And still it goes on....
Well - I hope you are all staying alert. It's been so long since lockdown began your lertness may well be starting to wane, although things are now starting to ease a little. Let's see if we can perk up your lertness with a peep at what's been going on in the NCVs' worlds in the last few weeks.....
First up are some environmental improvements:
Ros K. has started pulling up Balsam when out on some of her daily walks.
She managed to pick this much in just 5 mins!
Perhaps she needs to volunteer for the 'Pick for Britain' programme
to keep the country in veg?
Whilst mowing the scouts' playing field at Bramhope, Anita was pleased to see
that the field margins were almost Balsam free this year. First time for a long time.
Her hard work over the last few years has finally paid off!
Whilst out for a walk in Old Spring Wood Ros E. spotted a number
of empty tree guards hiding in the undergrowth.
Needless to say - they are now stacked up nice and tidy.
Whilst around the back of the NCVs' barn Liz noticed
a large patch of nettles in need of attention.
The nettles are now gone.....
...but so. too, has the 'Green Room'!!!
The barn will be loo-less for ever more.
Some NCVs have sent some great pictures of wildlife to share:
Jan didn't have to go far to snap this little bee.
A number of them kept flying into his study and
he kept having to help them outside again.
Perhaps he should have just told them to 'Buzz off'?
Jan also managed to get close up to this stand off.
Apparently both animals behaved themselves very nicely
and maintained the 2m rule.
Unlike these two birds that were caught on camera by one of Tony's friends.
The caption read:
"What don't you understand about 2m you Tit?"
Andy has a special 'trap' camera set up outside and
got some shots of the wildlife visiting in the evening.
Foxy Loxy showed up better at night time!
Andy also used his ordinary camera to catch
Ducky Lucky with her babies...
...and this handsome Kestrel.
Not all the wildlife stories are happy ones. Osian sent in a picture of
an abandoned Robin's nest in his neighbour's garden. (Can you spot it?)
We're not sure why the nest was abandoned - perhaps the parents were predated or frightened away - or maybe couldn't remember where the nest was, having hidden it so well?
You have probably noticed that there have been plenty of
lambs around over the last couple of months.
Andrew spotted this one who had obviously decided to devise his own face mask.
(Apparently all he needed to do to get free was lower his head
but needed Andrew to sort him out.)
And talking of face masks.....
Ros E. followed some YouTube instructions for a 'no sew' mask.
However - as it made her look like the invisible man she decided to buy one online.
At least it allowed her to see where she was going, unlike Anita's.
With some suitable adjustments Anita managed to use hers to protect herself from the foul smelling liquid that emanated when decanting her home made Comfrey fertiliser.
Her veg are coming on a treat under the watchful eye of Worzel Gummidge
- probably due to the Comfrey juice.
Perhaps he needs a mask too Anita?
Ros K's funky veg are also coming on thick and fast.
However - they still haven't quite got the 2m rule right, and all those
inside that fish tank should NOT be visiting each other indoors!
Not to be outdone, Liz veggies are all starting to be planted out
and she has rigged up an excellent frame for her beans.
Glad to see that H&S is being observed with the rake Liz!
There was good news from Roy Burrows - gamekeeper up at the Summerstones Estate at the top of Nidderdale - just recently. Apparently there’s a Barn owl nesting in one of the boxes we made for him, and nesting birds in some of the other 30 boxes we made for the estate, working in the AONB barn. They have put in nine ponds, thousands of trees and have recorded 81 different bird species. He knows where Kestrel, Buzzard and Tawny owls are also nesting on the estate.
It is heartening to know that Summerstones are doing so much to help the environment. Well done Roy!!
And finally - Tony has sent this link to a Youube video that you may like to watch about a man who has been sharing his window box with a family of owls..... Enjoy!
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