Boundary House Fen, Frilford

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 Blog by Eleanor, photos by Julio, Sally and Eleanor

It was another dry and sunny day when we met for our session at Boundary House Fen, part of Frilford Golf course. 
There were eleven of us, with Kevin as leader.  Rod d'Ayala, who is in charge of the fen work, could not be there, but Judy Webb was, with her insect catching net, ready to identify all the invertebrates she could find.
Judy
We made our way alongside the golf course down to the fen. The grass looked very brown after six rainless weeks, apart from patches of green where golfers tee off. Apparently these have to be kept green.
Kevin showed us the areas that needed to be scythed and raked, so the work began

Kevin with a pitchfork full of cut vegetation

Margaret makes a start scything

Rhian next to the heap

Rosie scything and Carolyn raking 

Jim

Rhian, Simon (if you can spot him!) and Margaret raking and scything 

Another task was to uproot creeping thistles on the slope leading down to the fen and I was volunteered for this task. Judy also asked me to dig up sprouting acorns. Some of these looked very dried out and weren't going to make it anyway.
Eleanor at work on the thistles

We stopped for our break, then continued the work. 
Judy came back with her collection to identify

After
Sally took a photo of a Roselle's bush cricket. Painted Ladies were cavorting with Red Admirals on the hemp agrimony. Painted ladies migrate from southern Europe and Africa every year, and due to the warm Spring, 2026 is "a Painted Lady Year".

Hemp
Another find was a beautiful harvest mouse nest (unoccupied), on a reed
It was time to finish, so we packed up and made our way back to the Greenkeepers' compound in the hot sun.

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