Follow that rope!

The hot spell two thirds of the way through July saw the long-awaited emergence of invertebrates. Amongst the butterflies finally on view were ringlets, meadow browns, gatekeepers and commas. A few dragonflies were also in evidence, but they’re so hard to identify since they will insist on zooming around the place in a show-offy kind of way. However, I also found this banded demoiselle damselfly dead on the road (surely Britain’s most beautiful insect).

On the 20^th July, so slap-bang in the spell of hot weather, Julie, Margaret and Sue had another go at eliminating the wretched Himalayan Balsam. Here’s what Julie had to say about it:

“Myself, Margaret and Sue did a mini sweep of the area by the car park for HB today.  Please record 3 hours. It was very hot and very tough through the very tall reed!! I couldn’t find my way out at the end!!

We got around 6 bags of HB as some were quite big. Margaret lost one bag full and we couldn’t find it, so that will turn up in the next few years!! Some we left hung over branches to dry out.

I attach some pics (including a raspberry bush I found! Unfortunately, the birds had found it first!)” 

The searing heat of the previous few days having subsided somewhat, 17 grateful volunteers turned up this morning to get the new cutting season under way. Acting under orders from NWT, instead of dealing with the central section (Area G) first, this year we started on the Warren Road side of the Beck; the bit known as Area B – that is the furthest bit from Pit Street. Earlier in the week, while Margaret tackled some reeds by hand, John, Kevin and Brian struggled in the heat cutting some of the lank vegetation in order to provide enough material to clear at the start of today’s session.

More cutting was of course required, to feed the ever-eager pitchfork and drag-sheet crews.

At the winch end Brian was in charge, as he demonstrated by pointing out the winch, Kevin having overlooked it.

After a few months’ break from this work, it can take even (or perhaps especially) the oldest of old hands some time to reacquaint themselves with the various processes, tricks and tips involved. Things like where to stand when a sheet is being tipped out, which end of the pitchfork to hold, and when the tea break is. Nowhere is this better illustrated than when your correspondent, in all innocence, asked where the next sheet was going: “follow that rope!” was the helpful response, which certainly worked, so thanks for that.

The half-time break was as welcome as ever: see the joy on the volunteers’ faces.

After enjoying refreshing beverages and Ginger Nut biscuits, just before springing back to work the vote was put to the assembled company about whether we should begin our work parties at 9 or 10 am (until the clocks go back in October). In this striking vindication of the democratic process, at the first attempt one person voted for 9, and two for 10. The rest either abstained, or just didn’t realise what was happening. Somehow the decision was for 10 but in the event of hot weather we might start at 9 anyway; a Sunday morning hour of which I was previously unaware. Here’s the case being even-handedly put by Team Leader Margaret:

Tipping out the laden sheets can be a tough task, fraught with the risk to unwary sheet tipper-outers of getting buried by the descending material. If you’re going to stumble, the trick is to do it when nobody is lurking nearby in the hope of photographing your misfortune: something your correspondent forgot. To the observant they can be spotted, pretending to look at their phones when really they are poised to snap.

As is clear, it can be a distressing experience, although it has been uncharitably suggested that this looks rather as if I am seated on a toilet. Gentle reader, it is for you to decide!

Here’s a short film clip of the process, with Andrew taking the risk of entombment.

Happily, he remained upright, and was able to escape.

As the session begins to wind down, the sheet folding crew springs into action (actually, they’ve been active all along, just not folding sheets). As can be seen, they can take a bit of subduing (the sheets that is).

When those sheets were being removed from the storage container at the start of the session, one was discovered to have been adopted by a colony of ants as a suitable spot in which to raise their queen's countless children. Sadly, their endeavours will have been in vain, but then again, they didn’t ask permission – just saying.

At the end of the work party (why ‘party’? you might ask), we were heartened to see that a large amount had been achieved. Here’s how the area looks now, with plenty more to do in the following frolicsome events.

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks:

Good afternoon to you all.

Wow what a start to the new season! On Tuesday when Kevin, John and Brian came back from the Common exhausted and dripping in sweat, I thought we would never get the job done. John returned to do some more pre-cutting on Saturday and he and Kevin started earlier this morning, thank you to both of them. What a clearance we have achieved today. You really are the most amazing group of volunteers. Thank you. After a rather ragged vote at coffee time we will return to the same area in two weeks at 10.00 as voted. If it is forecast to be exceptionally hot we may start at 9.00 so do check the start time.

Enjoy relaxing in front of the Olympics and we all hope Teddy won a prize at the Trunch dog show.

Margaret for the team leaders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Babbling Beck

 

Team Leaders Julie and Margaret pulled some more Balsam on 22^nd June. To reach it they walked along Fox’s Beck at the bottom of Area B. Here’s what Julie reports: 

“The Beck was looking really good - the mini dam caused by the fallen branch seems to be having an effect in stopping the silt!

