Storm Otto gave us 60mph winds just 24 hours before our planned volunteer day to remove the last of the redundant shelters from the Castle end of the Cluster. Thankfully (for us) Otto had left for Denmark and we had a bright and warm morning for our planned task.
Sadly only three of the five planned volunteers turned up but we cracked on with gusto to remove the old shelters and pack them for recycling (Gusto wasn’t on the volunteer list oddly enough).
Three dumpy bags full of a mix of shelters for recycling and reuse were collected before we stopped for a soup n sourdough lunch. As usual a good natter ensued and we departed fed, watered and job done.
A curlew was heard calling which is one of the first to return to its breeding grounds this spring along with a Green Woodpecker or Yaffle. I commented that another old country name for it was ‘Rain Bird’ as it calling was meant to presage rain. Oddly enough it rained five minutes later. There were also a couple of mixed tit flocks kicking about in the alders, always welcome on late winter days. A Barren Strawberry (Potentilla sterilis) was noted flowering too.
Next volunteer day is Thursday 9th of March when we will be playing next to the Arkle removing old fence wire and debris from the river bank, a spring clean as it were.
If you fancy helping then please get in touch.
Martin WW
Heggs-Castle Renaturing Project 