Mega Fascines!

Windrush river improvements underway

Super size Fascines, ready to be rolled down to the river 

New river bank creation 

Mega fascine floated into place

Posts driven into place to secure fascine

Out with the Wildlife Trust today, at Lower Slaughter farm by the Windrush, and together with the EA & local Fishing club. This was to continue the good work carried out on this important stretch of the Windrush to improve the habitat for fish , voles and other wildlife. Whilst the EA and Fishing club teams concentrated on building the new river banks to 'narrow the river' to its original width, the rest of us Wildlife trust volunteers, led by John, attacked the various areas of overgrown river bank to reduce  shading and increase growth of sedge/grasses important to wildlife especially water voles.

Earlier on this week I was able to resume work at Sherborne with the NT after my knee injury. This was a welcome change for me but not early enough for the February Bat count. The count of lesser horseshoes was ~156, down on last months January total, with only one bat found outside the 'bat cave'.

In spite of my reduced mobility over the this winter season I have been fortunate enough to see some varied wildlife. This includes  foxes and deer around my local Leckhampton patch together with goldfinch, green & greater spotted woodpeckers, siskin, redwing and green finch. I was also lucky enough to spot a Great Grey Shrike on Cleeve Common this week.

Even more River work!

Frosty start on the Windrush on Slaughter Farm, WA1

Looking down the Windrush to bridge & WAs beyond

Large multi-organisation team near WA2

WA2 stake line set ready for fascines

Fascines in place for new river bank, WA2

WA3, extensive shrub clearance

WA5, EA team setting stake line

Frost gone near area of Windrush I worked, WA1

Today was spent with the WT on the Windrush, near Bourton on the Water at Slaughter  Farm. Will and John led a 30+ strong team which included/had contributions from the usual GWT volunteers, an EA team, Bourtons local fishing club members and Cotswold wardens. Its been a while since I have worked this area of the Windrush and it was a good deal warmer than today. The team were to carry out shrub clearance and river bank narrowing along a long stretch of the Windrush. Earlier stakes and fascines had been placed down by the Windrush where the new river narrowing was to take place. After the introduction of the days task was delivered by John teams were formed to work various sections of the Windrush. My area, as I wasn't wearing waders, was work area 1 where stakes were already in place {circa 10 years ago}. The first task was to coppice the willow which was growing along a ditch which fed into the river. This willow was then used to weave a barrier between the existing stakes, as there were not enough fascines to cover all the sections requiring them. I unfortunately had to leave early but as the pictures above show an impressive amount of work had already been accomplished.

Have been working at Sherborne the past few weeks mainly on adding to the wood service supplies and this Wednesday on helping to clear shrub and trees along 'tight' avenue. This starts by Sherborne school/war memorial and continues up past Hope farm to Vincent Lodge by the A40. Recent growth and fallen yew has began to interfere with traffic using this narrow lane. Needless to say even with Mike using the pole saw, James with chain saw and me with loppers the work was not going to be completed in a single session!

Sadly but not surprisingly the petition I supported to ban Driven Grouse shooting to save the Hen Harrier {plus thousands of other mammals and reptiles} and highlight the damage to unique blanket bog and peat land was 'Shot down" in the parliamentary debate. I received letters from Defra ministers to respond to my questions and transcript/video of the debate which were to say at best embarrassing {not for me and 120,000 + supporters}.  I can't criticise my local Conservative MP who responded helpfully to my concerns on the issues and even showed some sympathy to this conservation issue. Given the wealth of scientific and compelling evidence questioning this Victorian pastime the need to ban this particular form of shooting will become irresistible and the behaviours of certain MPs and Defra be shown to be completely unacceptable. The only hope is this will happen before rare species like the hen harrier become extinct and  the rare upland environments damaged beyond recovery.

Reflections

Sherborne Hare about to be surprised by me

Mike in Scotland but I still managed a visit to both Sherborne and the Barrington estate with some interesting Hare encounters although the Sherborne badgers were unwilling to put in an appearance for me.

Brassey looking healthy

Brassey mire together with explorer Will

View from the top, shame about the fencing!

Lots of Banded Demoiselle

Good numbers of orchids

Beautiful Demoiselle in even bigger numbers

Friday was spent with the Wildlife Trust on a 'selective' tour of some of the riverside areas worked by volunteers and contractors this year in support of the living landscape programme.  It was an opportunity for reflection on the programme of work carried out this year, in particular, on the riverside environments covering the rivers Windrush, Eye and Dickler {including the Sherborne brook}. Connectivity is a key theme throughout the work and its importance can't be stressed enough. Also a strength of this work has been the collaboration between various organisations {including Cotswold rivers, Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Fishing clubs, Landowners} ably co-ordinated by Wildlife Trust & 'underpinned' by volunteer power. Essential though is achieving the right environment outcomes and sustaining them. So the shrub and invasive plant clearing , river/water management using deflectors, hurdles/faggots to return river width to original boundaries, gravelling to return rivers to natural depths after historic dredging operations,  all need to make a positive difference. The signs look good with for example increasing wildlife numbers {eg.  water voles, otters , fish, birds} , healthy plant life, gradual control over invasive species. Enough of the theory, the day was also about enjoying the fantastic Cotswold environments especially with paddling through the cool water where possible on what proved to be a very hot summers day. Where better to start the tour than Brassey and led by Will & John, with a healthy number of us volunteers, the tour began.  Lots of 'environmental' clearing, removal of invasive plant species and erection of fencing to protect river Windrush banks are all making the right kind of difference. Great area to be in not just for us but a number of heron we accidentally disturbed.

John, testing a deflector on Slaughter farm Windrush

Slaughter farm, good example of  'managing' river course

Slaughter farm Windrush, good work benefits all

Second port of call was at Slaughter Farm by the Windrush where excellent work shrub clearing alongside the Windrush and the 'Oxbow lake' area plus implementation  of deflectors, hurdles for bank reshaping, dipper & kingfisher boxes has been effectively carried out.

Sherborne water meadows, much improved cattle water hole

Final stopping point was at the Sherborne water meadows where its been a busy year on water management and this too was clearly evident with previously dried out water channels with healthy water levels and the river Windrush flows looking healthier with the addition of the 2000 tons of gravel. As a bonus we discovered that one of the owl boxes in the 'tin' barn was occupied by a barn owl. Overall an enjoyable day with John in fine form as 'information' officer with Will in a more relaxed role armed with camera. Only downside on the day were the biting flies, I'm still scratching! and the long hot climb back out of the water meadows.

How many more opportunities can be missed too help support our fragile environment before its too late, lots of responses to Defra's £11B handout to farmers with no 'green' strings attached. Wildlife Trust response pretty representative.