Hello again from the resident volunteer in the cottage. A month has gone by and boy, what a month for me! It is my birthday month and it has felt like its been my birthday every day.
It’s amazing to see how much invisible time and care goes into making the reserve a nice place to be. A lot of the views would not be views without the volunteers occasionally strimming back encroaching vegetation. You may not notice a bramble or a trip hazard as you are wandering the paths looking out at the fen or up in the sky, but we do, and we try and make sure they are hazards no more.
Every Wednesday as part of “Friday Jobs” (but its Wednesday?..I know), I traverse the reserve checking overhanging branches or brambles, cleaning signs and sweeping hides and platforms. I also cut vegetation under benches and clean them and I enjoy reading the plaques, often dedicated to volunteers. I often chat to people as I go about these tasks and they all say what a wonderful place Strumpshaw is to be, so I know the team are doing a great job.
I am really enjoying sharing my time between habitat management, visitor experience and sharing wildlife stories through social media. I have learnt so many new skills in a very short space of time and each week brings a huge variety of tasks. I have helped to plug a leak in sandy wall. I have put in several new posts for barriers or signs. I have used new tools such as an auger, a crome (a very long fork/rake) and a digging hoe and I have learnt how to daisy-chain ropes. The tools are often named after volunteers who have donated them, another valuable contribution volunteers often make.
Recently, I sanded and painted the pond-dipping kit store and helped put it out ready for half-term. I helped draw up and put out the signs for the half-term family trail. I have put on waders and cleared one of the ponds to make it more suitable for pond-dipping.
I also got to experience the reserve on one of the busiest days of the year so far, this last bank holiday Monday, and it was great to see everything work with the large increase in visitors. I also helped with the pond-dipping events and learnt a lot about many pond dwelling creatures along with seeing families really enjoy discovering these creatures. It was great to do this alongside other, more experienced, event volunteers so that I could learn what makes for a better event experience.
I have also been involved with social media posts and it has been exciting to be able to share what we have on the reserve on Facebook and Twitter for everyone. Seeing the comments and likes on the posts has shown me that Strumpshaw has a thriving online community who are keen to know and share what’s going on at the reserve.
One unexpected experience this month was acting. I did not think that would be one of the tasks I would be called to do but, having done amateur acting in the past, I was keen to be involved. A radio play called “Song of the Reeds” by Steve Waters was being recorded for Radio 4 ( first episode broadcasts June 21st ) . It features some well-known actors but also requires some volunteers to say some lines. While waiting to head out to record some lines with the group I enquired as to which actors were involved. Just at that moment Mark Rylance emerged from the Portacabin. I was gobsmacked as he is someone who’s acting I have admired for a long time (Jerusalem, Wolf Hall, Bridge of spies and the BFG to name a few) and now here he was about to act with me. When we all stood in a group to say our lines he introduced himself to me and I must admit to being a bit tongue-tied. The play is about a reserve warden and the struggle they face with climate change. A cause I think we can all relate too.
Here’s the group out recording near Sandy Wall.
I am still regularly out around 6am seeing what’s about and I am enjoying the sudden explosion of insects. I was lucky enough to see a bluethroat one morning, a bird I thought I’d only see in bird books. I also have my fingers crossed for a swallowtail sighting soon.
I have learnt the local term for ladybirds – the Bishy Barnabee. Here’s a 14 spotted ladybird which I had never seen before.
I have loved seeing the swifts, swallows and martins zooming about the reserve feasting on insects.
I have seen the barn owl several times but this was my favourite moment – getting a photo just before it saw me and veered away.
Its always a joy to see the huge great white egret around the reserve. This was at fen hide as it was photobombed by a duck landing.
Spotted flycatchers were one if the last migrants to turn up this year. We have occasionally seen them in the woodland. They do like to perch and pose.
I loved seeing this tiny cricket.
That’s all for this month, I hope you enjoyed hearing about my adventures. If you see me out on the reserve cutting back brambles or nettles, do say hi and let me know what you’ve seen.
Adrian.