Another month has gone by and it was volunteer Sunday once again this weekend. This month the activities on offer were installing fish shelters on the old silt lagoon 7 and retrieving weldmesh from Phase 1 to use out on Phase 2. 10 people arrived bright and early for a day’s work, on a very pleasant, but windy September day.
Throughout the morning, the group were successful in removing 76 sheets of weldmesh from Phase 1. This weldmesh was installed in April of this year and since then the reed inside has grown vigorously whilst protected from goose grazing. This reed is now at a stage where it can sustain itself from the worst of the grazing and so it was time for the weldmesh to be removed and utilised elsewhere on site.
The afternoon was spent installing the 76 weldmesh panels out on Phase 2. This is now protecting some areas of natural reed growth that have begun to suffer from goose grazing in the last few weeks. The group also planted around 1400 reed seedlings within the fenced off areas on Phase 2 to supplement the natural growth.
In addition to the reed fencing, we also managed to install 3 floating fish shelters out on the old silt lagoon 7. Battling the wind wasn’t easy, but the fish shelters look great and hopefully their presence will contribute to our ever expanding fish population on site.
Wildlife never disappoints at Langford and the day’s highlights include a juvenile cuckoo on the silt lagoons, 2 hobbies feeding over Phase 2 and 2 greenshank. Clouded yellows were still around, despite the strong winds and dragonflies including common darter and migrant hawker were easy to see on the water’s edge as we worked.
Our Sunday volunteers working on Phase 2. Thanks to James Cox for the image.