Making hay while the sun shines, or stakeout on Area G

 Visitors to the Common might be intrigued by the emergence of stakes and canes on the central area, known to the poetically inclined as Area G. See the explanation for them in Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks further down.

No less poetically named, Area B on the Warren Road side of Fox’s Beck was the scene of the first working party of the new cutting season. To my great dismay your usual correspondent was unable to attend, as was also the case for a number of the other usual suspects. Nothing daunted, 12 volunteers did take part, ably led by Margaret. Grillo operators John, Kevin and Ewan had gamely braved the heat to perform a pre-cut a few days earlier: on my walk across there after that event the area looked like this:

We’re grateful to Team Leader Margaret for her insights into how the session unfolded:

“As I set out to the container this morning my brain was a tad rusty as to what would be needed. As fellow team leaders Julie, Kevin and Michelle had all sent their apologies it was up to me to get it right! Fortunately, Sue was able to help me load the trolley and wheelbarrows and with John's help we got them on site. 

At 08.55 there was me, John and Andrew B! I thought we will do our best ... Then out of the morning haze the cavalry arrived and took our number to 12. I have never been so pleased to see them all! Fortunately, the cut material was beautifully light and smelt wonderfully of newly mown hay and mint. The ground was firm, no ploughing through clinging mud.  For the first time ever I didn't wear wellies. It all made for excellent working conditions, apart from the heat.

This is where the other team leaders were sorely missed as Noel asked forlornly where are the straps for attaching the winch to the tree? Andrew M asked, “and where are the rakes?”

After that everything worked like clockwork as if we had never been away. I did discover Noel's motivation for coming; as the sheet is pulled towards the winch Noel lets out a wonderful cry of Woah! which he assures me is what he's always wanted to do.

Andrew B received expert tuition on using the winch whilst Dave was sitting down on the job.”

The half-time refreshment break would have come as a relief.

Pitchforkers in action:

Here also is Margaret’s message of thanks:

Hello all.

Thank you. We got off to a grand start this morning. With so many team leaders absent it was great to have 11 other volunteers turn up. Despite the usual first cut of the season teething trouble, like me forgetting the straps for the winch, we all worked well in the increasingly warm morning. So glad we braved the earlier start. It was lovely to see you all and the chat as always was the best bit.

Several people have asked what the bamboo canes with the blues tips on area G are for. We have permission to conduct a scientific experiment using Lousewort as a means of controlling reed and sedge growth. The Lousewort (the red plant that you can see plenty of in the middle) parasitises on the roots of the reed and sedge weakening the plants.

Janet, Bob and Sue have been surveying two plots within the marked areas. Then next week we will cut the larger plots and remove the vegetation. We will then collect Lousewort seeds from the plants on the common and spread these on the prepared sites. These will then be cut in the usual rotation. We will probably leave the taller Bamboo canes in place. The survey plots are all marked with thick wooden stakes.  Janet, Bob and Sue will survey the plots every year to see if it has any effect on the vegetation. We aim to cut the plots next Friday so if you are interested and want to help please give me a shout.

Thanks again.

Margaret for all the team leaders.

 

This being a quiet time of year for birds (they’re all mostly moping and moulting), one’s attention inevitably turns to invertebrates, and this summer seems to have been especially good for them, compared at least to recent years. Butterflies are gratifyingly numerous, although I wonder if their diversity is down, with to my eyes anyway several expected species missing. Nonetheless, Painted Ladies and Gatekeepers are particularly numerous. As explained on the Radio 4 Today programme a couple of weeks ago by Springwatch’s Lucy Lapwing, Painted Ladies are one of those migratory species, some of which travel all the way from Africa to this country and back in a series of generational hops, and every so often we get an “eruption” of them. In contrast, I have hardly seen any Tortoiseshells and very few Peacocks, but my favourite Red Admirals have been fairly common. Best of all, Hummingbird Hawk Moths are cropping up frequently too; at least three in my garden alone. One got trapped in our conservatory and took some catching in order for it to be released. Also there, barging about like a rogue AI-piloted drone was this fabulous Hornet-mimic hoverfly. 

Wandering across the floor of my greenhouse was this cracking Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar, which I guess was looking for somewhere safe to pupate. Hopefully, I pointed it in the right direction.

I had a very pleasant walk at NWT Cley Marshes a couple of days ago. Rather than going on the main reserve I took the David Attenborough walk from the East Bank (where I parked my car). Apart from some publicity-shy butterflies the only notable sighting was a Marsh harrier dropping down onto what I speculated might have been its nest – and a fenced-off herd of black cows industriously munching the grass. Despite the lack of ticks on my list, it was a glorious place to be. Turning back towards the sea at the path called the Iron Road I was puzzled by the persistent calling of a couple of birds, one of which helpfully sat at the top of a bush. Unable to bear the thought of lugging my telescope around I had instead taken my camera, and thus was able to get this shot of what I think is a Stonechat in moult (possibly a youngster?) 

