tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66334133490065348532024-03-05T06:57:09.171+00:00Attingham Park Warden's BlogJoy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-44248130270645966572016-09-08T12:00:00.005+01:002016-09-08T12:03:53.622+01:00Farewell everyone!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colin with a growing mountain of wood chip</td></tr>
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My sincerest apologies for the silence over the last few months! There has been a lot less time in the office and a lot more out on projects and surveys as we made the most of the summer and started on one of our biggest tasks - the new biomass burner. To get the property off heating oil we are installing the NT's largest woodchip boiler to date, and the Rangers are now responsible for providing the quality chip that will feed the burner and heat the Stables and Mansion. There is a huge amount of work involved in this, from carrying out the woodland management and selective tree felling, winching the trees in, transporting the timber and stacking it to dry, splitting and chipping the timber, storing the chip and once the building work is complete we will need to bring the tractor and trailer around to fill the hopper several times a week. Building work in front of the Stables has been going on for weeks and the burner is due to be switched on at the end of September. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Painted Lady butterfly feeding on a thistle</td></tr>
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We have recently finished some butterfly surveys along four 1km routes that are feeding in to a national database to monitor the state of common species on farmland. Butterflies have been in decline for many years and we hope that these surveys will show patterns that link to different land management practices so that we can help these beautiful insects to make a comeback. We found a range of species including Small and Large White, Comma, Red Admiral, Painted Lady, Peacock, Small Copper, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood, Green-veined White and Small Tortoiseshell.</div>
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Our volunteers have worked tirelessly this summer to keep the Park walks and wider Estate tidy with lots of strimming and mowing to keep the grass and weeds at bay, picking ragwort, repairing fences, monitoring the fishing routes, managing the camp site and play field, helping all the other departments with tents and marquees, collecting timber, producing cleft oak pales, repairing trailers and signs and all the other dozens of jobs that we come up with each week! A huge thank you to all of you for your hard work and dedication whatever the weather.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of many fantastic memories - assisting with ringing<br />
baby Barn owls in one of our boxes</td></tr>
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I am quite sad as I write this because it is my last blog post as a Ranger here at Attingham, and the final post of this particular blog. I am moving to start a new position at another property which is very exciting but I will really miss the team and this beautiful Estate! It has been a brilliant nine years and thank you to everyone that has followed my updates and pictures. Attingham Park will always be a very special place and I look forward to coming back to visit and see what's new. </div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-86124445649542177372016-04-23T16:45:00.003+01:002016-04-23T16:45:54.103+01:00Restoring the landscape at Cronkhill Farm<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em>Arum maculatum</em> or Lords-and-Ladies</td></tr>
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It's that wonderful time of the year again when, on certain days, us rangers can peel off the layers of fleece and waterproof jackets and actually work with the warmth of the sun on our skin. Frozen fingers and wind-chapped cheeks are quickly forgotten with every flourishing wildflower, budding leaf and skylark song. </div>
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We have enjoyed several days of sunshine working at Cronkhill Farm where five home-grown oaks have been planted to replace dead and dying trees out in the fields alongside the river. This is the start of a larger plan to replace the many trees that we know were in these fields historically but are no longer in the landscape. Each new tree has a guard around it to protect from grazing cattle and sheep - we made our guards out of untreated sweet chestnut posts and hardwood rails for strength and longevity. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digging out the post holes with an auger</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We worked with the farmer to choose the best alignment of tree and <br />
guard with sunshine and direction of cutting for the hay crop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished replacement</td></tr>
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We will be keeping a close eye on these trees to ensure that they are healthy and will water them during any dry spells. Good luck little oaks!</div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-7621084247791365252016-03-27T11:37:00.000+01:002016-03-27T11:37:08.720+01:00Bluebells are comingAfter a cracking Good Friday and more typical Easter Saturday (I've stayed drier when swimming!) I've been out and about in the grounds and found the first bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in flower - hooray! It will be a few more weeks before we get a really stunning display but keep your eyes peeled next time you are out and about in woodland.<br />
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We have planted up the new orchard, finished gapping up hedges and have used up the rest of our shrubs and trees at Duncote Farm to create a 100x5 metre planting. We have put in a few black poplar on one end to see if they take in the wetter ground. The horse chestnut buds are starting to burst into leaf, the rooks are busily finishing their nests and the blackthorn is in bloom - spring is here again.<br />
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Burn off some chocolate eggs and join our Countryside Manager on Sunday 3rd April on a walk exploring our oldest and newest orchards - the walk starts at 2pm from the Stables courtyard, £2 per adult and children go free. It will be a chance to walk around some of the Estate that you will not have seen before!<br />
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-13896138892724657202016-03-03T22:24:00.001+00:002016-03-03T22:24:39.278+00:00A record breaking yearMarch already? The year is flying by!<br />
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The ranger team have been flying around the estate working on lots of different projects, all while reduced in numbers from various illnesses so please bear with me if the updates are sporadic! The Smethcote lane hedge has been finished with just the brash to be burned once we can gather it up - we need the field to dry out a bit before we can drive on and scoop it up. Our team plus some of the SSNTV have laid a good long section of maiden hedge along another nearby lane, and we are now beavering away on a 100m section of much older hedge at Cronkhill Farm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Schwegler 2F bat box</td></tr>
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We have finished pruning back the cherry trees along the MT shed lane to stop them from getting tangled in phone lines and begun a tidying job in the woods to clear up brash and timber left over from the resurfacing of the Woodland Walk. We have hung more bird boxes at Betton Farm and some bat boxes behind our workshop, helped to build a chicken coop in the Walled Garden for the new birds, put up new fencing around Berwick New House Farm and at the back of the Walled Garden for the new nursery and continued to produce hundreds of kilos of venison in the butchery. The final cull is tomorrow morning so there will only be a few more weeks of venison preparation and packing, and it also means that Bob and I get our Thursday evenings back without having to go back to work and lock up the park!<br />
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Our first guided walk of the year was a big success last Sunday with Charlotte showing a group round the Mile Walk looking at winter tree identification. The new 2016 events leaflet is now available and has all of our walks printed on it for the year if you would like to join us - as well as some old favourites we have some new walks this year, including a tour of the best photography spots, meet the Parkland Gardeners and an all ability walk that will be very short in distance but full of information on how we manage the park.<br />
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Next week we are working with pupils from a local primary school who will be helping us to plant up the new orchard at Berwick Wharf. The orchard will be mixed fruit, made up of apples, pears, quinces, plums, greengages, mirabelles and a medlar - I'm very excited to see how this orchard turns out and look forward to a delicious harvest in a few years time. Mirabelles are part of the prunus family and the fruits are very small, rounded plums, almost cherry sized. If you are wondering what a medlar looks like there is one growing outside the Bothy by the Walled Garden - the fruits make a very tasty jelly.<br />
