Ellington Banks: 27-11-2018

ELLINGTON TUESDAY!

If last week was the week of Black Friday then this week was the week of Ellington Tuesday - the day in the NCV calendar which marks the start of the annual visits to the MOD property, Ellington Banks. 

Now, readers who are new to this blog may well wonder why the NCVs would want to visit an MOD training area. Well - I can assure you that they were not going there to find out how to shoot rifles or drive tanks. No, no, no! That wouldn't do at all. Their aim was much more peaceful. They were simply going to remove the encroaching alder and willow scrub that threatens to overwhelm this very special SINC site. Great crested newts live in the ponds here and the magnesium limestone grassland is home to many unusual wildflowers.

Here are the NCVs in action.....

There was a big turn out this week, in spite of the fog.
Everyone likes coming to Ellington Banks.

"Not much to prune out here.
Why did we need to come?"

"Just turn your head this way and you'll see why!"

"Right - see what you mean. Let's get busy folks!"

All the cutting down generated HUGE quantities of brash.

But that's OK because someone built a bonfire.
(Although it was more of a smoke generating machine to start with.)
"Just who is responsible for all this air pollution?"

"Why - Graham of course."
Anyone tending the fire went home smelling like kippers.

They weren't the only ones dealing with work related issues.
Anyone with a pair of loppers was liable to get pronged in the eye with saplings.

Those walking to the bonfire with armfuls of brash were coping with a very undulating landscape and hidden trip hazards like this one.

MOD Ecologist, John Black, followed the loppers 
around with herbicide for the stumps. 
He had to don marigolds and a face mask to keep himself protected.
And of course - everyone had to keep their eyes peeled for abandoned munitions.

Coffee and lunch times were taken in small groups - 
or in Andy's case - alone.
He had been sent to coventry  for some misdeed or other.

 After coffee the fire was less of an inferno ....

...but Graham soon had it up and going again.

Good job, because it wasn't long before Liz got the chain saw out 
and took down a couple of unwanted large trees.

Then Osian obligingly carried them to be burnt.

Meanwhile the plague of locusts that was the NCV team
 carried on pruning and pruning.

 By 2pm the field was a very different place to what it had been at 9:30am.

 A few logs were left as a habitat pile for the newts to hibernate in.
David M heard a passing newt comment on how useful
 it would be during the winter months.

Unfortunately a pile of thin brash had to be left until another visit. 
We couldn't carry on burning after 2pm as we 
needed to ensure the fire was out before the gate was locked.