When you find something new

Have you ever heard of round leaved fluellen? Or seen it?

I certainly hadn't then there it was creeping across the ground when I was surveying the field round the lake at Standlake Common to see how last year's green hay spreading has worked. 

 

It is hard to say at the moment how successful the green hay spreading has been but there is a vast amount of yellow rattle with a lot of tufted vetch, common knapweed, scentless mayweed and black medick. Hopefully, next spring there will be a cowslip or two and a green winged orchid. Thanks to the trainee botanists for their help as we start to build up a record of species on the site. Thanks also to the tutors at the Ashmolean Natural History Society for their excellent introduction to botanical identification and showing us how much it requuires patience and methodical working through in often minute detail. Maybe next year we will be able to tell our hawkbits from our hawk's-beards more easily and can tackle the grasses as well.

August Tuesdays at Rushy Common Pond dipping and bird watching

Following the great enthusiasm shown in May I am running Tuesday afternoon sessions throughout August at Rushy Common and Tar Lakes. 2-5pm.
The bird hide will be open and we will have pond dipping, nature trail and bug hunts as well.
Please book if you can think that far ahead or just come along. Email: lwvp@oxfordshire.gov.uk or call 01865 815426

Work experience

Thanks to Will and Ben from Henry Box school the hide at Standlake is looking a bit cleaner and the view out is clear again. They worked really hard sweeping the boardwalk and the hide and cleaning the windows; I didn't like to tell them that the spiders will take over again very shortly.

 

They thought they had done most of the work by lunchtime but found that clearing the Windrush Path down towards Newbridge was even harder work especially as the sun had come out with a vengeance.

But they did really well and then said it was the hardest they had ever worked. Thanks also to Angus for bringing them along, and Jack who is going to work with me on a variety of projects over the summer, once his blisters have healed up. I continued my mission to introduce people to scything and they all took to it with great enthusiasm. I think Angus is going to have to buy his own, it is addictive!