Bryan's Wood: 11-04-2017

Just imagine it. Walking around Bryan's Wood for  6 hours over rough terrain - fallen branches, rocks obscured by bracken, uneven ground, boggy areas etc., etc. And all of it carrying a long extendable ladder, as well as a rucksack full of your needs for the day (including a heavy hammer).

Mind your head!!

This is not a description of the NCVs' task today (although not far off what happens some weeks). No - it is what a very small band of us do every 7-10 days throughout the nesting season. "Why?" , you ask. Well - it's to collect data for the BTO's (British Trust for Ornithology) annual nest box records. 

Tony positions himself ready to open the box.

Regular checking of the 100+ boxes in the wood provides useful information about how the birds of the area are faring. And then, of course, once the season is over all the boxes have to be emptied and refurbished.

What's inside this nest box?

A  Nuthatch nest perhaps? Full of hungry chicks?

So what has this to do with the NCVs? Well - our job this week was to ensure that the path of the intrepid ladder carriers around the boxes was made a little easier this year. Fallen branches were removed, overhanging branches pruned back to prevent them snagging on the ladder and a collapsing log bridge over a boggy stream was re-built.

Definitely a bridge that needed some TLC.

Weight limit? About 3oz.

First the bridge had to be dismantled by Team Brunel, 

Then James needed to sharpen the chainsaw 

and muster up some new logs.

Some careful measuring and cutting went on - no worries about 
eating an extra piece of flapjack before crossing the stream any more!!

The final result rivalled the Bridge over the River Kwai.
New weight limit: at least 5 NCVs and a spade.

Elsewhere in the woods path clearing teams A & B 

sorted out the two halves of the nest box route.
Team A also had time to build a nice brash pile.

Remember that awkward fallen branch at the top of the page?

Jan sorted it out in no time flat.

And he did this one too.

Lunch was taken wherever you happened to be around noon.

"Thank goodness!" said the nest box checkers once the NCVs had finished. "Like the birds, we'll be able to fly around the woods next time we visit. Thanks NCVs."

Ros E.

Happy Easter to all our readers!!