CALLING ALL BIRDERS
09/01/12 21:27
Calling all birders!
Yellow hammers, red kites, cuckoos and much more. Are you able to identify some of the birds that you hear on the Rifle Range and the Horseshoe? The Steyning Downland Scheme is setting up a bird surveying group that will identify and record the birds living on our downs. This will initially require a once a month commitment during the spring and the summer. Would you like to join in, enjoy the birds, and meet some like minded people? Initial briefing meeting will be on the evening of February 27th. Please contact Bryony Webb on 01903 817996, or bryony@wistonestate.co.uk for more details
.
Yellow hammers, red kites, cuckoos and much more. Are you able to identify some of the birds that you hear on the Rifle Range and the Horseshoe? The Steyning Downland Scheme is setting up a bird surveying group that will identify and record the birds living on our downs. This will initially require a once a month commitment during the spring and the summer. Would you like to join in, enjoy the birds, and meet some like minded people? Initial briefing meeting will be on the evening of February 27th. Please contact Bryony Webb on 01903 817996, or bryony@wistonestate.co.uk for more details
.
SCRUB CLEARING
07/01/12 17:15 Filed in: Management
The Ranger Team gathered together for our monthly day on the downs. Today we were assigned the job of continuing with scrub clearing up on the Steyning Coombe. The weather was very kind to us & it was a pleasure to be up there working with such a great bunch of volunteers. It’s a slow job, and will probably be ongoing for a few seasons until we get on top of it. A Red Admiral butterfly was seen flying over the area & buzzards were being mobbed by crows in the distance.
Our team leader, Nigel, hesitantly suggested getting together more often to help move the job on, (we can only do this work during the winter months), and this was unanimously agreed. The unbounded enthusiasm of the team is inspiring!
Our team leader, Nigel, hesitantly suggested getting together more often to help move the job on, (we can only do this work during the winter months), and this was unanimously agreed. The unbounded enthusiasm of the team is inspiring!
MORE RANGER WORK
03/12/11 10:55 Filed in: Management
The intrepid SDS Ranger Team gathered together again this morning and were very pleased to be issued with their new T-shirts & fleeces. We will all now look very smart (at least until the inevitable mud & grunge associated with our labours attach themselves to our clothing!)
The team split into 2 groups, one heading up to the Steyning Coombe in order to attack the scrub which is threatening to swamp the area, and the other to the pond to investigate the plumbing system of the dam.
The first team had the unenviable task of cutting and treating the scrub which is threatening to swamp the valuable grassland on the Coombe. This is slow & back-breaking work involving cutting the scrub down, clearing the brash & then treating the stumps with a biodegradable weedkiller. Although we do not like using chemicals here, the process is very targeted, literally painting each stump with the solution, & the chemical used is harmless to wildlife and biodegrades into harmless compounds
.
The second team, Alec, Robin & myself, were charged with investigating the neglected overflow system at the dam by the pond. The whole pond system, originally built to supply Court Mill with plenty of water for it’s milling operations, has been left to its own devices for decades. When the pond fills up after rain it overflows around the back of the dam through a badly eroded channel as the existing system has become blocked.
We started by lifting the concrete lid of the sump to discover it was full of debris. Robin volunteered to get inside and start removing the debris & this was quite difficult due to the small space & depth of the sump.
.
We removed large quantities of wood, broken bottles, drinks cans, plastic bottles and other assorted rubbish. Rob even found a hibernating slow worm which we relocated to a safer location. It would surely have drowned once water levels rose.
Eventually we got to the bottom of the sump and found the outlet pipe. Surprisingly the structure was all in very good shape, but, unsurprisingly, the outlet pipe was blocked. We went to find some drain rods and Rob found that he could push them a long way down the pipe before encountering the blockage. This proved to be on the edge of the watercourse downstream, so we started digging.
We had to create a small dam of our own to facilitate daring the area, but eventually found the top of the outlet pipe. After much triumphal back-slapping, we removed enough silt to get the drain rod all the way through.
However, as the watercourse has silted up so much and the outlet is so much lower than the existing water level, we have to devise a solution to getting the pipe to flow again without forever getting blocked….Watch this space!
Once again, many thanks to all our volunteers for giving up their time to help with the Steyning Downland Scheme.
Pete Varkala
The team split into 2 groups, one heading up to the Steyning Coombe in order to attack the scrub which is threatening to swamp the area, and the other to the pond to investigate the plumbing system of the dam.
The first team had the unenviable task of cutting and treating the scrub which is threatening to swamp the valuable grassland on the Coombe. This is slow & back-breaking work involving cutting the scrub down, clearing the brash & then treating the stumps with a biodegradable weedkiller. Although we do not like using chemicals here, the process is very targeted, literally painting each stump with the solution, & the chemical used is harmless to wildlife and biodegrades into harmless compounds
.
