The July Group Meet - what a haul!

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT THAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE

Note - an Annual Summary of our work can be found on the TO DO page.

A good turnout - group members prepared to start work on a hot summer day.
27th July 2014

Look back to the entry for our meet on December 22nd 2013  and compare!

The Group Meet on Sunday 27th July was very productive. An exceptional haul of unwanted items were pulled up from the river today at the Guildford Road bridge where the river was running clear, apart from the rubbish. Our main area is downstream of the bridge.

Using ropes and hooks slung over the parapet, one rusty bicycle, a discarded football goal net, a supermarket trolley, two large blocks of polystyrene and assorted cans and bottles were hauled up directly from the river bed. Other members of the group collected large amounts of 'picnic' litter found along the whole of our stretch of the riverside. Perhaps for such a large area it wasn't at all excessive.

Two large blocks of polystyrene, part of the base of a scrapped garden shed

- they almost filled the river.

and a rusty bicycle -

A supermarket trolley, fortunately the wheels were still good -

The complete haul retrieved from the river

at the Guildford Road bridge, being wheeled to the collection point

from where HDC Parks and Countryside Rangers removed it. 

MIDSUMMER

Changes along the riverside were quite marked this year, with more diversity in wild flowers and grasses evident, all attracting a diversity of bees and butterflies in larger numbers and good numbers of early Damselflies emerging from the water where they have spent as long as two years in larva form. Most of the species seen need healthy, unpolluted river water in order to survive as predators in the larva stage, therefore their presence in adult form is good news, indicating good river ecology , not just of the river itself but of the river bank vegetation and surroundings.

  

This warm bank attracts butterflies - Small Skippers, Meadow Browns, Small Tortoiseshells, Commas, Ringlets and Green-veined White - with Beautiful Demoiselle and Banded Demoiselle damselflies, Large Red damselflies and more. Bumble bees, Honeybees,  Hover flies, Ladybirds are attracted too.

The fresh nettles have been full of caterpillars, mainly of Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies.

We have seen good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies emerge along the river and should soon see the Peacock butterflies. Mixed with the nettles this year, adding to the diversity of the riverbanks, Meadowsweet and Bramble flowers attract even more bees and large numbers of small insects. 

We aim to protect and regenerate the diversity of all the native wild riverside species, flora and fauna alike.

Regeneration in May

EARLY SUMMER AND THE RIVERSIDE SPRINGS TO LIFE AGAIN

MAY 2014

Despite setbacks, the wildflowers are winning here on the wild flower meadow known as the 'Reptile Field' - being one of the fields chosen by ecologists as an ideal place to relocate snakes and lizards from the development site before construction work commenced. Hibernacula for the reptiles were created in this unimproved field which slopes down to the river bank.

Buttercups, Cuckooflower, Tufted Vetch and Clovers have appeared

with more summer flowers to follow.

Butterflies such as Orange Tip are returning.

Wintercress grows in the damp field margin under the old post and rail fencing

OUR AIM as a CONSERVATION GROUP is to

PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

Many birds forage here on the field and in the thickets along its margins

and in the thickets on the river banks.

Wild flowers and wild grasses attract huge numbers of insects and spiders which in turn provide food for insectivorous birds. In autumn when the flowers and grasses go to seed these provide plentiful food for seed-eating birds over the winter.

Long-established ant's nests here in the earth provide food for the green woodpecker.

Here are some statistics!

Out of the total number of bird species seen here in 'our' area along the river (see WILDLIFE page),

about 10% are on the (National) Red List of endangered species and a further 28% are on the (National) Amber List of falling populations.

There are many reasons why species become endangered and eventually extinct but loss of habitat is one of the prime causes. Loss of habitat means loss of food sources, loss of shelter and loss of nesting sites.

SPRING 2014

WILD FLOWER PLANTING ON THE RIVER BANK

The Group met on Sunday 30th March - the first fine day for our meet for several months!

Our Group had received several donations of Wild Flower seeds and these were planted on ground which was rapidly drying out in the sun. It seemed like only a few days ago that it was all under water...and now we will need to water the plants every day unless it rains....

Blackthorn in blossom on the riverside - a vital early food source

Preparing the ground and planting - 

then watering will be needed during the coming drought.....

or maybe not!

AFTER THE WINTER STORMS

The day of our meet on Sunday 23rd February was, as usual, overcast and windy but this time the rain held off. Waiting for ideal conditions to install the bat boxes was no longer an option.

Here are the three boxes, high up in the pine tree, each one facing in a

different direction to allow bats to move from one roost to the

other according the changing conditions during the day.

It will probably be quite a while before any bats move in. 

The tree was swaying around in the strong wind

but the boxes will provide shelter and warmth for

roosting bats over the spring, summer and autumn.

They choose different roosts over the winter when 

hibernating.

WINTER - WORK GOES ON IN ALL WEATHERS

Winter has brought more than enough rain already but work continues for Hills Farm Conservation Group.

(please click on the headings above to find out more, such as NEXT MEET

or scroll down here to see previous posts )

Our meet on 22nd December 2013 started in relentless rain. Here

are some of the group suitably dressed for the very muddy work.

Is there no end to this ? The Skypliers proved to be very effective

at grabbing the booms from the river - note the water level!

 The pollution incident upstream last September left a number of soak up booms in the river around the surface-water pipe outfall across Guildford Road some distance upstream. These were left by the EA, became detached during heavy rainfall and washed downstream, eventually reaching our area.

To date we have retrieved 5 of them! 

WHILST WE WERE REMOVING ONE OF THE BOOMS - A KINGFISHER MADE A FLYPAST ALONG THE RIVER

That's why we do what we are doing!

AUTUMN 2013 ON THE RIVERSIDE

HILLS FARM CONSERVATION GROUP

After a very busy Summer, autumn has arrived quite suddenly.

The River Arun on 28th October 2013 - after the 'Storm' the river is running high and fast,

quite normal for this time of the year and looking as it should do, with rich river bank vegetation and willows with roots binding the banks, preventing erosion and collapse and providing shelter and backwaters where small creatures can take refuge

Road works nearby have added to our list of tasks - here we are

salvaging a WSCC Highways wheelbarrow, thrown into the river.

It has now been repaired and may be useful to us in the future! 

Never ending - throughout the year, trolleys will always

appear.