Northumberland Wildlife Trust

March 2017 - night vision reveals a range of after-dark activity!

1st March

2 more Willows planted in triangle at east end of Pit Wood; bullfinch seen in front of Willow bower; woodcock in Pit Wood. 

2nd March

Yellow Rattle, White Campion, Field Poppy, Ox-eye Daisy, Chicory, Honesty seeds and Snowdrops and Campion plug plants into Wildflower Meadow. 

3rd March

More planting on Meadow - Honesty, Betony, Campion, Evening Primrose, St John's Wort. 

6th March

Bird and Flower survey. 

9th March

Bird boxes 29-33 put up in Scrub and Pit Wood. 

11th March

Preparations for bringing ponies down from Top Grazing (fencing off bird-watching Willow arbour, protecting new Willow saplings, preparing for electric fence from SW corner of Meadow to SE corner of Pit Wood); seeds from Grassland Conference (NWT) scattered on Top Grazing. 

21st March

Rushes dug out of pond at (W) base of crag - frog seen. Pond near bird hide site heaving with frog spawn!

20th March

Tim put up a motion sensor camera in the Orchard. 

23rd March

Camera moved to gate into Orchard. 

27th March

Camera reveals roebuck, roe-doe, badger, mouse, grey squirrel visiting at night, and pheasant and cat during the day!

28th March

Chiffchaffs heard and seen on Meadow and in Scrub; 3 deer beyond Meadow; plug plants into Meadow (St John's Wort, Great Mullein, Michaelmas Daisy, Sneezewort, Valerian, Poppy) and Mugworts planted near Beech by bottom gate.

Where did I put the tree?

Oh, there it is!

Playing cat and ...

mouse

May 2016 - Northumberland Wildlife Trust Meadow visit

During May - more maintenance work on path west end of Top Strip - logs used for southern edge. 

2nd May

International Dawn Chorus Day - Clare did a breeding birds listen. 

5th May

Naomi Waite (NWT meadows specialist) walked over Liddells and found Adders-tongue fern in the Meadow. Janet made her first visit to meet Paul with a view to mentoring John. 

7th - 14th May

Janet looked after Paul. 

21st May

Steve Leigh, a barefoot trimmer, came and managed to trim Paul's forefeet. Lots of time spent moving Beech and Rowan logs and brash and ongoing logging and stacking. 

26th May

Clare started removing nettles from under Hawthorns on meadow and then began tackling the Thistles. Evidence of roebuck fraying on many saplings and the Spindle Trees. 

Plum tree in blossom in the Orchard...

and a different fragrance - evidence of a fox

November 2015 - trees for bees from Trees Please

3rd November

Magnificent Meadows - Northumberland Wildlife Trust talk with Naomi Thwaite. 

11th November

Hedging to shelter bees ordered from Trees Please; woodcock sighted. 

During November John completed work on Top Grazing fence - made a gate into Scrub; strimmed, tidied and sawed Ash in Orchard; strimmed for Meadow edge. 

27th November

Hedge plants arrived; trench dug. 

December 2013 - a busy month to end the year!

3rd December

We met Duncan Hutt and Mel from the Northumberland Wildlife Trust at Liddells. Duncan was interested in our idea of leaving the land to the NWT. He offered help and we talked about grazing options. 

We planted 2 patches of Pheasant's Eye Narcissus either side of the crossbase, 3 clumps in the verge and some inside the boundary wall north of the gate and by the beeches. 

4th December

40 Fritillaria planted in lower east meadow - our chosen site for wildflowers (we had originally thought of developing the area above the crag, but Duncan's visit prompted a rethink).

Clump of Narcissus Felindre (Poeticus Daffodil) on bank approaching Bird Cherry tree. 2 clumps by the Bird Cherry. 

6th December

50 Snowdrops and 16 Narcissi in the woodland. John saw ladybirds appearing to hibernate in a Scots Pine, south edge of Pit Wood. 

18th December

Ian Everard from the Forestry Commission visited the land with us and advised on making subcompartments/grant applications. He was encouraging and offered help with forms. 

20th December

We cut out own Christmas tree and one for Jane B.

26th December

Boxing Day - 2 hours freeing trees from plastic tubes in NE Strip. 

27th December

More tree freeing/logging/clearing

28th December

Brashing/logging/clearing; bags of rubbish to dump; logs stacked in shed on Top Grazing; Freelander stuck in mud overnight!

29th December

After more unsuccessful attempts on John's part to free the Land Rover, he went off to get help. Determined not to be beaten, Clare managed to drive it out just as Derek arrived with a tractor. So proud!

Brashing/logging/clearing - more logs stacked; trailer mended; common earthball fungus identified east of path under wires. 

John and chain saw - a familiar sight

The North-east Strip looking more open after brashing and thinning

The spoils of tree-freeing

30th December

Office work on planning/forms etc. 

31st December

Diary update.