The second team, Alec, Robin & myself, were charged with investigating the neglected overflow system at the dam by the pond. The whole pond system, originally built to supply Court Mill with plenty of water for it’s milling operations, has been left to its own devices for decades. When the pond fills up after rain it overflows around the back of the dam through a badly eroded channel as the existing system has become blocked.
We started by lifting the concrete lid of the sump to discover it was full of debris. Robin volunteered to get inside and start removing the debris & this was quite difficult due to the small space & depth of the sump.
.
We removed large quantities of wood, broken bottles, drinks cans, plastic bottles and other assorted rubbish. Rob even found a hibernating slow worm which we relocated to a safer location. It would surely have drowned once water levels rose.
Eventually we got to the bottom of the sump and found the outlet pipe. Surprisingly the structure was all in very good shape, but, unsurprisingly, the outlet pipe was blocked. We went to find some drain rods and Rob found that he could push them a long way down the pipe before encountering the blockage. This proved to be on the edge of the watercourse downstream, so we started digging.
We had to create a small dam of our own to facilitate daring the area, but eventually found the top of the outlet pipe. After much triumphal back-slapping, we removed enough silt to get the drain rod all the way through.
However, as the watercourse has silted up so much and the outlet is so much lower than the existing water level, we have to devise a solution to getting the pipe to flow again without forever getting blocked….Watch this space!
Once again, many thanks to all our volunteers for giving up their time to help with the Steyning Downland Scheme.
Pete Varkala
POND WORKING WEEKEND
20/11/11 15:04 Filed in: Management
Over this weekend the Steyning Downland Scheme instigated a scheme of work designed to improve the habitat in & around the Upper Pond. This pond has been neglected for many years & has become overgrown with trees & scrub creating a rather dark environment. This pond, originally made to service the needs of Court Mill on the outskirts of Steyning, is fed by a unique and valuable chalk stream fed by numerous springs upstream. Our plan is leave this habitat untouched and concentrate our efforts on letting more air & light into the area immediately around the pond thus encouraging more vegetation & wildlife generally. This will be done over some time to enable us to monitor the results.(More information about the ponds can be found here)
Our intrepid & eager volunteers gathered together on a beautiful Saturday morning. Our success was dependent on the generosity of Nick Hall who gave up his weekend to perform heroic feats with his chainsaw creating huge amounts of wood & brash for the group to clear away, burn and tidy up. Obviously working around water meant that we all ended up damp & muddy, especially Nick, whose boots soon filled up!
Sunday morning dawned dull & misty & we did not see the sun all day, depriving us of the sight of sunlight streaming into our newly opened up pond. We did, however, spot a Grey Wagtail bobbing around the pond until it was frightened off by the roar of the saw! The Kelly Kettle was fired up, tea was brewed, cake was eaten and a grand time was had by all. We ended the day, as dusk fell, gathered around the remnants of the fire taking a well-earned rest before packing up and going home.
Many many thanks to Helen, Debbie, Ole, Tim, Rupert, Robin, Sally, Dave, Pete & Nick.
Our intrepid & eager volunteers gathered together on a beautiful Saturday morning. Our success was dependent on the generosity of Nick Hall who gave up his weekend to perform heroic feats with his chainsaw creating huge amounts of wood & brash for the group to clear away, burn and tidy up. Obviously working around water meant that we all ended up damp & muddy, especially Nick, whose boots soon filled up!
Sunday morning dawned dull & misty & we did not see the sun all day, depriving us of the sight of sunlight streaming into our newly opened up pond. We did, however, spot a Grey Wagtail bobbing around the pond until it was frightened off by the roar of the saw! The Kelly Kettle was fired up, tea was brewed, cake was eaten and a grand time was had by all. We ended the day, as dusk fell, gathered around the remnants of the fire taking a well-earned rest before packing up and going home.
Many many thanks to Helen, Debbie, Ole, Tim, Rupert, Robin, Sally, Dave, Pete & Nick.
POND WORKS
14/11/11 16:13 Filed in: Management
Over next weekend, Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th, we shall be making a start on our pond management plan.
This will involve felling and removing some of the trees growing in and around the Upper Pond. The objective is to let some more light into the area which should have the result of encouraging more plant & animal life into & around the pond improving the general biodiversity of the area.
For safety reasons we shall have to close the footpath that goes past the pond while we are working there. Please keep your dogs under control if you walk nearby.
Thank you
.
This will involve felling and removing some of the trees growing in and around the Upper Pond. The objective is to let some more light into the area which should have the result of encouraging more plant & animal life into & around the pond improving the general biodiversity of the area.
For safety reasons we shall have to close the footpath that goes past the pond while we are working there. Please keep your dogs under control if you walk nearby.
Thank you
.