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We have a lot of timber to gather in from woodland thinnings and dangerous tree works which will be dried, chipped and stored to use in the biomass boiler that will be built later this year to heat the Stables and Mansion. One issue at the moment is access to the wood - the ground is still so wet in places from the soggy winter and flooding that we can't pull the wood out without risking getting stuck or making a huge mess.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flooding at Brompton earlier this year as seen from the entrance to Cronkhill Farm</td></tr>
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After a hectic day last Sunday I decided to finish the day with a stroll in the late afternoon sun rather than to drive to lock up for the night. As I walked I startled a hare from a tussock of grass and watched it hurtle across the field at top speed. To my delight it was soon joined by another, then another and then suddenly there were five hares in the far end of the field lolloping around - a fantastic sight and a first for me. This evening I crossed paths with a badger, who appeared completely unbothered by my presence as he trotted along with great purpose. You never know what you may see when out and about on the Attingham estate!<br /><div>
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March 1st is the start of another new financial year and 2015 saw Attingham having another record-breaking year in terms of visitor numbers - despite not having a Frost Fair or Food Fair we had over 403,000 people through the door. Let's see what 2016 brings!</div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-8316705806963296542016-01-21T14:55:00.003+00:002016-01-21T14:55:28.947+00:00A chilly start to the yearWell, it's about time for an update!<br />
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Frosty mornings and heavy rain have made it a challenging start to the year as the teams continue with hedgelaying and replanting a stretch of hedge at Duncote Farm. Wrapped up against the elements we have cut the old, brittle and gappy hawthorn hedge back to base to encourage it to reshoot and planted up the gaps with a mixture of hawthorn, holly and hazel. The stretch of hedge that we have been laying for two months now has just a few meters to go until we reach our target length for the year and this week we collected some extra hazel stakes and binders from Wenlock Edge to help us finish the job.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilly mornings as we get the kettle on in time for the volunteers to arrive!</td></tr>
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I have been using the wildlife camera on the Estate to see what we can spot and was pleased to get plenty of footage of badgers and a fox as well as the usual rabbits. It's a wonderful chance to get a peek at these secretive creatures. I'm still trying to capture some images of the otters on our land but no luck yet - though many visitors spot them from our paths near the Tern and on New Years Day a visitor took some incredible pictures of an otter near the stone bridge that ended up in the local news!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVIAEJhcZYkEc3AVMJmMrnG0QQhm01_6m9JNYxAdbxRgeHirW5Lvc5WQfFA9hL83uj7lewCqObcBrLPhMz06tcPw16sPCEIaIMp9WkEWZE3bf56maY9Y172oFdZhte0VX12mAnj1p3lQE/s1600/badger+cam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVIAEJhcZYkEc3AVMJmMrnG0QQhm01_6m9JNYxAdbxRgeHirW5Lvc5WQfFA9hL83uj7lewCqObcBrLPhMz06tcPw16sPCEIaIMp9WkEWZE3bf56maY9Y172oFdZhte0VX12mAnj1p3lQE/s320/badger+cam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA06PQmxR9i3N1U7aFVhqpv0TQqgIxCrJTxvO2iFX_2hEtA6vZbRzkAvFFHJc_rdk9Qz_HvpegGvTTAZUNmjI_qYBNePl8zUt9OR9XyyF95tWqI1xvrGYXTR4c8uZQazrUO2YO0-ZetUH/s1600/fox+cam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPA06PQmxR9i3N1U7aFVhqpv0TQqgIxCrJTxvO2iFX_2hEtA6vZbRzkAvFFHJc_rdk9Qz_HvpegGvTTAZUNmjI_qYBNePl8zUt9OR9XyyF95tWqI1xvrGYXTR4c8uZQazrUO2YO0-ZetUH/s320/fox+cam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Tree safety inspections have also continued over the last few weeks. At this time of year it is easy to spot areas of decay or damage in the crown and upper stem of the tree and to investigate as necessary. There will be some work with tree surgeons over the next few weeks on some ash and sycamores around the top of the Mile Walk and Deer Park Walk - mostly reduction of limbs that are decayed and hanging over the path and a couple of reductions down to 'monoliths' where the crown is completely removed but the trunk of the tree is left standing. These decisions are not made lightly but where the tree gives us the signals of weakening structure (decay, fungi, excessive movement, hollowness, dieback in the crown) we need to take action where there is risk of harm if the tree fails. By leaving a monolith we create a new habitat - as the remainder of the tree dies and slowly decays you will see all kinds of holes appear in it from insects and birds as they burrow and feed. Without the strain of branches and the sail effect of leaves and branches in the wind, the remaining trunk will stand for many years and often decades with a far reduced risk of falling over.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlvz5Z7q_AfMXMeiaidCRD_OGG1fJynv-tL0UplLipvyWYfP6CQu9hzf6dttJff4JSMfiYfMNlScIevFJdvx6xrnQDuaIfZYiIWMj2p6Cf68ZhLtepbQGZpWtcAWaL8QIo9YkmN44hNdy/s1600/woodpecker+holes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlvz5Z7q_AfMXMeiaidCRD_OGG1fJynv-tL0UplLipvyWYfP6CQu9hzf6dttJff4JSMfiYfMNlScIevFJdvx6xrnQDuaIfZYiIWMj2p6Cf68ZhLtepbQGZpWtcAWaL8QIo9YkmN44hNdy/s400/woodpecker+holes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Woodpecker holes </td></tr>
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-7951600992969719672015-12-23T13:19:00.001+00:002015-12-23T13:19:45.031+00:00Merry Christmas and introducing your new Rangers!Finally we have reached that wonderful time of year - after months of darkening evenings and murky mornings, the Winter Solstice arrived and now we can look forward to brighter times!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The morning of the Winter Solstice as seen from our Woodshed</td></tr>
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Oh, and it's Christmas! The Elves have been busy feeding the deer up in case Father Christmas should need a fallow stand-in tomorrow night - you can see them today and tomorrow at 2pm feeding from their bright red sleigh...</div>
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Unfortunately the weather continues to bring us rain and winter rather than a nice frosty or snowy holiday, so you might want to wear your new wellies or walking boots when you come for a walk to work off those mince pies next week. The newly surfaced Woodland Walk, however, is dry and smooth so that's definitely one to enjoy. We celebrated its opening by testing out the new Trampers:</div>
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We spent a day at Sunnycroft last week to help clear up after a large walnut tree fell over during a storm. It was quite a job to saw up but with a crew of Sunnycroft and Attingham volunteers the brash was soon cleared and burned while we cut the remaining tree into logs and lengths which will be dried and planked up for later use. Walnut is a beautiful wood, often used in wood turning, furniture making and for gun stocks. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joy and Colin modelling the new<br />Ranger uniform</td></tr>
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And now, an update from the wardens - we are no longer wardens! Last week we made the official transition to the title of Rangers, in keeping with the rest of the National Trust. We will still be doing the same work but we have some snazzy (and bright) new uniforms (to be kept for best for now, so expect to see us in our greens for a while yet!) and some alterations to our role profiles. A trying-on session was immediately needed - introducing the Ranger and Area Ranger!</div>
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This week we have kept busy despite most of our volunteers having a break for the holiday; deer feeding, packaging venison, looking for lost dogs, dealing with found dogs, checking trees after the wind, putting up emergency fencing after a car accident, keeping the park supplied with logs to keep everyone warm and cosy, and deep cleaning the butchery - and it's not the end of the week yet...</div>
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Remember that the Park is closed on Christmas Day so we will see you again from Boxing Day. On behalf of all of the Ranger team, Merry Christmas!</div>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-62772518319535407482015-12-04T12:36:00.001+00:002015-12-04T12:36:29.037+00:00Stormy WeatherThe weather is keeping us on our toes! The last few weeks have flown by as we try to keep on top of all our usual jobs as well as dealing with the high winds and flooding.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Storm Barney took it's toll</td></tr>
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I was on call when Storm Barney hit and had a call at 11.30pm to check on a tree that had gone down next to the road between Berwick Wharf and Upton Magna. After making sure it was safe for the night there were a few restless hours of sleep listening to the wind howl before getting up early to start the post-storm checks. Before we open to the public everywhere has to be checked for fallen or dangerous trees - roads, drives, paths, gardens - so by starting at daybreak we could make sure that the front and back drive, car park, Mile Walk and gardens were safe for 9am opening.</div>
