Week 3: 22nd – 25th October

Monday

Today was an “office day” – a welcome day inside as it was pouring with rain and pretty chilly!  We spent the morning creating our blog so viewers can read about what work we do on a weekly basis.  In the afternoon we began researching a new project which will hopefully incorporate many green spaces in the local area, increasing the general health and biodiversity in the landscape.

Tuesday

We spent today up at Silent Valley completing our weekly reserve check.  We walked all the trails around the reserve and made notes of any areas requiring maintenance.  We also recorded wildlife sightings and were rewarded for our patient bird watching with a view of a beautiful female merlin (Falco columbarius) perching at the top of a beech tree.

Merlin (Falco columbarius) - adult female.
Image: © John Downer; naturepl.com

The merlin is the smallest falcon in the UK, having a total body length of just 26-33cm and a wingspan of 55-69cm.  They breed mainly in birch and willow zones, nesting in trees, scrub, or on the ground.  Their main food source is small birds caught in mid air.  

Although male and female colouration makes them fairly easy to distinguish from each other, juvenile merlins look much the same as the females and are generally not separable in the field (Collins Bird Guide, 2^nd Ed.)

Other wildlife sightings

Robin • Blackbird • Blue Tit • Woodpigeon • Magpie • Nuthatch • Raven • Jay • Treecreeper • Grey Squirrel

Wednesday

Back at Magor Marsh today, we both helped out with the ongoing project on the newly purchased lands.  Our work today included the chopping up and burning of willow trees to make space for the new fence line which will keep livestock off the road; clearing the waterway of discarded rubbish; and starting building the new fence line by putting in some of the posts.

We also spent time measuring the groundwater levels at various points throughout the reserve.  The water levels were measured in two different ways: one using pipe wells in the fields, and one using water control structures in the reen systems.  All results were noted and are being used by Magor Marsh to produce graphs showing the water levels throughout the reserve over a period of time.

Pipe wells

This method involved placing an electric measuring tape down a pipe well which had been inserted in the ground at a specific point in the reserve.  The battery-powered electric measuring tape consists of a pair of insulated wires whose exposed ends are separated by an air gap in an electrode.  When the electrode contacts the water surface, a current flows through the circuit and produces an audible high-pitched sound (http://il.water.usgs.gov/pubs/ofr01-50_chapter4_4.pdf).  After contacting water, the tape is marked where it meets the top of the pipe and is pulled out.  A measurement is taken of the length between the marked tape and the end with the electrode.  A measurement was also taken of the height of the top of the pipe to the ground so that this can be deducted from the tape measurement.

Beth checking water levels in the pipe wells using the electrode. 

Diagram of pipe well method.
(http://il.water.usgs.gov/pubs/ofr01-50_chapter4_4.pdf)

Water control structure

These are placed around the reserve to control the flow of the water passing through reen systems.  Using a measuring tape, the distance between the ground level and the water level was taken both on the inside of the water control structure and on the outside.

Marking the distance on the measuring tape
between the ground surface and the water. 

Sally taking the measurement reading (in cm)
from the measuring tape.

Thursday

We spent the morning in Croes-Robert Wood, where they have begun coppicing the trees to store for next year's charcoal production.  Using bow-saws, we cut through small sycamore trees in a previously selected area.  We then took off any small branches from coppiced trees and cut the trunks into lengths of roughly 2 metres which were then stacked in piles for storing.

Beth coppicing a small tree in Croes-Robert Wood.

Coppiced tree stump showing clear rings.