A recent posting mentioned our visits to and from the Felbeck Trust, and now they have returned the favour in their own excellent blog, at https://www.felbecktrust.org.uk/single-post/southrepps-common-visit - well worth a look, and do explore the rest of their website while you’re there.

Beyond the Bird Table

The BTO has announced the launch of its new podcast, Beyond the Bird Table. “The pilot episode is now live and is titled 'A is for Auk'. Join us as we delve deep into the world of seabirds with ornithologist, writer and broadcaster, Professor Tim Birkhead, and Senior Research Ecologist with BTO Scotland, Dr Nina O’Hanlon. From the grim story of the Great Auk’s demise to the condition of the UK's current seabird colonies, we discuss the many challenges these amazing birds face in our changing world.”

It’s great, so do give it a listen, on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Balsam bashed for the year

 Your usual correspondent having come up with another thin excuse, todays’ Balsam bashing account comes to us courtesy of Team leader Margaret; so many thanks for that.

“We had seven volunteers today for the last session of the year, which has been a very successful one. In Area A very few plants were found at all showing how well we had cleared the area in previous years. Area B also had fewer plants which were pulled very early. There are a few left now which we will ask George to pull as we have run out of time. On area H the plot of land across the stream was significantly down on plant numbers. On the main section the plant count was lower but those that were there had spread to a new area, which was disappointing. However, of all the plants we pulled over 90% were not in flower, and of those most had not set seed. Of the tiny proportion that had seed pods, those were not ripe so none of them could reproduce, which is fantastic news. This of course means that next year fewer plants will be harder to find but that has to be good news, and it's all thanks to the efforts of all the wonderful volunteers.

We look forward to returning for the start of the cutting season in two weeks’ time on area B over the Beck.

Here is the obligatory photo of a tall Balsam and the pile at the end. How Duncan is able to write something fresh each session amazes us all.” It’s all done using LI – Limited Intelligence. Ed)

A few weeks ago we reported on the visit a few of us made to see the work of the Felbeck trust. A couple of days ago, they returned the favour, with six of their volunteers coming to us, in, it has to be said, far pleasanter weather than the extreme heat of our visit there. We spent a couple of hours exploring School Common, the main common, and finally the Crassula-infested Pit Common. The feedback was they they thoroughly enjoyed it, and we’re intending to do it all again next Spring. Here are a couple of group photos, in which almost nobody is looking towards the photographer: I wonder why?

 

On the pull

Spurred on by the freshening North Sea breeze taking the sting out of the latest heatwave, eight Balsam Bashers returned to the Common today. We needed another sweep of the reedbed area near the Lower Street car park, as inevitably more plants had popped up since our efforts two weeks before.

The advice was to wear wellies, as despite the recent lack of rain the ground is a peaty sponge, there is still plenty of wet stuff to be found, and the chalk stream Fox’s Beck never runs dry. We know Noel got the memo, but still he chose to wear ordinary boots. Within 90 seconds he regretted it, as he slipped into the Beck. Ever anxious for my own safety I enquired as to the depth of the stream. Learning that it was only up to his ankles I felt justified in cautiously dipping my waterproofed feet in.

Here’s the well-disguised water in question:

Team Leader Julie found herself confronted by a mass of reeds; she was thinking, “I can see HB but how do I get it!?

Nonetheless, she was able to snap your correspondent and the said Noel as we bravely made our way into the jungle.

That Team Leader was the author of the welly advice, yet despite taking it herself she found this deep puddle that went to top of her boot. She reports, “I stepped in and ended up with one knee down 😳 but no one saw it!!!” [Pity -ed]

Meanwhile, moving ever deeper into the unknown, I was presented with plenty of challenging vegetation.

One of the privileges of volunteering on the Common is that you get to parts of it that you otherwise should not venture into: on this occasion I blundered into a patch greatly favoured by many pale moths (no idea of the species I’m afraid). My meandering route took me to the Beck where it flows beneath overhanging branches. With the sunshine filtering through the undergrowth, it was lovely.

Pulling up Himalayan Balsam is fairly easy, if you pull the right plant. There’s one that has very similar leaves, although they are a slightly deeper green, and its stalk is a similar thickness to a small Balsam plant, but much stronger. The trick is to give it a steady gentle pull: if it’s a Balsam it will more often than not come out of the soft ground easily. It’s also important to avoid bending over in such a way as to give yourself a faceful of nettles! HB as we affectionately know it greatly enjoys the company of nettles, thistles, brambles and bindweed.

Another of the joys of bashing the Balsam is that when you get a stalk of the right thickness, as you snap it it gives a satisfying “thwock”; a pleasure for me that never tires.