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We had some tree casualties - one large ash over the Deer Park fence, a huge old beech near the Berwick Memorial (we knew this one's days were limited and altered a path to avoid it years ago) and multiple branches around the walks and wider estate. Several walks were temporarily closed down while Duncan, Matt and I got the chainsaws out and made everything safe and Colin came in on his day off to deal with the hanging branches at Berwick Wharf and organise a tree surgeon to come in. Such is the life of an NT warden!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This beech, already weakened by internal decay, could not hold on against the 60+mph gusts</td></tr>
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Now we are keeping a close eye on water levels - at present the causeway between the Ice House and Deer Park is still dry but we are checking the rising and falling water to make sure the path is safe. Remember a few years ago when the flood water washed away part of the path? The flooding does make for some spectacular views but do take care if you are driving - I've seen a few cars drifting across the road as they take in the sights! The permissive path from the Park up to Upton Forge is currently underwater, as is the Tern Bridge walk. <br />
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The Woodland Walk is nearly ready to be reopened and next Tuesday ay 10am we will be having a little opening ceremony at the start of the walk by the wooden peacock so come along to be one of the first to try out the wider, smoother, drier walk. <br />
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We are feeding the deer at 2pm at weekends so come along to see the herd enjoy a fodder beet or two!<br />
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-80842879913993658862015-11-08T16:13:00.001+00:002015-11-08T16:19:17.763+00:00Woodland walks and wet toes!If you have been to Attingham recently you will have seen that the Parkland Restoration project has begun around the Mile Walk pleasure grounds. This project will see the grounds restored to their original plan with more flowering shrubs and attractive plantings. One of the first steps is to remove some of the self-seeded trees that have been allowed to grow over the last few decades in order to make room for the plantings and to give light and space to the woodland floor and other trees. The wardens have been helping by collecting up the felled timber with the tractor and forwarder and taking the thinnings away to season.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Woodland Walk</td></tr>
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Another current project for us is to resurface the Woodland Walk. This path is very narrow in places, bumpy with roots and stumps and in winter it gets extremely wet and muddy. To make the walk more accessible for all we are widening it slightly and creating a smoother, drier surface so that trampers and all-terrain pushchairs will be able to use it more comfortably. Last week we took out several small trees to allow the path to be widened (and allow access for the machinery that will be used to lay the new path), leaving high stumps so that the diggers can pull up the roots. We hope to get this path finished before Christmas so look out for signs at Visitor Reception which will let you know when the walk is closed while we work. </div>
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The rut is officially over in the deer park and we have started to feed the herd to help them put on a bit of weight before winter. They are fed on fodder beet, hay and 'nuts' to keep them in tiptop health, plus special licks are provided to top up mineral levels. We will start to feed at 2pm every weekend in front of the public from Saturday 14th November so bring your cameras! As usual, we ask that you keep on the path and do not approach the deer in case they are spooked and bolt, and of course keep dogs on a very short lead.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsvKahuOBjBO3yHBIYpdpjH6e-gvabAJwaTzsj3aXZwNAEkNZEAsSLVRrOoUtavuavfs9sx5xuwANZuQav6nIcg_O99gAiobStD9nyac9jify6DVV6tDZhv4W32m0uQNJvl2AaNqjqhGD/s1600/DSC07808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsvKahuOBjBO3yHBIYpdpjH6e-gvabAJwaTzsj3aXZwNAEkNZEAsSLVRrOoUtavuavfs9sx5xuwANZuQav6nIcg_O99gAiobStD9nyac9jify6DVV6tDZhv4W32m0uQNJvl2AaNqjqhGD/s640/DSC07808.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the bucks tucking in to his fodder beet</td></tr>
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The hedgelaying team continue along the lane, despite some grey and drizzly days - thank goodness for tea and biscuits!It's a very satisfying job when you can look at a finished stretch like this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A lovely bit of midland-bullock hedgelaying! (Photo by Terry Carr)</td></tr>
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Last week we hosted Mad Jack's 5 off-road race which meant more than a day of preparation by our team to clear the route, check the stiles, put up the ropes and handrail to help competitors through and out of the pond and assist with the marking out of the 5 mile route. Colin checked the route again first thing on race day and then the weekend team helped to marshal and clear up afterwards. Despite an awful downpour at the start of the day the sun came out as we ran and I think the 400-odd runners had a brilliant time!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdygrtiPqJj28lOimtqrRyN9mc-XpXv1iRNWWwPKv5UN8iSbj2BqFLBsWx3VHKdNxZuQLGIHTaNPKGRi1vDkviKmy-O4QoJKTFAQl0FMPVOnpj1d2JbxB9bhYxazCK9Vx4oj59X3WjMfw/s1600/mad+jacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLdygrtiPqJj28lOimtqrRyN9mc-XpXv1iRNWWwPKv5UN8iSbj2BqFLBsWx3VHKdNxZuQLGIHTaNPKGRi1vDkviKmy-O4QoJKTFAQl0FMPVOnpj1d2JbxB9bhYxazCK9Vx4oj59X3WjMfw/s400/mad+jacks.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marking out the race route - someone had to do it... (Photo by Jess Foster)</td></tr>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-31901647817078943002015-10-23T14:48:00.001+01:002015-10-23T14:48:15.365+01:00Fruiting bodies that can lead to felling<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQb7HGV3Ct0j8XF2wn8iW6NkvA6j9D_f-CxQNyP7vOdHfzoh7Xe8b9xQoS2rjpwCr3xKplWfxgj2HOybGSPl3DyAdeLTcTLThvnR-C4Rl1L2bmAP0sEa7otH_GPICqNGrBFHPyuvZ4Mw-X/s1600/DSC07721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQb7HGV3Ct0j8XF2wn8iW6NkvA6j9D_f-CxQNyP7vOdHfzoh7Xe8b9xQoS2rjpwCr3xKplWfxgj2HOybGSPl3DyAdeLTcTLThvnR-C4Rl1L2bmAP0sEa7otH_GPICqNGrBFHPyuvZ4Mw-X/s320/DSC07721.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kretzschmaria deusta</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1y66KJt0pAFi05lkxJ9yCUeyeiJfAHk7U5iJaYmThE4Om8nUrtgfaxwqJNQ0GSmC32wmr5hBr86LrVgV-oiVfsZAw-ABG-EjKAVla1cG58I0l9JP5lqSTuz-BD5IfGyREMlef5gDdkZw/s1600/DSC07658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1y66KJt0pAFi05lkxJ9yCUeyeiJfAHk7U5iJaYmThE4Om8nUrtgfaxwqJNQ0GSmC32wmr5hBr86LrVgV-oiVfsZAw-ABG-EjKAVla1cG58I0l9JP5lqSTuz-BD5IfGyREMlef5gDdkZw/s320/DSC07658.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meripilus giganteus</td></tr>
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This week we said goodbye to one of our beech trees along the Mile Walk as it had to be felled for safety reasons. This tree had been showing signs of ill health for several years, dying back in the crown and dropping smaller branches, but this year several fungal fruiting bodies appeared and the decision was made.<br />
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Fungi on trees doesn't necessarily mean bad news but the two found around the base of this tree - Kretzschmaria deusta and Meripilus giganteus - unfortunately are. These fungi can enter through the root system and cause extensive decay in the roots and base of a tree without showing many obvious symptoms at first. When Meripilus does show a fruiting body you see large clusters of brackets at the base of the tree or near the base of it if the roots are affected. Kretzschmaria is harder to spot, showing as patches of black, bumpy, coal-like crust on the bark around the base or in the buttresses. Our beech tree had been struggling for a while because the damaged roots meant that water and nutrients were not able to travel up to the crown. These fungi break down the cellulose and lignin, structural components in the tree, leaving the tree severely weakened - trees with these fungi often fail at the roots and fall over in winds.<br />
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One of our Parkland Gardeners, Matt, is qualified to fell large trees and he took the job on, bringing the tree safely down and exposing the internal decay.<br />
