Alan's report for the current year
This year has seen further progress at the Reserve in enhancing the habitat for wildlife and the appearance of a greater diversity and numbers of species.
In January/February 200 yards of hedgerow was planted, predominately in New Churchfurlong field where a hedge was made along the southern boundary as well as along the fence in front of the pond. Species included were hawthorn, blackthorn, dogwood, buckthorn, privet, guelder rose, field maple, hazel, spindle, crab apple, dog rose and field rose. Similar species were used to enhance the understory within the copse with the addition of some goat willow and alder due to the site being prone to flooding in wet winters.
The planting was fortunately well watered by the February rains such that they survived the very dry, warm spring and hence only a handful of nearly 2000 shrubs planted have died. A 50% grant towards the cost of the plants was given by A.V.D.C.
Another compost was assembled at the front of the copse, in April, to encourage grass snakes to use the location for egg laying.
Eight of the nest boxes were used during the spring from where five families of great tits and three of blue tits successfully fledged.
Amongst the flora in the Reserve it was heartening to see a great increase in the number of ox-eye daisy, ragged robin and meadowsweet in bloom and although still small in number the appearance of common spotted orchid, spiny restharrow, burnet saxifrage and great burnet flowers in Old Churchfurlong field added greatly to the interest of the site.
Bird song from a variety of species could always be heard including that of summer visitors such as both lesser and common whitethroat, blackcap, and chiffchaff as well as resident yellowhammer, goldfinch, linnet, greenfinch, wren etc. and the Reserve was regularly overflown by red kites and kestrel at low level.
The one disappointing aspect of 2011 was the decline in the numbers of butterflies to be seen though it mirrored what appears to be a widespread concern. There were orange-tip in the spring and later small copper and lots of common blue laying their eggs on their larvae food plant's of lady's smock, sorrel and bird's foot trefoil respectively which the Reserve supplies in good quantity but there were fewer meadow brown and ringlet, usually abundant, and an almost a complete absence of the vanessids like small tortoiseshell and peacock.
The grass was cut in mid August and following chain harrowing of the cleared fields to remove residue grass and disturb the ground, native wild flower seeds were sown including locally sourced knapweed, cowslip, and birds foot trefoil as well as other appropriate species like field scabious, ragged robin, lady's bedstraw and betony.
In October AVDC supplied plants to reinforce the flora in the pond, to stabilise the banks and provide cover for insects, including branched bur-reed, bogbean, soft and hard rush, creeping bent and lesser spearwort. These and other species, to be installed in the meadows after the sheep had finished grazing the fields, came in pots or as 'plugs' and AVDC gave a 100% grant towards their purchase because they said "No other site we have been involved with has been so successful so it makes sense for us to put our resources where we get the best results"
The plants for the fields included 250 lady's smock, 100 great burnet, betony and sneezewort and 150 each of spiny restharrow and dropwort.
The grass cut in August was baled as Haylage, rather than hay, due to the prevailing weather conditions. The sheep grazed the regrowth from Mid October so that the sward was short during the winter and early spring to give seedling flowering plants a competitive chance of survival amongst the more vigorous grass.
It is to be hoped that 2012 will see a further advance in the value of the Reserve for wildlife of all descriptions and that ever more people will come to observe and appreciate its beauty and tranquillity as many of its regular adherents will readily testify it possesses.
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