Damp Work Days

After hard frosts at the start of the week, we’ve had a few days of typical dank November weather. On Wednesday, I joined a large group of volunteers at Wheldrake Ings, where we removed willow trees beside the main track. The idea is to keep the area open and reduce the incursion of woodland into the meadows. We got a good bonfire going to burn the brash and left a few log piles for invertebrates. The recent heavy rain is now filling the floodplain and winter wildfowl are appearing in increasing numbers.

Removing willows down a muddy track...

...leaving just a few log piles

Winter wildfowl are appearing in the floodplain
 
On Thursday, I was at North Cliffe Wood, where we cut and raked up the reeds growing on an area of the heathland. The plan here is to increase diversity of the plant life and encourage the heather in particular. Most of the trees have lost their leaves by now and the woodland is eerily silent.

Raking the rush
 
A red bramble provides a splash of colour in the wood

Common Earthball?

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