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In other news the hedgelaying teams are doing well, though the warm weather can make it hard work in all the layers that we wear to protect ourselves from the thorns!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQYteSVLq_vrJk60dOh5bSS92za8O5xy3dwlKLMPnXaEGZg-cIALihvJauyT9IQd4-z37Gj51fwqJwSHQneAz5iJ0Yv44UHPQ1o3yWF4qBsrNk20uHMZhzqcBr5oSKNeFGIPszUzknBsa/s1600/12118911_10153711739102431_9148163211035421002_n%255B1%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoQYteSVLq_vrJk60dOh5bSS92za8O5xy3dwlKLMPnXaEGZg-cIALihvJauyT9IQd4-z37Gj51fwqJwSHQneAz5iJ0Yv44UHPQ1o3yWF4qBsrNk20uHMZhzqcBr5oSKNeFGIPszUzknBsa/s320/12118911_10153711739102431_9148163211035421002_n%255B1%255D.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Phil Allmark</td></tr>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-33056061179401321172015-10-11T17:52:00.001+01:002015-10-11T17:52:07.452+01:00October sightings and sounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The deer park is a hive of activity at the moment as the rut is in full swing. The bucks can be seen and heard 'groaning', the grunting call that attracts females and warns other males away - as the rut progresses the groaning becomes shorter and higher pitched as they call themselves hoarse. The bucks may also be seen fighting as they compete for females. Their antlers clashing can be heard from far away and the sight of two or more bucks battling it out is a sight to be seen. It is a very important season for the deer so we are urging everyone more than ever to stick to the paths and not go in for a closer look, both for your safety (you don't want to be anywhere near those antlers!) and to ensure that mating is not interrupted. The deer are spread all over the park as the males hold their rutting stands so if you follow the WWII walk you are bound to see or hear something!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hygrocybe calyptriformis (Pink waxcap)</td></tr>
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The fantastic weather has continued and we have had a busy weekend with many people enjoying a picnic in the sun or playing rugby in the sport field. The warm weather has kept many insects on the wing later than usual and on today's guided walk we spotted hawker and common darter dragonflies in the deer park. </div>
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Earlier this week the wardens were kept busy managing the trees and hedge at the entrance to Confluence Meadow, preparing a hedge along Smethcote lane for laying and continuing with the tree inspections across the estate. I've also been busy sniffing out more fungi so here are a few more to share with you - I'm trying harder than ever with my identification skills but if you know your stuff and can offer any corrections then please do leave a comment!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coprinus lagopus (Hare'sfoot inkcap)<br /><br /></td></tr>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-66849738706407701682015-10-02T10:08:00.000+01:002015-10-02T14:10:35.302+01:00Harvest Fair and fabulous fungiWell, September passed a bit quickly! I was lucky enough to spend four days last month at Fountains Abbey on a course and it is truly spectacular - well worth a visit if you are heading to Yorkshire on your holidays.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L0Hv28srW_Vu5FYNUwdgZRJ3esC8MdfaUJmJe43lQYiQYBGH6DkNYvmeQuQPWrXebKXN0xZpaTqRfLBZN8GDgaN1Jp6pM9scfrJfo8pr6lFOZWPRxHhcQg0preXh5tEmgbotV-Czyflf/s1600/DSC07584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7L0Hv28srW_Vu5FYNUwdgZRJ3esC8MdfaUJmJe43lQYiQYBGH6DkNYvmeQuQPWrXebKXN0xZpaTqRfLBZN8GDgaN1Jp6pM9scfrJfo8pr6lFOZWPRxHhcQg0preXh5tEmgbotV-Czyflf/s400/DSC07584.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben and Phil hard at work</td></tr>
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Last weekend saw the Attingham Harvest Fair in full swing - two days of displays, demonstrations, food and music all in glorious sunshine. Much of the event was based in the Walled Garden with stalls, cookery demonstrations, apple pressing and produce. The Estate team were based in the paddock with a range of tractors to admire, produce from all over the estate (including grains, vegetables and two tonnes of Lady Claire potatoes!), logs, milled timber and Phil and Ben brought their pole lathes and shave horses to give green woodworking demos. Demonstrations with the timber crane drew the crowds (with some serious demos of loading and unloading wood as well as building log round towers and dropping freshly-turned wooden eggs into cups!) but I fear that our 'cute' appeal was lost in comparison to the Home Farm display with the tiny Shetland foal!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coco the miniature Shetland</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFE3x8l4ojH6JaOL4V9Nm6ri6RLhldcuvz_aFz1nvoS1uveWNDHrDZ4sWpwuuoJB9m7gWXgdakAmDUAsfyx_52kB6T7983RGUAMBYCL_JBNgzAH4kB45apam4Gw8drwGg1xT8PJp1HLdU/s1600/DSC07580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFE3x8l4ojH6JaOL4V9Nm6ri6RLhldcuvz_aFz1nvoS1uveWNDHrDZ4sWpwuuoJB9m7gWXgdakAmDUAsfyx_52kB6T7983RGUAMBYCL_JBNgzAH4kB45apam4Gw8drwGg1xT8PJp1HLdU/s640/DSC07580.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tractors new and old</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszP6TPHkWoKpUtv17Y2yZpwDlF9986hNW9y5mmR_3zAOZledOY1etHd9OTKESY01LY5O6Ud4x4PBf1z_AscekEEKKLxKI5AzxcqQto734Ig1rdmi8_BYIZNXruhI-JjpNE8kDX84aNm08/s1600/DSC07600+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhszP6TPHkWoKpUtv17Y2yZpwDlF9986hNW9y5mmR_3zAOZledOY1etHd9OTKESY01LY5O6Ud4x4PBf1z_AscekEEKKLxKI5AzxcqQto734Ig1rdmi8_BYIZNXruhI-JjpNE8kDX84aNm08/s640/DSC07600+-+Copy.JPG" width="360" /></a> The autumn colours are appearing in the trees now and fresh fungi are popping up all over the place - here are a few pictures of natures riot of colour. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgrzAG9T3t2EhYetb3TVwfEEX6oQdfqBh2NElRAl9plRztkRDBGh5rBvfCVayum4AaSQhpalIS5tixQPBMfj_s0NHfmLMYIhS1vxj_FPtpvq3waJso6caqQpa8kdp-DAcGDzLdcOyFJdh/s1600/DSC07461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgrzAG9T3t2EhYetb3TVwfEEX6oQdfqBh2NElRAl9plRztkRDBGh5rBvfCVayum4AaSQhpalIS5tixQPBMfj_s0NHfmLMYIhS1vxj_FPtpvq3waJso6caqQpa8kdp-DAcGDzLdcOyFJdh/s400/DSC07461.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Young parasol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbLN5sf9fUkElSId4UXmKQBPRNXSfIR9gIKG46R1xTw8Dc6eMgoQvXna8hi39gC8tEVnm5rC7V_TB5LeKRRTbRjV74RlaCtOBOi__8eSr0E3ogI3_OCLUovq4T27MhevjU8I80CR-_UKH/s1600/DSC07503.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbLN5sf9fUkElSId4UXmKQBPRNXSfIR9gIKG46R1xTw8Dc6eMgoQvXna8hi39gC8tEVnm5rC7V_TB5LeKRRTbRjV74RlaCtOBOi__8eSr0E3ogI3_OCLUovq4T27MhevjU8I80CR-_UKH/s400/DSC07503.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly agaric - they are not always covered in spots!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4JyBaS8lqf1uHHNwSEMyN1HIoip5tREpV8LlgKenVwmDDtraT_KPgCVYfmZ5Ot5YvN0CN9vdhgrIN0pDh5bbVPz6J8l41DWdFyjoPKYWxaSZrxhQ4ONNbhRuibxc6rzLE2PDTIgvqanR/s1600/DSC07541.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz4JyBaS8lqf1uHHNwSEMyN1HIoip5tREpV8LlgKenVwmDDtraT_KPgCVYfmZ5Ot5YvN0CN9vdhgrIN0pDh5bbVPz6J8l41DWdFyjoPKYWxaSZrxhQ4ONNbhRuibxc6rzLE2PDTIgvqanR/s400/DSC07541.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stinkhorn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qNcOHIUy0kMxjcZDivG3oN9suWcpC_Jmd9lHplhyphenhyphen09jMnTyk2_VSZpSfrjKFKqD3b1ntCkPcJuMork0tlw5UQaQ3553AiLPWhs2soK6q-5vknNj2KXQLxedLwMFuJ_TE6En4SB-wHiLz/s1600/DSC07542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1qNcOHIUy0kMxjcZDivG3oN9suWcpC_Jmd9lHplhyphenhyphen09jMnTyk2_VSZpSfrjKFKqD3b1ntCkPcJuMork0tlw5UQaQ3553AiLPWhs2soK6q-5vknNj2KXQLxedLwMFuJ_TE6En4SB-wHiLz/s400/DSC07542.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow stagshorn</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJXZn3OpWhtO2SNfUkVqKc09PsCKi2gYHU1H5HSK7-XHDu99DQYzt3Kb8yL86-FrE51sPzQaJK09fBwaJn7Ou3pkR6TBpWNlBiUjzaVC4OHWbHIELxXGsbkYdWFnu_Kpk716ZPEx3qB2z/s1600/DSC07552.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMJXZn3OpWhtO2SNfUkVqKc09PsCKi2gYHU1H5HSK7-XHDu99DQYzt3Kb8yL86-FrE51sPzQaJK09fBwaJn7Ou3pkR6TBpWNlBiUjzaVC4OHWbHIELxXGsbkYdWFnu_Kpk716ZPEx3qB2z/s400/DSC07552.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fly agaric</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GeUZ8HDKAU7JJxePAWDsTUc2vCBMQmAXP1Gk7QZL2zI74dIhqoi4d1dNdHNvmYITnGtuRan9TgHSgh6xRCBPmOwpgKbbVDWtNnnPdfR3mrv3B5YrCjNVjIouP2A0jhRGQjfiqbeqyruT/s1600/DSC07556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GeUZ8HDKAU7JJxePAWDsTUc2vCBMQmAXP1Gk7QZL2zI74dIhqoi4d1dNdHNvmYITnGtuRan9TgHSgh6xRCBPmOwpgKbbVDWtNnnPdfR3mrv3B5YrCjNVjIouP2A0jhRGQjfiqbeqyruT/s400/DSC07556.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parasol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjW8IGsTFe6GSYXRilxvmW0vRATH25H8YQxPyZy-vz3GJeZUqeX_Z30c_V02mxd4IkLLYAd9zPKSah0iumwF2dNklTFCLFgjtEWR16MKao524sj3A_IrnAmWx1IxuarzljQJIqtyR0_NU8/s1600/DSC07558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjW8IGsTFe6GSYXRilxvmW0vRATH25H8YQxPyZy-vz3GJeZUqeX_Z30c_V02mxd4IkLLYAd9zPKSah0iumwF2dNklTFCLFgjtEWR16MKao524sj3A_IrnAmWx1IxuarzljQJIqtyR0_NU8/s400/DSC07558.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puffballs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyMhJPt2PEgO5rIvG1nbuAEpNg9pzP5sYajubEEhiiA3je6ByeS27sEHbRqwt_7MFMc9Yg5wtmqZ-hZiR1LE2GtyMjc4J0-7qWykIWTmZvErll4MG5lfU-MCvmS8AIDB7IT31vGmk8a5S/s1600/DSC07647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyMhJPt2PEgO5rIvG1nbuAEpNg9pzP5sYajubEEhiiA3je6ByeS27sEHbRqwt_7MFMc9Yg5wtmqZ-hZiR1LE2GtyMjc4J0-7qWykIWTmZvErll4MG5lfU-MCvmS8AIDB7IT31vGmk8a5S/s400/DSC07647.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dead man's fingers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRgjCxyqddm0uBqlj1lFKJ0yGPY68S_hTGC9ApvqakX4e8_az9pAY_srtFAGakrRHgOtEcH5aZs_1JGi3-xjUIE7aZF45raJyJTS2PuK0pIZ0NmZs53LkGCWq45ctNQeAl2fOpJ7Pybbh/s1600/DSC07642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDRgjCxyqddm0uBqlj1lFKJ0yGPY68S_hTGC9ApvqakX4e8_az9pAY_srtFAGakrRHgOtEcH5aZs_1JGi3-xjUIE7aZF45raJyJTS2PuK0pIZ0NmZs53LkGCWq45ctNQeAl2fOpJ7Pybbh/s400/DSC07642.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth star</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCbbnHHqNVGDXRaqqbghinCNIxstZbKaJRSeLFftbsBqK236t2U0bsRqd4sWe6Hox4Ze9exmyx6ircXCdO4nXPMM4HxywFKCLT-BpVoZ5ImMfl0c79JJL-5qUTdBVxtThDQzmNpyVtfiK/s1600/DSC07643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWCbbnHHqNVGDXRaqqbghinCNIxstZbKaJRSeLFftbsBqK236t2U0bsRqd4sWe6Hox4Ze9exmyx6ircXCdO4nXPMM4HxywFKCLT-BpVoZ5ImMfl0c79JJL-5qUTdBVxtThDQzmNpyVtfiK/s400/DSC07643.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earth star unfolded and releasing spores</td></tr>
