Double Mini-BioBlitz

Another cold damp day greeted us as we began our second mini-BioBlitz of the year, this one being split between our two westernmost sites - Wood Norton and Hindolveston.

Trevor and John S were the early birds – and on the lookout for birds too. John S put up mist nets at three locations around the Wood Norton site, while Trevor prowled about listening and looking, whilst also doing a bit of light ‘gardening’. Nick, Vision and Val arrived just in time to see John S reappear with a bag containing a bird that had flown into the mist net right in front of him. He opened the bag to reveal a juvenile Robin and proceeded to show us how he carefully placed the ring on its leg and checked the bird for condition, weighed it and measured it, before it was released and flew off into the undergrowth.

With no insect life in evidence and following the arrival of John R and a quick brew, Trevor, Nick and John R set about making further improvements to the access around the reserve. They built some steps, cleared away some branches which were preventing the water from flowing from one of the ponds to the next, constructed a bridge over the resulting stream and installed a handrail beside the muddy path to the boardwalk. Whilst the carpentry was going on, Val and Vision wandered about looking at the 'green stuff' and fungi. Peter and Bev dropped in for a while to provide a bit of moral support.

Vision and Val then headed off to Hindolveston to examine the vegetation there.

It will take a while to compile the final results of the day's efforts, consulting with our species experts and converting the data files from the bat monitors that we have been running overnight at both sites, but there were definitely new records of birds, flowers and even insects at both sites. It’s particularly pleasing to see new flowering plants on the mown area by the car park – our habitat management is working!