One man went to mow

There is quite a range of tools necessary in order to maintain the park, some of which require a short demonstration before use, like power tools. So far, I have become accustomed to work with strimmers, leaf blowers, pressure washers and the wood chipper. Volunteers do not handle chainsaws as this requires specialist training. However, I can now add 'ride-on' mowers to my list!

A quick run through the basics, and I was off! Previously mown path edges and walking trails were in need of a further trim. First off was the picnic area. This was followed in the afternoon by going over the main pathway edges and other walking trails in the park.

Such fun!

    

Just lining up for the right hand side.

In between, there was another planted bed which had become overgrown with nettles, grass & weeds. It was now so tall that we could not see where the shrubs were. Using shears, we carefully cut back bit by bit until we spotted the marker canes. This can be quite painstaking, as one wrong snip could be damaging for the shrub. 

Thankfully, our trained eyes ensured that the task in hand was successful.

The last couple of months has been a busy time for the birds. Many beaks with nest building materials have been spotted, and with that word in mind, we have been very lucky to observe the comings and goings of a Spotted Woodpecker family. They have made a nest in the top of a dead tree, and I was fortunate enough to hear the tweets of their young. 

The pictures below have captured the parents.

Greater or Lesser Spotted?

 

♫  Ho-ho-ho, ho, ho-ho-ho, ho ♫

For those who remember Woody Woodpecker!

Weather wise, May 2023 has been a bit 'hit & miss', and June hasn't started any better. On the up side it's good for strenuous outdoor working.

The pond by the lodge was in need of a makeover, so I set to work with the strimmer. Amy and I then lopped & sawed some branches to provide more light for other plants.

Before.....

And after.....

We then started dragging out the pond weed and thinning out floating plants. The level of the pond was a bit low, so this was topped up using a hose from the lodge.

  

We finished by painting the top section of the lodge to match the rest, and tidying up the overgrown bushes along the front of the lodge.

Whilst we were there, we received news that the Victorian pond was once again littered with bottles, cans and branches (even a football). You can imagine how annoying this is, when the actions of a few spoil the look of this beautiful place.

We headed over there and took photos. Unfortunately, this will not be a simple task and may take some time to arrange a proper clearance.