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-17332583816105640752015-08-30T11:54:00.002+01:002015-08-30T11:54:44.966+01:00Things with wingsSummer is flying by too quickly - it's hard to believe that the holidays are nearly over and that soon we will begin the autumn and winter work programmes of hedge laying, planting and thinning the woodlands. However, we have had an awful lot going on at Attingham to keep us busy so here is an update on some of the work and sights that we have seen.<br />
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Local bird expert Chris Wittles has been busy continuing to monitor birds around the Estate and has found this year to be superb for warblers. We have done some vegetation management near the river and will be doing more this winter to improve the habitat for birds moving along the river corridor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFL6NmT2-QvGaaqULKedOEiFuISeoeTIku2589jFiLRpbIWM3D7kU4M-9QGQhZgU4R0gQktSE1cH6nESgLQ2QBcLV9FT-jHgwFqSU4p08lMXzD1RsQyntgmCDvpyRHna-lwgj45IjkXdnV/s1600/DSC07453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFL6NmT2-QvGaaqULKedOEiFuISeoeTIku2589jFiLRpbIWM3D7kU4M-9QGQhZgU4R0gQktSE1cH6nESgLQ2QBcLV9FT-jHgwFqSU4p08lMXzD1RsQyntgmCDvpyRHna-lwgj45IjkXdnV/s400/DSC07453.JPG" width="347" /></a></div>
While out patrolling our stretch of the River Severn and checking fishing tickets and permits, Martin and Ian spotted our local swan couple who have been very successful this year - you may have seen them if you have been canoeing near the camp site. Six of the seven cygnets have survived and can be seen here enjoying a family paddle!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHe-jmVFdUsfLGm6-ZN9TGnu7tuVxw486v4lFq3B_wU1K20us-qyji9kYIZ2qNifk5pQxKV009qWkL9py6jYq0tLl7pn9rhFpVsYMeuDWcAZ8PZOAUMLBc1Dg7_t2nlnWxQWDF0LlEUjS/s1600/Martin%2527s+swans.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIHe-jmVFdUsfLGm6-ZN9TGnu7tuVxw486v4lFq3B_wU1K20us-qyji9kYIZ2qNifk5pQxKV009qWkL9py6jYq0tLl7pn9rhFpVsYMeuDWcAZ8PZOAUMLBc1Dg7_t2nlnWxQWDF0LlEUjS/s640/Martin%2527s+swans.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Martin Clark</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxHGPbCg-DcAe-sJgeCaMRSUfyoZr4OxQoJI88WejGEWGOaqgEIoRHej2GPp2aSwAZzW3mqIr861lOwwmaP7QIhLnHzKJEQ5ITbrISlM_fGeD7kfX3k8-74Wczvq7_LF6prJ-iETgmjwg/s1600/DSC07465.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJxHGPbCg-DcAe-sJgeCaMRSUfyoZr4OxQoJI88WejGEWGOaqgEIoRHej2GPp2aSwAZzW3mqIr861lOwwmaP7QIhLnHzKJEQ5ITbrISlM_fGeD7kfX3k8-74Wczvq7_LF6prJ-iETgmjwg/s400/DSC07465.JPG" width="225" /></a>Last week we did a bit of path tidying and brash clearance at Hillcrest, our patch of land at Lee Brockhurst. It's a lovely spot to stretch your legs and enjoy the view if you are on a journey along the A49 and fancy a break. There are some very impressive sandstone formations and even more impressive trees that have managed to take root through the rock and flourish - the one pictured has a single root stretching down several meters to the soil on the exposed side.<br />
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We have had to deal with several fallen trees and branches as a result of the recent wind and storms, with some still to deal with on the front and back park. Trees are funny things - sometimes they look completely healthy and drop a limb without warning while others that look ready to fall hang on and on and on. After every strong wind I look at the tree on the left as you drive down the exit road - it has dropped most of its branches and has one large one left, leaning away from the road into the field. I keep expecting it to go but still it holds on! Elsewhere on the Estate we have had tree surgeons in doing work on two ash trees at one of the fishermen's car parks, making them safe and trying out some conservation cuts that mimic the natural tear out of a limb.<br />
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Our Dragonfly Weekend were well attended though the cloudy, breezy weather meant that there were not many dragons or damsels on the wing. We had some fun hunting for exuviae and managed to spot a few Hawkers, Darters and Emperors. The next warden walk is on the 6th September with Bob on the Beat the Bounds walk.<br />
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Last night some members of Shropshire Bat Group came to the park to test out the route for their walk next Saturday and I joined them to see what was flying around. It was a good night and though we were disappointed not to hear the rare Lesser horseshoe bat this time, we did record Common and Soprano pipistrelles, Barbastelle (fantastic as these are very rare in the UK), Brown long-eared, Daubenton's, Natterer's and Noctule bats. If you would like to join the walk on the 5th September then you will need to pre-book by calling 01743 708170, £6 per adult and £3 per child, starting 7.30pm. Check out the <a href="http://www.bats.org.uk/index.php" target="_blank">Bat Conservation Trust</a> website for more information on these amazing little creatures!<br />
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-6905056571125847112015-08-13T11:51:00.000+01:002015-09-02T15:49:19.775+01:00A dry spellAs I type this in the office I am looking out to a darkening sky that promises a downpour of much-needed rain - some of our younger trees and hedges have really struggled over the last few weeks as the dry weather and scorching sun take their toll. We have been watering when we can but nothing beats a good natural soaking so sorry folks, I'm hoping for a rainy day!<br />
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Last week the team spent a day at Betton Farm putting up a new stretch of stock fence in a quiet scrubby corner as well as removing an old fence and replacing some rotten posts on another. They battled with nettles, brambles, swampy ground and a wasps nest but still managed to complete the task ahead of schedule and with time to spare at the end of the afternoon for a cup of tea after the tools were put away. Win!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judy keeps everything tidy! Photo: Terry Carr</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearing the ground ready for the fence line </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo: Terry Carr</td></tr>
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You may have spotted a digger out on the front park a few weeks ago and our tractor and trailer hauling loads of soil - Duncan, Matt and myself have been busy training on this piece of kit and using the machinery to clear the pile of earth that was left over from work on the sewage system some time back. Future projects using diggers will include resurfacing paths and clearing out some of the ponds that become filled with silt and leaves over the years.<br />
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This weekend we will be hoping for some sunshine and calm weather as we have our dragonfly walks on Saturday and Sunday at 2pm. We will take a gentle stroll to two of our best ponds to see what we have on the wing, hopefully with the chance to see a few close up if I can net them. We have a collection of exuviae to look at too. Bring some binoculars and a camera to see some of these colourful insects in their full glory!<br />
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-90130209090070023942015-07-18T15:56:00.000+01:002015-07-18T15:56:43.231+01:00Heavy challengesRegular visitors will probably have noticed the dead oak tree along the front drive just after the cattle grid that fell down earlier this year. We needed to wait for the ground to dry out on the park before we attempted to move it away from the road and last week we faced the challenge of how to move the massive trunk - oak is heavy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVJnl3ivcvGtVAHffAwD06Cjd0R1rtoY8Hcy-1x5sc6wRvugrKnX-dYYct6jrFjycmKdoSGzOv4HpYf8-UVGj_8o76WTkWVAJpxTjnl-v3C_wPryhWsk7w5oqZyEn2sTLgbIa35tQFYMQ/s1600/DSC07336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPVJnl3ivcvGtVAHffAwD06Cjd0R1rtoY8Hcy-1x5sc6wRvugrKnX-dYYct6jrFjycmKdoSGzOv4HpYf8-UVGj_8o76WTkWVAJpxTjnl-v3C_wPryhWsk7w5oqZyEn2sTLgbIa35tQFYMQ/s640/DSC07336.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talking through the options and deciding where to start</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTR3fas-FSHlxgkSvaOxi70H8wuPe_AAxp9lZDCthOEmHxloD8xRnJCr-ImEP8SxEDD0weyQhRhP-pSmz05lRf-r1gTz1ftqGSANKX6tT8b7fcamHQMEfLD9KFyZ3TEnSmwX0WNgGlO9K/s1600/DSC07350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLTR3fas-FSHlxgkSvaOxi70H8wuPe_AAxp9lZDCthOEmHxloD8xRnJCr-ImEP8SxEDD0weyQhRhP-pSmz05lRf-r1gTz1ftqGSANKX6tT8b7fcamHQMEfLD9KFyZ3TEnSmwX0WNgGlO9K/s400/DSC07350.JPG" width="225" /></a>The front park is within the SSSI (site of special scientific interest) that we have for the deadwood invertebrates that live in and around our veteran trees so the fallen tree needed to stay within the area but away from the road. Ideally we would have kept the tree in one piece but despite hiring the largest manitou that we could, we could not get it to budge. Our other option was to borrow a powerful winch and pull the tree across the ground but this would have dug deep into the earth and left a scar on the park. We agreed that the trunk would have to be cut, moved in pieces and then put back together as closely as possible in its new resting place so that it could be left to decay and provide vital habitat for the many beetles and other beasties that thrive here.<br />
