed them about the glass, that dogs weren't allowed and the bridge was closed so they went back the way they came to leave. Maybe reading a few of the signs would've helped. 

Friday 25th July

The occasional runner this morning but nothing really to report back. All good.

Thursday 24th July AM

Sadly lots of litter and more than my bag would carry.  also signs of somebody having a fire under the trees on top loop, crazy  a few joggers, one who cares and rest who don't. 

Not much wildlife but lots of noise from event in park.

Closure may help wildlife perhaps. 

Thursday 24th

A couple of visitors and one runner. Found the remains of a fire and drinks cans at the very northern end, cleared it away. Cleared a plastic cartoon from the pond. 

Otherwise all good. 

phew, not raining

 post festival. Surprisingly little litter.

Unusually 2 mammals seen. Something vole shape and size ran across the path. And this shrew by North Walls bridge. At least it means there are (or were) parents around.
Black cap, wren and long tailed tit nearby too.

Damp all round but no real results from the (small amount) of rain

Sun 20th July

Weather's been stop-start today, sun then downpour over and over again. Festival still going on, good music and supposedly good food. 

Bit too wet to be strimming especially with the unpredictable weather so I took to the shears today. 

Cleared up the ground level bridge by the rec bridge as it was being claimed by bindweed, nettles and hemlock. 

And trimmed up the top loop before my coat failed and let the rain in, I stopped for lunch in some shelter. 

Ran into Dave for a quick chat just before heading off to St faiths. 

Sunday 19th July

 Rainy.  A group of four older walkers and a runner barging past them.

Sat 19th July

A wet day finally! Quite quiet as expected but the river park festival was in full swing despite the weather. 

Massive litter pick this morning with a big mess at durngate bench. Needle and two drug spoons along with wipe packets and a pile of glass bottles. With lots of other bits strewn about. 

Strimmed the memorial and saw someone had put some beautiful sunflowers down in remembrance. 

Strimmed a bit of the pond path until the downpour got me. 

Beautiful demoiselles but no swans or geese today, maybe the festival music is too loud for them. 

Friday 18th July

Not many people around nor swimmers. A couple of swan families made themselves comfortable on the footpath which was nice to see.

livestock update

All animals okay across site.

Moved the ponies into rcm and cows in dns because on Friday the cows will be moved into chalk strait for a week or so while they are having a tb test.

Cheers,

Sam

cooler - ok, not so hot

 very quiet. 2 walkers, both looked like they'd come over the NW bridge. 1 tiny piece of litter. No swans or geese!

A fair bit of early leaf fall, no doubt due to water stress. Tape gone from Red Poll bridge - again.

It's been pointed out to me that July is an unfortunate time to do the work of repairing boardwalk and bridge just as school holidays loom.

Sun 13th July

New signs up at the entrance to hopefully further prevent the frustration of walking to find a closed bridge. 

Found a needle, a human poo and a pop up tent in durngate woods, yuck. 

Disposed of but not pleasant. 

Quite busy today, lots of visitors especially around the rec bank having a dip. Spoke to some boys that were swimming up the Barton carrier and directed them back to the rec. 

Saw the lovely swans at the pond crossroads.

Met Charles and Dave today, had lovely chats with both. 

Sunday 13th July

 Quite  a few walkers but no runners.  Had a lovely chat with a couple who were pushing their bikes through.  They normally lock them on the NW bridge but didn't want to leave them by Durngate.  Was asked when the bridge is reopening.

Lots of ladybirds on either side of the boardwalk.   It is like the summer of '76!

Thursday 10th

All quiet, no visitors, no issues.

drizzly

 you couldn't call it real rain . . .
not much human movement. 1 runner and I'm sure a man had jumped over the bridge barrier.
Geese and swans in evidence. Tape on bridge gone. I replaced it but wonder how long it will last. Quiet for the rest, no litter. Grateful for that after last week's reports. Yesterday I met someone who complained about large amounts of litter.

Sunday 6th July

Given how wet I was after my involuntary wild swimming, I hoped to make a swift exit to a hot bath but NW bridge is still closed so I had to squelch home the long way.  

All quiet, Joey strimming away.

Sun 6th July

Muggy morning followed by a short downpour at noon, lovely warm rain.

Duck parade on red hole stream, I counted 31 total in the group!

Roe enjoying the foliage by the glade. 

Strimmed the glade so it's easier to litter pick and more inviting to visitors, immediately after I finished a family began exploring it which felt wonderful.

Very peaceful site today, only a couple of runners and no dogs/cyclists/swimmers. 

Sat 5th July

Super quiet and clean today, thank you litter pickers! Had a good cut back of overhanging branches/brambles today.

Sluice has been cleared of debris that was placed there by who knows, I've been advised that the sluice should remain open. 

The bane of gardeners but beautiful when wild, purple loosestrife is blooming.

Swans were back at pond crossroads and the greylag were back at the top loop but ran off before I could get a photo. 

Saturday 5th July

Is the dismantling of the sluice at the paddling stream legit? Stones were scattered around the bench so I wondered....

Exceptionally quiet this morning, low level litter, sorry to see Joey found needles yesterday.

Lovely to see the knapweed on the glade.

Fri 4th July

Started with a clear up of durngate, which had plenty of bottles and butts. Some needles and syringes found in the woods behind the durngate bench.

Shopping bag full of litter in the glade and bits about the rest of the reserve as well. 

Wonderfully fresh new species board for the month. I've started things off with a few birds and butterflies. 

Taped up the flimsy board on red hole bridge, hopefully should keep it from getting flimsier. 

Swans back at the pond crossroads again, cygnets are looking healthy. 

Cut down some overhanging branches as well, but doing a good cut back tomorrow. 

Thursday 3rd july

Quite a lot of litter this morning,  sadly I only had one bag so couldn't collect it all.

Still quite a bit top of swimming pool loup under the crazy tree. Hopefully someone can collect the rest asap. 

No other issues 

Thursday 3rd July

Quiet, just a few folks, no photographers or runners. Most of the reserve fairly litter free but a mess under the trees near the barrier into no-man’s land including a full size inflatable mattress, swimming shorts and bottles. Water sports, or what …

Maintenance: one board on the little bridge over Red Hole stream needs replacing soon. A roll of wire has “reappeared” in the swim trespass area (from where it disappeared a few months ago). And a lady complained about arriving at the Rec bridge only to find it shut - I explained, emphasised even, that it was the Council’s responsibility, but it might be an idea to put up a notice at the Durngate entrance.

Weak board on Red Hole stream bridge

Role of wire has reappeared

Wednesday 2nd July

 Very quiet. Sorry for late posting.