Well we got the hedge finished today with a few whips to spare but not many and fortunately the heavy rain forecast yesterday turned to light rain this morning and in reality we didn’t get much at all.

The next Sunday Conservation Day at Hastings Country Park is January 3rd 2016, a good opportunity to work off all those Christmas excesses! Back at the Milking Parlour today we decided that the 17th would be our last working day this year and to re-convene on the 7th January.

However Christmas Eve falls on a Thursday this year and Alex has offered to renew an old tradition of mince pies and mulled wine or tea/coffee for any Volunteers who care to drop in at the Milking Parlour in the morning like he used to do at the Cottage.

This week we have been planting a new hedge between the two parts of the newly divided field next to the Helipad (Fairlight Road Picnic Site) a length of nearly 200m. The species we have planted is a mixture of Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Field Maple, Hazel, Hornbeam and Pedunculate (English) Oak. The ten oaks in the mix will when mature provide standard trees along the hedge and at the ends will give connectivity to the existing hedgerows.

The plants or whips as they are called are in a double row, six to the metre with canes for support and spiral guards for protection against rabbit damage. There is also a fence either side to protect  the hedge from grazing stock whilst it gets established.

So far on Thursday and Friday we have kept dry but the forecast for tomorrow (Sunday) when we’ll be finishing off the job is not so promising.

Friday was also a sad day for us as we said goodbye to Estate Ranger, Chris Morns, who is leaving Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve on Tuesday and we wish him all the best for the future.

We had one last burn to do at Ecclesbourne Meadow left to do and what a day we picked! It started off dry and we got the fire lit ok but strong winds blew the flames through the fire rather than letting them up through the brash piled on top. Then it rained and boy did it rain! It was looking like we would have to go back again, but when? As the ground conditions are getting a little too wet to drive over there without the risk of getting stuck. Feeding the fire was very slow going when we broke for a cuppa and biscuits.

During our break the wind abated a little and we started to see flame coming up through the pile and by the time we started again we were able to really start to pile it on. By lunch the brash was all gone. Phil had very kindly brought us all a packet of posh crisps each and Mr Pip very generously allowed me to have some of his.

This just left us to tidy up and push the fire in before returning to the farm, put away the tools and wash up before going home to find some dry clothes!!

Farewell Ecclesbourne Meadow but like Arnie we’ll be back.

Well it’s not every year that November 5th falls on a Conservation Day so today at Hastings Country Park we just had to have a bonfire! Plenty to burn as we had 3 days worth of cutting to get rid of.

Despite the recent rain we got the fire going quickly using a pile of dead blackthorn that we had sorted out for that purpose.

Overhead we saw a peregrine being very territorial with a pair of ravens. Pausing briefly for a tea break we managed to get most of the brash burnt before stopping for a well earned lunch for which Andy had kindly provided sausages and rolls plus hazel sticks to warm the sausages over the coals and we washed these down with hot soup.

Fishing for sausages

This just left us to push the fire in and wait for it to burn down and we were able to get packed up and away before the promised rain arrived.

Next week we’ll have another cut on Thursday and burn that and what was left today on Friday.

Pushing on today into the blackthorn a bit deeper than the previous scallop we came upon a small area of blackthorn under a couple of small oak trees that is almost completely covered in lichen. Now lichen id is not really my thing but I think it is Ramalina farinacea or Cartilage Lichen. We are not going any further in so this will not be disturbed at the moment.

We also found a fleece tree ripe for picking, so helped ourselves.

That’s it for scallop 2, time for a bonfire next!