We have been having work parties over the past few weeks on our ponds, clearing brambles and pulling out reeds. These jobs need to be done to keep the ponds in good shape to benefit as wide a range of wildlife as possible.

Once the breeding and nesting season is over we can safely do the work causing the minimum disturbance. Brambles and reeds are the most invasive plants and are controlled by cutting down the brambles and pulling up the reeds. Some reedbed is maintained mainly on the edges of the ponds or marshy land adjacent.

Also some tree management will be done and hides refurbished.

All the ponds are looking good this year and thanks to all the rain the water levels have stayed well up this summer.

Further news, the CWA have been releasing  English Partridges in the Kingston Seymour area and two broods have been reported this year. Partridge are a natural species and until about forty years ago where common but agricultural practices caused their numbers to decline that they more or less disappeared as a breeding bird around here. However farming nowadays in our area has changed and we hope that these birds could reestablish themselves.