On Thursday we will again walk the Banstead Wood paths and clear any fallen/dangerous trees. Meet at the Park Farm car park at 10:00hrs.

The task for Tuesday is to continue/complete the scrub reduction at The Knoll. Meet at the Rambler's Rest car park at 10:00hrs. As always, if the weather is too inclement, I will cancel the task by 09:00hrs by email.

As the winter coppicing and scrub reduction comes to a close, it is time to consider the task programme for the coming months. To start, the Chalkhill Blue site on Stagbury field is in serious need of some attention to reduce the considerable amount of coarse grasses that threatens to engulf the butterfly's food plant - the low growing Horseshoe Vetch. We will shortly begin work on this important area by raking over the site to remove the 'thatch' of dead grass and then strimming the site to reduce the height of the vegetation, followed by a final rake-over to remove the cut vegetation.
Other tasks that will form. the major part of our spring and summer work are:
Vegetation control of the Banstead Wood orchards.
Vegetation control at the White-letter Hairstreak site in Banstead Wood.
Path maintenance throughout the woodland and grassland areas.
Walking the butterfly transect.
A census of the ant species present at the site and their distribution (the NBN Atlas lacks any ant records at all for the site!) 
Wild flower surveys across suitable parts of the site.
​We will also have our usual 'photographer's walks' around the site.

In what looks to be a bumper year for amorous amphibian activity, the many frogs spawning over a large part of Banstead Woods pond have now been joined by toads.

Hover to view captions, click to enlarge pics.

The task for Thursday is to continue with the scrub reduction at The Knoll. Meet at the Rambler's Rest car park at 10:00hrs. 
​See you there.