Tuesday 31 July 2018

Old Spring Wood: 31-07-2018

As July made ready to hand over the baton to August and the prolonged heatwave finally came to an end, a small band of NCVs took up their sticks again to give the bracken of Old Spring Wood a final beating for the summer. This week they were working over by the conifer plantation and on the swathes by the boundary wall.

The plantation is never a favourite spot as old brash remaining from some previous felling can be hidden by the new bracken growth. However - the slightly more problematic bashing terrain was more than made up for by a lovely lunch of Chilli Con Carne and salad, followed by apple crumble and custard, laid on by wood owner Rosemary. Thanks Rosemary!!

Here are some shots of the NCVs v. Bracken action (and the more leisurely lunchtime lack of activity)......

Plenty of bracken growing up around this fallen tree.


 And so to work.


It was everywhere. Far worse than at the other end 
of the wood, dealt with on our previous visit.

No need to bash this monster!!
Apparently this is a 'Chicken in the Woods' fungus.
Other non-bracken sightings included a young kestrel 
and 3 dragon flies enjoying the sun. 


Coffee time was spent in a bracken free oasis.

And then it was back to the bracken.

Civilised dining in the sun-room.

 A good lunch meant that the post lunch pose 
was either regal for Lord Tom of Summerbridge... 

....or quite relaxed for those on the cane furniture.


Osian, despite claims of being unable to eat any more
after the chilli, had manfully tackled the apple pie and custard. 

He also managed to find a pair of socks without a hole in this week.

And after lunch? 
Well, there was plenty of the green stuff left to bash!

Tuesday 24 July 2018

Azerley Estate: 24-07-2018

Although not mentioned on any National Awareness Day listing, today was 'Back to Balsam' day for the NCVs. After a few weeks' welcome relief of bracken bashing, gravel laying, biosecurity training and barn clearing, it was business as usual at Azerley. The supply of balsam on the estate is plentiful - but well made up for by the equally plentiful number of tasty pheasant sausages that are always provided at lunchtime by Kevin and his wife, Emma. (Thanks folks!).

The photos below show yet another day's progress against the invader....

Before we got going we had a knobbly knee parade 
from three of the NCVs.

 Then there was the long trek over to the woods 
where the balsam hides out.
As usual - the cows were curious to know what was going on.


Walking through the woods to where we left off last time 
was a rewarding experience - hardly a balsam plant to be seen!


Luckily the balsam was taller and often in flower now.....

...so easier to spot and pull out.

Apart from this patch.

Oh - and this bit.

Now that's more like it. 

Nice and tall.

This island was covered with the stuff.

But in swept the NCVs....


...and there it was - gone.

Tom dealt with this patch of 8' high balsam single handed.

 It was a bio-security nightmare. with Burdock burrs....

...and Cleavers seed adhering to all our clothing.
This was apart from the Balsam seeds that may have been 
lurking in the mud on your boots.

At lunch time Osian stretched out in the shade....

...showing off his Muppet themed socks....

...which were specially vented underneath to help him 
control his foot temperature in this hot weather.

Some of the balsam was right down by the water's edge.

This led, on occasion, to some extreme balsam pulling situations.
Let's hope your belt doesn't give way Richard!

Although there was plenty of balsam still left standing 
at the end of the afternoon we had the satisfaction of retracing 
our steps over swathes of uprooted and crushed stems.

Tuesday 17 July 2018

Old Spring Wood: 17-07-2018

  
"Gird up your loins fellow NCVs - today is the day when battle against the enemy commences. 
We will fight it in the woods. 
We will fight it round the rocks. 
We will fight it amongst the ferns. 
We will claim victory over the ever present - bracken. 


Well - at least until this time next year.

The fightback started at 09:30 BST on the battlefield at Old Spring Wood. Weapons were restricted to hazel poles and grass slashers but there were many casualties. As the small army of 13 NCVs, working under General Liz's instructions, slowly made their way through different areas of the wood they left, in their wake, swathes of bruised and beaten bracken fronds. As the first stage of the battle came to an end it was clear that the NCVs were winning.  The fight will be taken up again in two weeks time.

Firstly any new recruits had to be shown the 
difference between a bracken plant and a fern.

We didn't want any of these shuttlecock look-a-likes 
being bashed into submission!


Meanwhile the more seasoned troops simply got on 
with the job of seeking out the enemy.


Private Dave favoured the grass slasher....

...whilst Corporal Graham preferred the hazel pole.


Up on this top plateau the situation was promising - 
lots of bracken free bilberry and some areas of bare woodland floor. 
Our years of bracken bashing is having a real effect up here.


Over by the perimeter wall things were not quite so good.


However - the invasive weed was soon brought to its knees.


This area of new birch saplings was a bit awkward 
but that, too, fell by coffee time.


Audrey's flapjack helped to sustain the troops. (Thanks Audrey!)
Paul did his 'I want to be alone' act.


After coffee it was down into the bottom of the wood 
where things looked promising at this side.


Less so over this side.


However-  Julia realised that many of the 'bracken plants' were 
actually ferns - so the situation was not as bad as we first thought!



Every so often a circle would form, 
as the troops moved in for the kill.


Rear gunner Anita laughed heartlessly as she 
knocked down the final fronds in this particular stand.


At lunchtime it appeared that everyone wanted to be alone!


By close of play the only real casualty of the NCVs' platoon 
(apart from Tom who developed a bracken bashing blister) 
was Ros E who, having been chased by a wasp all lunchtime, 
was later stung on the rear end. VERY PAINFUL!!

Two interesting finds from today....

A woodland fungus...

...and a wasp's nest up in the nearby shed.