This plant is capable of growing prodigiously. We often display trophy plants of great height, but I personally have never seen one with such a thick stem, as found by Bob.

At the end of the allotted hour we convened at the Information Point in order to tip out our booty, amongst much good-natured banter about the weight of each other’s sacks. It added considerably to the existing pile.

No refreshment break photo this time of course, but here are some of the doughty volunteers. No Noel you will notice: he apologised for being back late, as he was “on the pull”!

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks:

Morning all,

Yet again and enormous thank you to the 8 volunteers who turned out at 9.00. I hope they, like me, are very pleased to have got the job done before the heat of the day, even if it did mean such an early start. Thanks to you we continue to make progress with the Himalayan Balsam. The fact that some of it was in flower and is now six feet tall did make it easier to find but fortunately none had yet gone to seed. Honestly we will win eventually, but only thanks to your dedication.

You will be delighted to know that there will be a repeat performance next Sunday.

Enjoy your day and thanks as always for your support.

Margaret for the Team Leaders.

 

Botanical surveying

The botanists were out on the central area (G) a couple of weeks ago doing a plant survey …

… but they were also joined by this common lizard. 

Fish hawks and falcons

I have been enjoying watching online the raising of our local celebrity raptors. The three Cromer Peregrines have now fledged and are no longer visible on the webcam, although I believe they are still hanging around the church and there’s a chance of seeing them there before they disperse. The fabulous Ospreys at NWT Ranworth Broad are still visible either by a personal visit, or on the excellent webcam at https://www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk/RanworthCamera . Here’s a screenshot I grabbed the other day, showing an adult with its now very well-grown chick.

It may be the small boy inside me, but I find myself excited whenever I see a predator. I’m sure that grown-ups have got this under control, but most middle-aged (or is it elderly?) men have not yet reached that state of enlightenment. Accordingly, the other day whilst walking on Tap Road swallow alarm cries drew my attention to an aerial skirmish, with a hobby (the fabulously named Falco subbuteo) hot on the tail of one swallow, whilst being harassed by several other twittering hirundines. At a guess the falcon was pursuing a young bird, which the adults were trying to protect. It was only a brief but exciting glimpse before they all flew out of sight behind some trees, so I don’t know the result, although apparently most bird of prey hunts end in failure, so perhaps the target lived to fly another day and the pursuer had to try again – possibly snacking on dragonflies.

A while back I mentioned that I had borrowed from the library A Year with Gilbert White: The First Great Nature Writer by Jenny Uglow. I am very happy that I now own a copy, by way of my dear wife congratulating me for delving even deeper into my dotage. Good old Gilbert took great interest in many aspects of the natural world, one of them being swifts and the mystery of where they went to in winter. Turning to the entry for this date in 1781 I see that he was concerned to find only one swift, although by the evening many more were circling and no doubt screaming overhead. Rather like now, the weather that day was strange: strong sunshine, accompanied by a stiff wind, and an overcast evening. One of the great legacies of his observations is that he recorded the weather conditions every day, along with whatever natural phenomena caught his interest. Truly a great pioneer citizen scientist!

Extreme Weeding!

The last time there was any Balsam to be bashed your correspondent had some sort of excuse, but this time round, to avoid the inevitable tirade of abuse, I turned out in the heat (thankfully much reduced from the recent inferno) to do my bit for Balsam. Never mind Livingstone and Stanley, the Balsam Bashers of Southrepps are intrepid explorers indeed. The vegetation in the intriguingly named Area H, leading down to Fox’s Beck, has been taking advantage of the growing season in order to grow prodigiously, leaving the seven of us to delve deeply into the Common’s moist unseen places.

Once a Basher has delved, they are hard to spot amongst the tall reeds, giant nettles and seemingly world-wide web of goose grass, cleavers, sticky weed - call it what you will. Here are two Team Leaders setting out on their great adventure.

Here are a fast-disappearing correspondent and an almost completely lost Janet.

The trick in fording the Beck is to not let the water over-top your wellies. At first I thought I had failed in that, but in the event it was just the cooling effect of the water through my boots that gave me a bit of a turn. I had tentatively crossed the stream to try to reach a particularly large specimen, but having mounted a fallen tree trunk I realised the plant was un-reachable. My vantage point gave a good view though...

… and by way of compensation I did come across this sizeable specimen.

Here is Team Leader Margaret at the final heap of plucked plants. That’s a lot of balsam!

Here is the said Team Leader’s message of thanks:

Thank you to the seven volunteers who braved the heat and humidity this morning. I hope you are all now thoroughly rehydrated. We attacked area H just by the footbridge with the satisfaction of pulling four foot high plants, when we weren't being tripped up by hops or being covered in the burrs from the sticky weed. None of the plants had gone to seed and only a few were even in flower so an excellent job. Sadly we didn't even cover half the area so it will be a return match on the 12th of July when they will be even bigger, such fun!