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Once we had made the cuts we managed to lift each piece carefully with the manitou and carry them to the other side of the park. Even in pieces the machine was working hard - we estimate that the whole trunk must have weighed between 10 and 12 tonnes!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all about balance!</td></tr>
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This week we also had the challenge of welcoming 40 Barclays Bank employees who were volunteering with us for the day. The group worked hard and completed every task that we had prepared - removing a line of hurdle fencing, painting the fence around Gardeners Cottage, raking the cut grass around the Mile Walk, washing the Bee House and white benches on the Bee Lawn and collecting bluebell seeds to be scattered around some of our woods where the bluebells are scarce. Fantastic!Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-43896892649849091732015-07-05T15:37:00.001+01:002015-07-05T15:37:27.350+01:00A quick update from the Deer ParkThe deer park has its newest arrivals as throughout June the fallow fawns were born. You may have spotted some of the fawns already as they soon learn to run and keep up with their mothers. The wardens spotted a few when they were very young and laying up in the long grass and nettles so we took a few pictures to share with you before leaving the area quietly - we hope you enjoy them!<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I only just spotted this one as it lay completely still as I passed...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTraRrR-de1toY6BSNbbXeS3HsEvSwOnNKkiAnr8rL8UIfE83mlzcGmro3YjzvuAvM6oTzYLjemCDPDwtq-XcJDVJA3VM63JjLIO4NAHlkQY-SN8K9CFeHLLKmwt_wthLeekFqj01Awgoe/s1600/DSC07139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTraRrR-de1toY6BSNbbXeS3HsEvSwOnNKkiAnr8rL8UIfE83mlzcGmro3YjzvuAvM6oTzYLjemCDPDwtq-XcJDVJA3VM63JjLIO4NAHlkQY-SN8K9CFeHLLKmwt_wthLeekFqj01Awgoe/s640/DSC07139.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little one was very well hidden - we used a zoom lens to get so close! (pic by Ben Hunt)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite picture - utterly adorable! Again, taken with a zoom lens from a distance (pic by Ben Hunt)</td></tr>
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In the recent heatwave the deer have mostly been found resting up in the shade beneath the horse chestnut trees along the WWII path. The bucks are in full velvet and their antlers are growing fast - you will notice how the common, darker coloured bucks have a brown tinged velvet while the menil (pale with bright white spots) have white velvet. It's a wonderful time of year to watch these elegant creatures as they soak up the sunshine so try to fit a walk in next time you visit!</div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-68665608292396682042015-06-05T18:25:00.003+01:002015-06-05T18:25:47.886+01:00Goodbyes, floods and flying things<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7PtEpUkgTrZnaQun7fr3_GVlZaVp_A52lwRssnsEVocoHM8oyGX-HFMtd_nUlH5gqwyodX0aSt1Mt5tIznKwLvEhz-JoFsCwz6rprSXTZtT0TdKOtv-A7jiLJcbtoxDkCcH_rqMKDUCy/s1600/DSC07028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7PtEpUkgTrZnaQun7fr3_GVlZaVp_A52lwRssnsEVocoHM8oyGX-HFMtd_nUlH5gqwyodX0aSt1Mt5tIznKwLvEhz-JoFsCwz6rprSXTZtT0TdKOtv-A7jiLJcbtoxDkCcH_rqMKDUCy/s400/DSC07028.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goodbye Jo, Rachel and Charley!</td></tr>
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Summer has arrived and our three Harper Adams students have come to the end of their 10-month placement, heading back to university to finish their degrees. It's going to be a very empty office next week! We wish them all the best of luck and thanks on behalf of everyone at Attingham for their hard work over the year.<br />
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The winds earlier in the week caused us a few tree casualties with several trees needing felling after dropping branches and showing signs of stress. The river is also in flood, unusual for this time of year, meaning that we have had to postpone this Sunday's walk to the River Severn as the path under Tern Bridge is completely impassable. Instead, we'll be taking a stroll along the Tern and the permissive path to look at the wildlife along it. Until the river level drops we have closed off the Tern picnic area.<br />
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The last few days have been glorious sunshine and the Estate is buzzing with life. The first fawns have been born in the deer park, the blackbirds nesting in the shed are trying out their wings and getting ready to fly, and there are damselflies and dragonflies patrolling the ponds and river waters.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A broad-bodied chaser rests on a bit of rush on the ponds edge</td></tr>
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Next week we will be putting up a fence around one of our ponds to protect it from grazing cattle - the grazing will help the surrounding wildflower meadow but we don't want them eating off the vegetation on the pond edge that insects such as dragonflies need to emerge from and rest on. The picture below is of a newly emerged damselfly - it has crawled out of it's final larval skin, leaving the exuviae below, and is resting as liquids are pumped into it's wings to harden them. In a few hours it will develop its colours and be ready to take flight for the first time. It is a vulnerable time for these insects as they cannot move away from predators. Hopefully this one made it after I left it!</div>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-72875936518740781492015-05-24T17:48:00.000+01:002015-05-24T17:48:34.336+01:00Mighty Oaks and and some spring sightings<br />
Well, Attingham did very well at the recent Mighty Oak awards at Calke Abbey. The Engagement and Conservation Team took a silver in the Programming category, and our three Warden nominees were all awarded as winners! The Midlands region has over ten thousand staff and volunteers and there were 64 nominees in the Unsung Hero category - the judges couldn't decide on just three winners and announced that all 64 deserved recognition for their dedication. A good night was had by all and we are very proud of our three Heroes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strimming the nettles on the back drive and admiring the buttercups!</td></tr>
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This week we have been strimming and cleaning out some of the cattle grids on the front and back drives to keep everything tidy. On Wednesday a group from Barclays Bank volunteered with us and cut an incredible amount of logs up - well done team and thank you for your effort! Academy Ranger Faith also took her trailer test after minimal training and passed with flying colours - brilliant!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red campion</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speedwell</td></tr>
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Half Term is upon us and we expect to have a busy week. There is a lot to see and do around the Park - check out the incredible yellow sea of buttercups as you come up the front drive; the bluebells are going over but there are many other wildflowers still in bloom; you might be lucky enough to spot the ducklings on the River Tern that have recently hatched, or the cygnets below the weir; the deer are looking resplendent in their summer coats and the buck's antlers are already growing back with their covering of fuzzy velvet. Over the next few weeks the does will give birth, so we look forward to spotting the fawns once they are up on their feet. As you walk around the park you can hear the calls of young birds that have just hatched and see the fledglings on their tentative early flights - we have spotted four young ravens flying from one nest so this year has been a very successful one for them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bucks are busy growing back their antlers</td></tr>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-63500566513827699252015-05-14T10:54:00.001+01:002015-05-14T10:54:21.678+01:00And the nominees are...The wardens started their week with a tidy up of the trees and hedges along Smethcote lane, cutting back a few small branches that would soon be caught by passing traffic and letting a bit more light in to the young hedge plants beneath. In the next year or two we expect to be able to lay the hedges along this lane so we are looking forward to a good long stretch of Midland Bullock style hedgelaying! The brash was driven away with the tractor and trailer and burned and as we worked we straightened up the canes and spirals around any younger plants that we came across.<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo with the log mountain!</td></tr>
