Farmoor Reservoir - 1st February 2025

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Blog by Eleanor, photos by Kevin, Sally and Julio.

When we arrived at the Farmoor Reservoir car park, Hanna, from Thames Water, who was in charge of the task, gave us a choice of locations. Pinkhill Meadow Nature Reserve on the other side of the reservoir, was, she told us, very wet. Alternatively we could cut back overhanging branches by the walking trail or stay on  the side where we were and work on the meadow next to the countryside walk. This last was the one we chose, and it was a new area for us.

Entrance to the countryside walk

The weather was grey and cloudy as we made our way to the site, but fortunately there was no rain.
The tasks were to remove blackthorn bushes while the scythers scythed the vegetation. Blackthorn bushes are one of the earliest flowering bushes, their white blossom appearing at the end of February before the leaves, but they need to be kept under control, or they would spread everywhere. There was also some work clearing the pond.

Hanna gives us our instructions

We set to work

Attacking the blackthorn

Carolyn drags branches away

We dragged the blackthorn up the hill and piled it on the grass near the reservoir from where it would be collected by contractors.

Henry, Helen, Philip, Ursula and James by the blackthorn heap

James among the thorny branches (which is pricklier?)

There was also scything and raking to do.

Sally scything

Graham carrying a load

Roger raking

Thistle gall

Sally identified a thistle gall. The larvae of thistle gall fly (urophora cardui) develop inside the gall on creeping thistle stems and emerge in Spring. This fly has strongly patterned wings and looks rather like a moth.

David took on the task of weeding the pond.

David busy in the pond

When it was time for our tea break, we had a nice surprise. Hanna had brought along tea, coffee and biscuits catering for all tastes. Barbara had celebrated her birthday that week and Sally brought a cake in honour of the occasion.

Barbara cuts her cake

 Greatly refreshed, we carried on working. Here are two "before" and "after" photos of one area:

Before


After

Then it was time to pack up, and Hanna took a final photo of the assembled workers.

Final photo


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