| These pages provide a photographic record of activities and events at Thrupp Lake throughout 2013 where development of a new visitor centre and improved public access to the lake surroundings are being planned by the Earth Trust in collaboration with the local community. | ||
Logging, 03 January 2013 |
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On this mild overcast day, the task facing the four stalwart volunteers who turned up was to shift some logs, sizeable remnants of trees felled some years ago, and line them up along the edge of the path to the west of the lake, in order to protect the white helleborines, which are a priority species for the site. There were not enough hands, or rope, to shift the biggest logs, so these will wait for another day. |
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All lined up? |
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Pruning and Chopping, 07 February 2013 |
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Thrupp Lake on the morning of 7th February |
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| Today’s task was also about helping the White Helleborines. These rare and Vulnerable plants grow alongside the path along the western edge of the lake. Opening up their habitats to let in some light (the beech trees under which they grow are believed to be creating too much shade as they continue to grow) and reduce competition from brambles makes the orchids themselves increasingly vulnerable to being trampled upon, not only by people, but also by dogs. In an attempt to solve both of these problems, some of the lower beech tree branches were removed and some scrub clearance carried out. At the same time, an attempt has been made to delineate the path and separate the orchid areas from it. Chopped branches have been left in place to try to keep people and dogs off the areas where the orchids grow. | |
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To fell a tree, you can use a saw, or… |
simply pull it down, like this! |
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The Bird Hide in its new setting. |
A pruned bramble, left to grow again, in an area inhabited by White Helleborine orchids. |
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Wildlife species seen on the day Birds: Coot, Gadwall, Cormorant, Teal, Canada Goose, Shoveler, Robin, … Fungi: Velvet Shank (Flammulina velutipes); Stereum (rameale or hirsutum) Moth: Agonopterix ocellana Mammal: mole (signs of activity) |
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Tea at the Lakes, 27th May 2013 |
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At the Lakes, summer… |
… and quite a few people came… |
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… to enjoy some scrumptious cream-teas and cakes… with really good signage, just in case anyone needed to know where to go! |
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| Friends of Radley Lakes kindly provided tea and cakes on the Bank Holiday Monday. The event was accompanied by various nature walks, including a bug-walk led by Richard Comont. Species encountered on this walk included a long-jawed spider (Tetragnatha sp.) which somebody let go before it could be identified fully – the very distinctive mining bee, Andrena cineraria, a hoverfly (Eristalis pertinax) a few snails (Cepea nemoralis, Cepea hortensis, Helix aspersa) a yellow centipede (Stigmatogaster subterranea) a Sciomyzid fly and the beetle, Silpha laevigata, both looking out for snails to feed on, a female Green Dock Beetle (Gastrophysa viridula) laden with eggs, some tiny blue beetles (Altica sp.), alder flies (Sialis sp.) damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum) some emerging from the lake, and a non-biting midge (Chironominae). . |
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The edge of the Meadow from the lane, before work started |
A banded snail on Creeping Thistle. The snail is pretty, but the thistle will have to go. |
| A cool breezy morning which soon warmed up into to a glorious day. The task was to remove taller plants, like nettles and thistles, from the meadow, by pulling them up by the roots. (How is it that they always find such fun jobs for us to do?) The purpose of this is to encourage slower, lower growing plants like orchids and certain other wildflowers. | |
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Wildlife species seen on the day apart from nettles and thistles (incomplete) Female scorpion fly (Panorpa sp.) Tenthredo livida Nephrotoma quadrifaria Spiders: Meta mengei, Tetragnatha sp. Philodromus cespitum (probably) Willow flea beetle (Crepidodera aurata) Nettle Aphid (Microlophium carnosum) 14-spot ladybird (Propylea 14-punctata) |
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