Work Party report

At today’s work party on Ashlawn six of us continued to cut and clear section F3e grassland south of Ashlawn Bridge, Steve as ever forging ahead with the brush cutter, and the rest of us were enjoying clearing what he had cut, chatting as we worked and wondering why more people don’t come to join us.

The weather was cloudy but continuing very mild considering we are nearly into November, and we were amazed to find a couple of Grass Vetchling back in flower on a patch we had cut and cleared in the summer (21st August), another with a seed pod developed, and several others as well developed plants. We normally find this in flower in late June & early July, the flowers only last a few days. An uncommon and lovely delicate plant whose leaves look exactly like grass.

We also disturbed a fresh looking Roselle’s Cricket, a very late date for this species, some lovely yellow frogs, and a toad.

See the pictures, but the Roselle’s is from an earlier sighting on the reserve as I couldn’t get my camera out in time to record the one seen today before it dived under foliage.

Phil P. Rugby Group WWT Conservation Officer (Vol.)