Park bird photographs.

We are very fortunate to have "Yorkie" as a bird photographer on the Park. "Yorkie" has put some bird feeders up in the trees around the car park and it uses his car as a hide. He has got some really great photographs which you can look at below.

 

"Yorkie" calls the Long-tailed tit by the country name of Bush Tit.

 

 

 

 

Mistle thrush.

 

 

 

 

"Yorkie" is not so keen on this on as it wrecks his feeders!

 

 

We are grateful to"Yorkie" for allowing us the use of his photographs so that he can show us some of the birdlife on the Park

Work Party 21st May 2015.

The task today was to clear the Activity Area of weeds in preparation for our proposed event in August.

 

When we arrived we were presented with large areas of Stinging Nettles, Thistles, Docks and clumps of grass.

 

 

 

Volunteers worked hard and well clearing the area as well as the weeds which were threatening to smother the newly planted hedge along the road section.

 

It was a great morning working under a blue sky with a Chaffinch singing incessantly nearby.

 

Some of the volunteers took the opportunity to take a well earned break!

 

The final task was to hang the “rescued kissing gate” and give it a coat of black paint to make it look smart!

 

 

 

 

 

Work Party Thursday 19th March.

Some time ago a Victorian kissing gate was removed from the footpath, during path improvements, where it crosses Pishiobury Drive. Because this gate was of historical significance, once being part of the long run of estate fencing which went from the main road right down the Park to the Ha-Ha wall near to the House, then it was thought worthwhile of preservation. The ironwork was in a derelict condition and unfortunately the cast-iron post was broken when it was removed without care from the ground where it had been for over 100 years. We have done our best to resurrect and renovate the kissing gate in the Activity Area. Because it is not in a safe condition it has been immobilised so that it can been seen but not used. We shall need another session to hang the gate because we are not yet confident that the post is strong enough to hold it.

Work Party February 19th 2015.

This task was to remove Bramble covering the pile of logs which is home to a colony of Common Lizards. By removing the Bramble the lizards then have a sun basking area in this sheltered spot.

 

Work Party January 15th 2015.

The task today was to remove Reed Mace encroaching on the spring pond. It is important that this is removed on a regular basis as otherwise it will totally colonise the spring basin to the exclusion of everything else.

Work Party December 18th 2014.

The task was to cut down and make safe a large branch which had partly fallen off a Wild Cherry tree in the South part of the Park. The limb was roped up and then cut down using a saw on a pole. The logs were then put to good use and the site left clean!

Big Dig 2014.

Apologies for not posting an account earlier of the Big Dig that took place in August this year but the findings have thrown up more questions than there are answers to. This year's dig was on a much more professional footing with a proper Project Design in place. Using the findings from last year i.e. the ornamental bridge it was theoretically possible to mark out the site of the L-shaped building and thus site our 5 m x 2 m trench more accurately.

 

The small square 'building' bottom right showed itself to be the ornamental bridge in 2013. Knowing the dimensions and position it was theoretically possible to find the location of the larger building. Using surveyors tapes and a laser level the outline of the larger building was plotted.

 

 

In this way it was hoped to be able to position our trench over the larger end of the building, if possible across the wall.
The other information that was used was to take so samples 20 cm down at the supposed depth of the archaeological deposit. These were tested for phosphate as the presence of this compound is always linked with occupation or animal husbandry.

 

The two darker blue samples on the left indicate a high level of phosphate and came from two places within the proposed trench area. The much paler blue samples on the right were taken from areas adjacent to but away from the site on the North and West sides. The show what may be considered to be an "background" phosphate level. With this evidence the site of the 5m x 2m trench was fixed.

The area was then mown  by contractors and the turf  removed using a turf stripping machine.  The turf was carefully rolled up  and covered in polythene sheeting to keep it  in good condition for relaying.