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Harper Adams students Jo and Rachel have been carrying out the annual bridge inspections, checking on all of the small footbridges around the estate. </div>
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We also had a day of cutting logs in preparation for next week when a group from Barclays bank will be coming to volunteer with us. We cut a mountain of rounds for them to split and the wood will be used to fuel the log burners in reception, the bookshop, the shop and in Lady Berwick's tea room. </div>
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Next Monday is an exciting day for the NT Midlands properties - in the evening Calke Abbey is hosting the first Mighty Oak awards to celebrate the hard work and successes of special and unique individuals and teams who work or volunteer for the Trust. Properties were invited to send in nominations to be short listed by the Midlands Leadership Team and Attingham is lucky to have had three of its nominees chosen to attend the awards - all from the wardens department! Colin, David and Phil will be up against each other in the category of 'Unsung Hero' so best of luck to all of them and fingers crossed that we have an Attingham winner - watch this space!</div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-25161371118555938162015-05-01T15:02:00.001+01:002015-05-01T15:02:52.774+01:00Reaching new heights...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Charley, Jo and Faith ready for a tour!</td></tr>
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Today we had an interesting morning that kicked off with an open top bus ride! Starting tomorrow (Saturday 2nd May) Attingham will be one of several popular local destinations for a new sightseeing tour. The bus will run from Shrewsbury to Attingham, Wroxeter, Ironbridge, Buildwas and Much Wenlock, giving visitors a chance to get off and explore the various destinations if they wish before catching the next bus. Tickets can be bought in advance or on the day, and you can even use your card to pay on the bus. We spent the morning trimming back a few minor branches on the trees to ensure that the bus will not catch them and had a ride to enjoy the beauty of Attingham from a new, higher perspective!<br />
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More information on the route, dates, ticket prices etc. can be found here:<br />
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<i><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.regionaltransport.co.uk/tour.html#table" target="_blank">New Sightseeing Bus via Attingham Park</a></span></i></div>
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This week we also took a trip to Carding Mill Valley and borrowed their tractor and water bowser so that we can give our newly planted trees a good drink - the fine weather of late is fantastic in many ways but we could really do with some rain to give the trees and hedgelines a boost! You may see us over the next few weeks trundling around with the large tank. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Access to Tern Bridge is open again</td></tr>
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We have also reopened the Tern Bridge picnic area so you can once again enjoy the short walk across the Deer Park down to the Bridge and take a seat while you enjoy the view of the Mansion. While I was mowing the area this week a dipper was flying up and down the water, keeping me company. This week has had several other firsts for the year - I saw the first damselfly (a large red) along the Mile Walk, a lapwing for the first time in several years at Berwick New House and Colin has seen swallows near Smethcote barns. </div>
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I also heard a lovely story from two of our regular visitors who also pick litter up for us as they take their walk. Several days before they had been down near the deer park stone bridge and saw an otter with two young pups. As they watched the mother carried them one by one to navigate the weir - the first she carried out of the water and around across the path, then, evidently a bit nervous at being watched, she carried the second up on top of the eel pass before disappearing into the longer vegetation further upstream by the jetty and swimming away. What a brilliant sight to see!</div>
Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-60645138987245160552015-04-25T15:01:00.000+01:002015-04-25T15:01:00.325+01:00Bluebells!They're here! This week the bluebells have finally come out and though they are not quite out in their full glory the woodland floor is tinged with purple once more. <i>Hyacinthoides non-scripta</i> are primarily woodland species but are sometimes found along hedges or in grassland. About half of the worlds population of bluebells are found in the UK - pretty impressive for such a little island! However, our native bluebells are under threat from the Spanish bluebell which escaped from gardens and is cross-breeding with our native species - a recent survey by Plantlife.org found that 1 in 6 bluebells in broadleaved woodland was Spanish rather than native. Attingham has plenty of natives and you can follow the blue-topped posts around the park to spot the best patches.<br />
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If you take a walk along the Mile Walk heading towards the suspension bridge you will also see bright splashes of yellow in the wet areas close to the water - these are Caltha palustris, commonly known as marsh marigold or kingcup, but there are also dozens of other common names for this species including goldings, drunkards, water cowslip, may blob and molly blob.<br />
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The warden team are finally coming to the end of the seven week long deer park planting project with 500 hawthorns and 150 replacement trees being planted and guarded around the park. We have also put some guards around certain veteran lime trees to protect them from the deer. Come rain or shine we have been out there, and it is very satisfying to have finished.<br />
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The bucks in the deer park are starting to shed their antlers again so don't be alarmed if you see them with bloodied marks on their heads. Within weeks they will start to grow new ones and by late summer they will have a full set again. This time of year can be unsettling for the deer as the older bucks lose their social status when they shed their antlers, and the does are now heavily pregnant, so we do need to highlight the importance of not straying from the paths and allowing the deer their peace and sanctuary spaces. Please don't go looking for antlers!<br />
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-55343668298716121192015-04-12T16:05:00.000+01:002015-04-12T16:05:15.270+01:00Spring colours<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqGfwUCDynnLkCYtwdfU86YW_vXurBVjj0gMvZ1WOE6zGBPyhbahyHqLORiJ7uuAKnxQ67fxagX2SKwPJTzvEyCweum14pRzwD5BlrKeDJnsCTxpd8uFhgc_og4IHBXgjiapyoUnMfpD3/s1600/DSC06725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCqGfwUCDynnLkCYtwdfU86YW_vXurBVjj0gMvZ1WOE6zGBPyhbahyHqLORiJ7uuAKnxQ67fxagX2SKwPJTzvEyCweum14pRzwD5BlrKeDJnsCTxpd8uFhgc_og4IHBXgjiapyoUnMfpD3/s1600/DSC06725.JPG" height="180" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5hR-rjmhOEkwPy5WfnPbi0cvLTjh4yMfrDDdF2v53arrvYxXVY2FLLNqRIcntsWrDnw3nj6XuYQ9eyVI5761b1y2pEgUpxJ6eBNQTR40WbgX2H_-G49l1qaee4bXY11dsAZEGvw9XJ-8/s1600/DSC06727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ5hR-rjmhOEkwPy5WfnPbi0cvLTjh4yMfrDDdF2v53arrvYxXVY2FLLNqRIcntsWrDnw3nj6XuYQ9eyVI5761b1y2pEgUpxJ6eBNQTR40WbgX2H_-G49l1qaee4bXY11dsAZEGvw9XJ-8/s1600/DSC06727.JPG" height="320" width="180" /></a>Easter has been busy again as usual with thousands of visitors coming out for a walk in the sunshine, following trails to win prizes, getting creative making kites and bird boxes and looking for the signs of spring. The fresh new green leaves are starting to appear on the trees, with hawthorn and horse chestnut leading the way. The wildflowers are also coming out - the first bluebells are just starting to peek out of their green leaves on the woodland floor and if you walk down to the back of the mansion and look at the bank on your left as you approach the clock tower you will be treated to views of celandine, primrose, spring squill, cowslip and dozens of snakes head fritillary bobbing their heads in the breeze.<br />