To prove the point, here’s a photo and a short video - such a gorgeous gurgling sound as the water goes over the branch!

We tackled the HB in Area A. It was more of an investigation into how much was there - you really can’t imagine how excited we were when we found it was very little!

We hammered this area last year when the plants were small to medium - I think we did around four work parties and shifted probably around 35-40 bags of HB. Today we got two bags and we had to hunt for those.

This would suggest that this method of pulling them up early is successful at not only controlling it but possibly even eradicating it in this area.”

Your usually absent correspondent being once again missing (I had a plumber to supervise, which beats the dog eating the homework as an excuse hands down), it fell to Team Leader Margaret, new Team Leader Michelle, Andrew, and NWT warden George with colleague Adam to venture back into the wilderness on the 1^st July in search of yet more Himalayan Balsam. Hoping that this was to be the last such session of the year, this time they forded the stream and climbed over fallen trees in order to eject the Balsam from its protective cover of stinging nettles.

Michelle has stepped into the Team Leader role following the decision by the legendary John Houlgate to step back, which after all the commitment he has put into the Commons over many years is entirely justifiable. When we refer to redoubtable and doughty volunteers, it’s John who exemplifies them. Happily, he is continuing to help out at working parties when possible.

Have you felt that this summer the insect population is much reduced? It feels like it to me, and if that is true it must be having an impact on the birds that rely on invertebrates for food for themselves and their young. At least with the fitful warm sunshine some butterflies are about, but it seems to me not in great numbers, and with only a few species represented. Dragonflies too seem in short supply, although I did get a good close-up view of what I think was a splendid male Emperor whilst walking along Craft Lane on Election Day. (I was doing the walking, by the way; the dragonfly was whizzing about, the way they do, and not intending to vote.)

 

Finally for now, the exciting news is that a new website devoted to the history of Southrepps has recently been launched, bringing an online presence to the History Hub, which has its physical home in the Village Hall. As you would expect, the history of our commons is included, including how our involvement has developed over the last three and a half decades. It can be found at https://southreppshistory.org.uk/places/southrepps-commons/ Why not check it and the rest of the site out?

The Southrepps rainforest grows apace!

 

Himalayan Balsam being the persistent pest that it is, the previous working party’s efforts to remove it, heroic though they were, had had to leave plenty of emerging plants for another session. And so it was that a mere seven days later nine doughty volunteers once again set forth into the sodden and visibly growing reedbed to take on the challenge. Regular readers (if any exist) will not be surprised to learn that your usual correspondent had once again absented himself: this time in order to soak up the Greek sunshine, while his colleagues selflessly just got soaked. And so, yet again, we are grateful to Team Leader Julie for her words and pictures:

Yep the reed has grown - volunteers were soon lost amongst it as they fought their way over to the beck to make the hazardous crossing!

I think Chris de Burgh said “don’t pay the ferryman” but I think ours deserved a bonus payment - thanks go to Noel for finding a spot to cross and helping us all over - with no one falling in!!

He did the same going back too - hurling our luggage over first - well huge sacks laden down with balsam anyway - before ably assisting us back over again!

In between our beck crossings we were busy seeking and pulling the pesky Balsam.

Though Noel looks like he is counting his!

Margaret, of course, let her OCD take over and went almost to the top of her wellies in the water trying to get one she’d seen on the opposite bank!

Muddy wellies were on display in the car park when we finished…

I’m told this last one looks like the end of “Bargain Hunt”…and what a bargain - nine heavy bags full of Balsam.

It’s a huge pile now which we’ve covered and will leave to rot down.

A good job done by a tremendous bunch of hardy volunteers.

Here is the Team Leaders’ message of thanks:

Hello all

This is a huge thank you to the nine who turned out today to tackle the Himalayan Balsam over the beck near to the car park - we can all confirm that the water is quite deep! A really thorough job was done and nine extremely full and heavy bags were emptied onto our now huge covered heap to rot down.

We will have a few weeks respite now before heading over to the Warren Road end of the site to see what is over there. Unfortunately, we will have to let that grow taller so we can see it in the taller reed!

We have had a steady number of volunteers helping out over the last few weeks, it's been a little relentless - so thank you to you all -  especially those mad enough to have turned out every time! We are extremely grateful.

We will be in touch when we are ready to go again - in the meantime, take care and enjoy the sun when it does make an appearance!

