Ringing and Net Rides

Members of the Foxglove Management Group met this morning to set out plans for future management of the reserve.  Clear priorities for this coming winter will be work on the Wetland and Heathland, and Willow coppicing in the final compartment of five under the 10-year Higher Level Stewardship agreement with Natural England.  This will form the framework for a first draft by the Reserve Managers of a new Management Plan for the reserve covering the next 3-5 years.

Once the meeting was finished, Management Group members headed off to do checks on nest boxes in local woods and over to Warcop.  There was still time to check a couple of nest boxes at Foxglove for Jackdaw chicks.  While one was empty, the second had four chicks in which have now been ringed.

Other volunteers were in today as well as those on the Management Group, and, with the weather being hotter than yesterday, most enjoyed the shade from the trees in the net rides as they trimmed back any growth that might catch in the nets during upcoming ringing days.  There was also time for a quick bit of plant identification as we scoured the Heathland for signs of Cross-leaved Heath (Erica tetralix).  As the native heather that enjoys more moist ground conditions, it was found in a lower lying dip and we hope it spreads to other damper patches within the Heathland.