Column to Liberty in sunlight
Wednesday 15th February 2012
Well what a contrast to last week, it was 6 degrees C at 9am & 11 degrees C by 3pm. Our day began with the sighting of several red kites in flight over the estate yard.
Today a small group of us set off to start rhodi bashing, only this time it was different! We would be inviting members of the public to join us for a short spell, if they wished. Before anyone arrived we were treated to the sight of a grey heron flying off from the Lily Pond and a sparrowhawk in flight over the Hollow Walk.
Information Board
We were soon inundated with plenty of “volunteers” of all ages. After a brief description of the nature of the task & why we were cutting back the rhododendrons, our “volunteers” were then given a pair of gloves and a set of loppers. They were given safety advice on how to walk whilst carrying the loppers, how to use them and general advice about care whilst walking on rough terrain.
Some eager volunteers
All our helpers quickly entered into the spirit of the task and before long we had several large piles of rhododendron prunnings.
Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves and we were most grateful to all the participating families for all their help. While walking back to the Pontop shed at the end of a busy day Phil Younger spotted a pair of buzzards gliding over Parkfields – 3 species of raptors seen in one day!
One of the piles of prunnings
Phil Coyne
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