Warden's Winter Diary
So the Christmas rush has been and gone and I’m settling back into the routine of work – not that it is a chore or anything, far from it.
The world may look bleak and grey at the moment but life is thriving if you know where to look. Only the other day, as I was walking across Castle Meadows, the sky was filled with gulls, rooks and red kites, wheeling and gliding, thoroughly enjoying the strong winds we have been having recently.
The first shoots of the snowdrops are just staring to poke through at Mowbray Fields, with more around the pond at Castle Meadows due soon.
As the rest of the vegetation continues to die back I am finding out more and more about the sites (as this is my first winter here I haven’t experienced this before). I am also uncovering more rubbish, but that’s a different story! There are little corners at Castle Meadows, for example, that were completely hidden to me during the summer when the vegetation was at its thickest. The deadwood piles in the spinney, perfect for insects and fungi, are now visible, you can also see the remains of the boathouse clearly and there is a great view of the motte, which is normally covered in dense trees and shrubs.
At Mowbray the view across the fill pond from the viewing platform has opened up and you can see right through to the fields and downs on the other side.
At Riverside Meadows the Thames still continues to amaze me. I can visit one day and be wading around knee deep in water and a couple of days later the river will have subsided and all will be dry again – it makes planning conservation tasks interesting to say the least. However the work carries on despite the cold and the wet.
Our volunteers have been busy coppicing trees along the ditches at Castle Meadows to maintain good habitat for the water voles and at Mowbray Fields the willows have been cut back to ensure we have another great show of orchids this June. I’m looking forward to seeing more plants, animals and birds emerge as we edge towards spring – why don’t you come down and have a look?
If you would like more information about the sites or are interested in getting more involved with one of our volunteer groups or as a warden please contact me, Lorretta Waters, on 01865 409410.