The leaders would also like to say a special thank-you to Kevin and Dave Goode for their sterling work keeping the pit mown despite the conditions. They have to collect the mower from the container which adds extra time and effort to a not inconsiderable task. Thank you chaps.

See you all soon.

Margaret for the team leaders

Because they do it outside the normal working parties, the unsung heroes who mow Pit Common deserve great credit too, as Margaret mentions above. I was there recently and also admired the experimental un-cut wildflower patch, which was a glorious sea of Ox-eye Daisies, with the mown section beyond providing a pleasing contrast. 

Way back in March a couple of people from the Felbeck Trust gave a most interesting talk to a meeting of the Southrepps Society about how they care for many sites in North Norfolk. It was clear that there are many similarities to how we work now, and how the previous Southrepps Commons Trust worked too, so it was decided to set up a couple of mutual visits. The first of those took place on a very hot Friday, 19^th June, with five SCV representatives going to see the excellent sites at Sustead Common,

West Beckham Old Allotments,

 and East Beckham Common.

It was good to see that the art of dead hedging is alive and well beyond the Southrepps area

Their signage is particularly impressive…

… as is this tool store. (Having numerous widely separated sites to maintain, they need to have tools stored in multiple places.)

They have a lot of volunteers, some of whom have built several viewing structures and hides: this one serves also as a refreshment spot and outdoor classroom, but also afforded Bob the chance to botanise:

They have an excellent website at https://www.felbecktrust.org.uk/ which is well worth exploring.

A return visit to us is expected in July and will be reported upon here in due course.

 

Not so much Painted as Faded and Jaded ladies

 We seem to have had quite an influx of migratory Painted Lady butterflies this spring, but they’re now looking like Faded and Jaded Ladies. In order to preserve my personal safety, I will decline the chance to say more…

Ever since I was told that buttercup flowers are very attractive to a species of tiny wasp, I have tended to glance at them as I walk along, and recently noticed this cracking little Swollen-thighed beetle sitting in a flower close to the boardwalk.

We’re already back in Himalayan Balsam pulling season again, starting with an hour-long session on Sunday 31^st May. Your usual correspondent having come up with an implausible excuse for not joining in, we’re grateful to Team Leader Julie for this account:

“We had 11 volunteers this morning. Mostly ‘old hands’ at Balsam but we did have a few new to the task, including an 11 years old Brownie (and her mum) who had contacted us about volunteering to complete a nature badge. Our young Brownie was a natural at the task spotting the Balsam with ease and showing mum what to look for.

We were in Area X today and all managed to get back out again safely, which is always a bonus!

There was nowhere near as much to collect as last year, which is testament to the great efforts over many years to pull it up before it can seed. Not as exciting as when there are loads but very satisfying to know we are slowing its progress over the Common.

We had a quick look over at Area A and found very few there either - just a muntjac grazing!

So we called it a day after an hour. We still managed a decent amount collected.

Our special Brownie was a little disappointed with the amount she had collected. But as we pointed out, each flower can produce over 800 seeds which it can disperse over 7m away. So even if you only collected 20 you have prevented a potential 16,000 plants from growing! I think that’s a job well done!

I did snap a lovely moth, but it was only happy to have a picture of its face not the wings!!

I also snapped one of the few orchids this year on the central area…we suspect the muntjacs are munching on them.”

Advice on casting clouts

 Now that May is almost out, casting a clout or two seems a risk worth taking; perhaps even an essential one. Those who prematurely did so at the start of the month will have had a nasty shock, and I blame the atrocious weather in mid-month for the failure of the Blue Tits’ breeding attempt in our garden nest box. Skylarks are larking whilst ascending, swallows twittering whilst swallowing no doubt, newly fledged starlings squawking and some swifts screaming. Not having a name starting with S, I have only seen a few House Martins so far.

Exciting bird sightings in April were Ring Ouzels and Wheatears, both in the field above Pit Common (although they kept well out of sight when I went looking for them!). Speaking of sightings, in addition to the most recent 100 shown on this site, we’re now working on an ambitious project to include historical nature sightings on the Southrepps History Hub website. So far, we have all the animal sightings we know about since 2005 available, whilst the plants are a major undertaking in progress. See https://southreppshistory.org.uk/nature-sightings/

We always want more records, so if you would like to tell us of something you have seen in our area, please contact us, by using the form on the page linked to above, or commenting on our sightings page on this site, or by adding your sighting to the whiteboard at the Lower Street end of the main boardwalk. Please tell us what you found, as well as when and where. Thank you!

Here’s a striking ichneumon wasp that found its way into our conservatory on the exceptionally warm Friday before the end of May Bank Holiday.

On an exceptionally hot day in May, there's nothing nicer than to pause on the bridge over Fox's Beck and enjoy the birdsong; in this case a chiffchaff and a typically loud wren.