Regards, Julie and the TLs

 

Return to the Groves of Balsam

 After the soggy foray two weeks ago into the domain of the pernicious Himalayan Balsam, it fell to Team Leaders Julie and Margaret to finish the job off a couple of days ago. A team comprising of only team leaders eh? Perhaps they concentrated too much on appraising each other’s performance and productivity, or maybe they were admiring each other’s party outfits…

At least it didn’t rain on them…but as the photo shows they got soaked anyway in the reed…which is about double the height it was a week and a half before!

Being dedicated types, they still managed to admire the other vegetation, being particularly impressed by the ragged robin and orchids making their re-appearance.

Despite those heroic efforts, it turned out there was yet more Balsam to bash. And so it was that the legions were summoned, with their wellies attached, to make further inroads today. There were seven of us, and were pleased we cleared all we found in the limited patch we covered – but we know plenty more is lurking elsewhere, and will have to be dealt with later.

At the start, Team Leader Margaret spotted a target and plunged into the reeds, from where she directed us to where we were really meant to be.

Here’s what we were looking for: although it can look similar to other plants growing with it, once you get your eye in it’s easy to spot which needs removing.

Even so, it’s depressing to think you have cleared a patch, only to turn round and spot more that you have missed. They seem to gather particularly closely under trees:

Some are still tiny, but the idea is to get them out too. Some however are already quite tall: here’s your correspondent with the biggest of the day. (The fact that the said correspondent is never described as tall should be ignored for the purposes of this boast.)

Although the balsam is generally not as tall as that yet, the reeds certainly are, and it’s easy to lose sight of your fellow balsam bashers. Perhaps we should be roped together, like mountaineers.

Sharp-eyed Team Leader Julie spotted this splendid Drinker moth caterpillar, sadly not doing something helpful like eating any balsam:

There’s no traditional tea break image today - because we didn’t have one - but the session was only for an hour, which is about as much as our creaking backs can stand. At the end of it all, the ritual tipping out of the sacks was carried out, accompanied by restrained whoops of delight in place of a fanfare.

Here is Team Leader Margaret’s message of thanks:

A huge thank you to the seven who came  on what turned out to be a lovely sunny morning. The job you did today was so important as it has reduced the chance of the dread Balsam escaping further into the SSSI. Despite the back bending work there was as always great atmosphere. We intend to run another session next Sunday this time fording the stream. So if you are up for extreme sports do join us.

Thank you all again.

Margaret for the team leaders.

It's Balsam time again!

 

Well, it’s been a while, and the Common has taken the chance to exploit the plentiful rain and intermittent warmth to put on a growing spurt. That’s the trigger for Team Leader Margaret to attempt to recruit volunteers to pull out the ever-invasive Himalayan Balsam before it gets a foothold, let alone a stranglehold. Those without a signed excuse letter, or who Margaret has some dirt on perhaps, turned up for an hour’s fun in the sun this morning. Your usual correspondent being one of the absentees (you decide which category I fall into), we’re grateful to Team Leader Julie for the following account.

My goodness how the reed has grown since we cut it in February/March!!

Lurking in there was (and still is!) lots of Himalayan Balsam. Five volunteers turned out in the glorious sunshine to gently pull it out of the ground. Noel apparently came for a break as he’d been in his garden since 6.30am! Not much of a break! Wellies were a good choice as it was a little damp underfoot…

There were also lots of holes and dips to slide into and there were a few near misses for face planting into the mud!  Luckily we all remained upright.

At first you don’t spot the balsam easily and then you get your eye in…though being poked in the eye with reed was a hazard…but..found you…

Then you realise they are everywhere…everyone was soon stuffing their bags with the pesky invader.

We called it a day after an hour (it is enough!) with eight sacks full of balsam.

Margaret, of course, spotted a couple by the car park and risked a head first dive into the beck to get them at the end!

Tipped out on the heap to be covered in black plastic so it rots down - it was quite a heap…

A good start made - we return next Sunday in a race to grab the balsam while the reed is short…I’m sure it grew a few inches while we were there!

Here is Team Leader Margaret's message of thanks:

Hello all.

There were just the five of us but thanks are due nonetheless. It was certainly easier to find and pull with the new reed. As the reed is growing so fast we are going to have another  working party next week too. Hope to see some of you then.

Thanks again to the five, you know who you are.

Margaret (for the team leaders).

Since our last posting, spring has come and now almost passed, and the annual round of sightings of plants and animals has kicked off in earnest, with almost 100 noted on the whiteboard in under three months. Apart from the usual dinosaurs, visible only to small children, notable sightings include sparrowhawk, siskin, Moschatel (Town Hall Clock), lesser redpoll, snipe, treecreeper, common lizard, lesser whitethroat, cotton grass and bogbean. Particularly pleasing is the manically singing sedge warbler that I haven’t heard here for several years, and a willow warbler was singing, sadly not on the Common, but not too far away. To me, that’s the sound of summer, and I miss it dearly from our little patch.