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Meanwhile, work continues in the deer park with the team having planted 79 replacement trees and 331 hawthorns in plantations so far. Each parkland tree has an iron hurdle guard around it and is staked, protected from rabbits and mulched to give it the best chance of survival. Some areas of the deer park are very sandy and therefore drain very quickly - a thick layer of mulch will help to hold some moisture around the roots and feed the tree with nutrients.</div>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-45254397106456765352015-03-16T13:10:00.000+00:002015-03-16T13:10:07.744+00:00Future Parkland GiantsLast week we were finally able to start our project of planting well over 100 new and replacement trees in the Deer Park. Each tree will be planted and protected with a five-sided hurdle guard to prevent the deer from nibbling at it - we are making the guards out of old fencing, recycling them by cutting them to size and joining them together with brackets and bolts so that they can be moved in the future for more trees. It's hard work cutting hundreds of hurdles with a Stihl saw but once they are up, secured, levelled and the bolts are trimmed and filed they make fantastic, long lasting and attractive tree guards. We are planting mostly oak to replace our many fine veterans, with some horse chestnut and hawthorn. We have also had some time with Ben Shipston, Assistant Director of Operations for the Midlands, as he came out to meet some of our volunteer team and plant a few trees with us - you can see the result of his digging skills for yourselves at the top of the Deer Park near the concrete track that leads to the woodland walk! This job will keep the wardens busy for the next few weeks, along with getting the camp ground ready for the first of this years bookings, spraying the newly planted hedges as the first flush of grass and weeds come up and preparing for Easter.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cutting the hurdles to size</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harper student Charley cutting the bolts flush and smooth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ADO Ben Shipston on a mission to Australia!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A future giant begins its long life</td></tr>
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Saturday 14th March saw Attingham holding its first ever Night Run with around 350 people racing six kilometers around the mile walk or two kilometers across the meadow under starry skies. The warden staff were there as marshals and helping to set up and take down for the event, which was a huge success - well done to everyone that took part.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRmioIDIhKN-14MhXt1xX_P0D4NBGuTeOCfIr9xUAQZdL0H69lieTBrdLjitexj8P19kx0Us_sj6CJhhAFzhJoDMGCUYHsCBHJuGuMLeq8nI9VQkPlzwQkbDLgl_gPRxQVIRfTwFQEH3C/s1600/DSC06672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRmioIDIhKN-14MhXt1xX_P0D4NBGuTeOCfIr9xUAQZdL0H69lieTBrdLjitexj8P19kx0Us_sj6CJhhAFzhJoDMGCUYHsCBHJuGuMLeq8nI9VQkPlzwQkbDLgl_gPRxQVIRfTwFQEH3C/s1600/DSC06672.JPG" height="640" width="360" /></a>Finally it is that time of year again - the ravens are nesting. You may have seen these beautiful birds circling around the park and calling with that distinctive 'tak tak tak'. It can be difficult to judge just how large they are until you see them up close - they have a wingspan of 120-150cm - and last week I was lucky enough to see one gliding low over the deer park and gleaming in the sun. The nests are also huge, as you can see from this picture! The young ravens will soon be growing and fledging and we look forward to spotting them.<br />
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<br />Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-87598636955094437462015-03-03T20:16:00.001+00:002015-03-03T20:16:40.173+00:00Bring a brolly!I write this post from the dry sanctuary of the office having run in from a downpour whilst feeding the deer! The weather is incredibly changeable at the moment, so plenty of layers, waterproofs, wellies and sunglasses are a must!<br />
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March marks the start of spring in the calendar and we are all looking forward to longer days and the Park greening up with new vegetation. On sunny days I've heard skylarks singing over the farmland fields and the rooks by the stables are busily (and noisily) building nests. From today, the park and walled garden are open from 8am until 6pm to make the most of the sun.<br />
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The wardens have planted nearly 4000 hedging whips in the last few weeks, with the final ones going in this week. It can be hard work in the mud and frost but a cuppa from the kelly kettle can makce all the difference, especially if there is a fire to warm up by as we burn the brash from the laid hedge. As usual the planted hedges are 80% hawthorn, with a mixture of hazel, field maple, crab apple, guelder rose and blackthorn making up the rest.<span id="goog_87482082"></span><span id="goog_87482083"></span><br />
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Last week I attended a course at Hatfield Forest on caring for veteran trees and veteranisation of younger trees. It was fascinating, and a chance to admire some wonderful ancient trees - hornbeam pollards and layered hawthorns that are many hundreds of years old. Veteran trees are an invaluable habitat for so many species of insect, bird and fungi and it is important to have other trees nearby that will provide the same habitat once the original veteran has died - this is where veteranisation may be key, if an age gap in the woodland exists. Holes, decay, cracks, water pockets - these features can be encouraged in younger trees to mimic the veteran tree habitats. </div>
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-20742469188308680292015-01-22T16:23:00.000+00:002015-01-22T16:23:42.280+00:00Sycamores and snowdropsThe weather has been keeping everyone on their toes these last few weeks - strong winds have caused us to close the park early and open late as we need to keep people away from trees. Thankfully we escaped with just a few branches and one small tree down, which is a relief after the big storm last year!<br />
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There has been a lot of work going on around the Mile Walk by our tree contractors as they keep up to date with keeping the trees around the public areas as safe as possible. Two more sycamores were felled near the east side of the Stables as they were showing signs of disease and dieback and one was leaning heavily over the building. Once felled, the decay inside was revealed and several cracks that had been hard to see from the ground became obvious. It's always sad when a mature tree comes down but Attingham has so many mature trees and so many staff, volunteers and visitors that a balance has to be struck for safety's sake. Rest assured that the majority of the trees across the estate are healthy and flourishing and will be here for a long time to come.<br />
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The first snowdrops are out in bloom and already attracting attention from photographers and flower enthusiasts. The display is still a long way from being its best but keep watching over the coming weeks for a carpet of little white flowers all around the grounds. I have some photos but once again Blogger has failed me and refuses to upload them so check out the Attingham Facebook and Flickr pages for snowdrop updates.<br />
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Yesterday our new dog bins arrived and today they were put out near the cable bridge and at the south entrance to the woodland walk just beyond the deer park gate, which is good news for our many dog walkers. That makes a total of ten bins around the park so no-one has to carry a bag for long but it does mean extra effort from our hardy Thursday team who have the delightful job of emptying them!Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6633413349006534853.post-26716362646645988712015-01-03T11:47:00.000+00:002015-01-03T11:47:31.966+00:00Another New Year2015 begins, and for the wardens it unfortunately begins on a sad note. On Wednesday a dog got loose in the deer park during the 2pm feed and chased the deer. The herd bolted and the labrador was retrieved but the next day we found a dead buck on the park. Deer are wild animals and are highly susceptible to stress, and being chased by an uncontrolled dog is enough to cause death through stress - we have seen it several times before. This is why it is imperative that dogs in the deer park are under tight control, on leads or harnesses that they cannot slip from, being held by someone strong enough to hold them if they get excited. As well as the potential harm to the deer a herd of panicked deer could also be a danger to people. Children are often not strong enough to hold on to a large dog, so please consider the safety aspects if you are bringing your dog into the park and make sure that they cannot get loose.<br />
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On a happier subject, the wardens are looking forward to getting into some tree planting and over the coming months we will be preparing the guards, placing them in their correct positions near older and veteran trees and planting. These trees will be the great parkland trees of the future. The action of planting a tree is in itself a simple exercise, but a great amount of planning and foresight is required - these trees will not be mature for several hundred years but we need to plan now how that tree will look when it is fully grown, how it will fit into the designed Repton landscape, how the views and sightlines will be affected and how different species of tree are affected by changing climates and disease. This is not the kind of work that provides instant results - none of us will live to see these trees in their full glory! But we will do what we can to give future generations an Attingham filled with beautiful trees, teeming with diverse life and full of history.<br />
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Joy Margerumhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10216552841003688340noreply@blogger.com0