Saturday 1^st October

Saturday we decided to set our 15 mammal traps on the reserve. It must approximately 2 years ago we had a visit from Staffordshire mammal society who did our first survey on the reserve, along with giving the group a lesson in the best way to trap and record  This was our first small survey we plan to do more. The traps we used are called longworth this is a humane trap, once we’d remembered how to set the traps,  with a memory jolt from Andrew. We filled the traps with food, hay and dry mealworms and placed them in a small area of hedgerow and grass close together. They recommend adding a few casters (maggots at the chrysalis stage) could I get any, tried mugging fishermen on the river, fishing tackle shops no go. Don’t fishermen brag took ages to get attention  in the shops because of men comparing the size of the catch ( well I think it was the catch  :-))By 7.30 we’d finished placing the traps and rescued some fish from a drying scrap and agreeing to met at 10 the next morning to see what we have, if anything.

Sunday 2^nd October

The anticipation is rising now as we wait for everyone to arrive, and in the space of half an hour it’s all over. We only have one field mouse in our traps and agree to do the next survey before the end of the year. Our little mouse was released unharmed.

October work day

We had so much planed for today it would be hard work to complete all, but once again everyone gave 110% and we got so much done.  The islands are in need of a tidy so for a start a team went to the large island to the south of the lake. We have lots of willow growing around the edge this  needs taking back so as it’s kept under control about half was completed. More willow was taken back around the lake and in the low grassland.  About half the reserve has had its annual grass cut, a tractor did this the week before our work day, we then took two small mowers across the site defining the pathways. And lets not forgetting the litter picking this is always done. The weather was lovely again and the reserve had lots of visitors many commented on our work saying Tameside was looking great so all give yourself a pat on the back.