We don’t usually start the day in the relative luxury of
warmth spread by a wood burning stove; although we generally prefer to work
out of doors the morning started cold and damp with occasional rain, and we
expected visitors. We feel we’re entitled to a little pampering once in a
while. The day before the NCV's barn had been cleaned and tidied in readiness for a Nidderdale AONB nest box making day for any member of the public who wanted to have a go.
Advance work by Jan – he’s a worker, that one - provided
wood already cut to size, enough to keep about twenty birds in the height of
luxury during the nesting season as well as providing roosting sites during the
winter. All we had to do to prepare for the work was to gather the necessary
tools and make access holes in the front panels. Five members of the public
turned up: Rhianna and Dominick, chauffeured by their mother, formed a
threesome while Pippa and Charlie came from different directions, all keen to make
nest boxes. We were impressed that none of them needed any advice on the use of
either hand or power tools so were able to relax – no hammered thumbs, drilled
fingers or other hazards.
Not only did they all make a box, some of them made more than one and in addition there was an attempt to make bird feeders out of plastic milk bottles. We discovered that none of us had any experience of this arcane skill so results were mixed. The box makers each left with a sturdy nest box and we got
the impression that they would make more at home. A very satisfactory, friendly
and enjoyable morning.
Footnote: Some of our group were already hard at work at
Kettlesing and we drove to join them in the afternoon, The drive to Kettlesing was circuitous.
One road closed, another under the control of a very slow convoy leader through
road works. We even had time to play Eye Spy. I think John won.
Tony
Meanwhile at Kettlesing......
With the fencing training day coming up we needed
somewhere to practise our skills.
Kettlesing School had approached us to erect a fence around a piece of
land opposite their school which they wanted to use as a wild life study area –
perfect! After Paul had visited the site
and met with the head teacher he found that the project was a little more
complex than originally thought. A field
gate was needed to provide access to the field for the children and the machinery
to maintain the wild flower meadow.
Fairly easily done if it was to be part of the fence but, no, the plan
is to put the gate in a perfectly sound dry stone wall with a rather handsome castellated top known as buck-and-doe or cock-and–hen.
So, since Ros K, Chris and I were surplus to requirements
for bird box making, we made our way to Kettlesing School armed with a few
tools, a plan of the site and clear instructions as where the gate was to go.
After a quick coffee we set to work stripping out the 5 metre
section marked. All the copestones were
laid out in the same order as they were on the wall. The wall stones neatly lined up, smallest
furthest away, largest nearest and throughs and infill put to one side. By the time the rest of the team arrived at
1:30 pm we had had lunch and taken down most of the wall– just left them to dig
out the foundations! Amazing what three
women can achieve in a couple of hours!
Job done and some rather rickety temporary fencing and
tape erected to ‘secure’ the site. Once some dubious jokes were shared it was time to
head home for a good hot bath.
Anita
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