A selection of photographs taken of the fourth Community Work Day, organised by the Northmoor Trust, at Thrupp Lake.
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After a very brief shower, it turned out to be quite a nice day with frequent sunny intervals, but very breezy, which made it feel quite cool when out of the sunshine. Good weather for working! |
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Thrupp Lake from near the SE corner.
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First those nettles needed clearing from the path – again.
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Job done.
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However the main task of the day was to clear the brambles away from the boundary fence. Here is David Guyoncourt and others clearing scrub from around the black gate (sounds like a reference to Mordor!!!).
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This is Eleanor Dangerfield engaging with the brambles. Ouch! |
Clearing brambles by hand is hard work, so the pause for a tea break was most welcome. |
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Except there was no tea, only water, but the cake and strawberries more than made up for that. |
It was a shorter than usual day, with much of it being spent on introductions to Alexis Pym, the Northmoor Trust’s new Director of Land, Learning and Engagement, who is taking responsibility for the Thrupp Lake project. This meant that there was less opportunity to observe wildlife. However a few things were noted in passing:
Insects Not a good day for observing or photographing insects – it was too breezy, but a few coenagrionid damselflies and a large brown hawker dragonfly were spotted. Birds Lots of Canada Geese (including about 30 or so crowded on one small island, see below). Greylag Goose (there were relatively few of these) Common Tern (breeding on island) Black Headed Gull (also ” ) Cormorant Coot (many dotted over the lake) Mute Swan (at least 4 pairs, but no evidence of breeding) Sand Martins, flying over the lake. Housemartin, one flying over lake. Swift, one flying over lake.
Plants (apart from nettles and brambles!) Elecampane (Inula helenium) – Probably an introduced plant that has now become naturalised. Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) – in flower, on the isthmus. Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) – in flower, on the isthmus.
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Goose Island. There were about 30 or so canada geese crowded on this small island. |
If you have any questions about future events, contact melati.cox@northmoortrust.co.uk |
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