DNA testing for newts

 

We've taken some water samples in the Top Pond (the pond in the corner of the Upper Meadow) to find out whether we have the rare Great Crested Newt on the Reserve. Common newts have been seen in this pond, but it's important that we know about any Great Crested Newts in case we decide to carry out pond improvement works there.

The Top Pond dries up in the simmer, butfrom late autumn to spring it is an important "staging post" for water flowing from neighbouring farmland, then on via the Wapley ditches to the pond towards the River Frome.

Newts emerge from hibernation on land in the spring, and the purpose of the water sampling is to test for newt eDNA (environmental DNA) durimng their breeding season, Samples have to be taken between April 15th and June 30th for the results to be accepted by Natural England.

We expect to receive the results in a couple of weeks - we'll keep you posted. 

 

A good tidy-up - 17 May Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve work morning

 

Six volunteers did some spring cleaning to get the Reserve ready for our busy visitor season. We cut back intrusive vegetation round the woodland paths (but looking at how fast things are growing, we'll need to do that again in the near future!)

We also cut back the vegetation on the ramps either side of the railway footbridge. Don'r assume that paths like this automatically keep themselves tidy - all over the country there are individuals and groups of volunteers who keep them cut back and passable.

Vey little litter was evident, thanks to regular attention by Dodington Parish Council's groundsman Dave, but we did find that someone had stripped about 50 spiral rabbit guards off newly planted trees in the Centenary Wood. Our volunteers carefully would them all back on.

Would you like to help with activities like this? Please email paul.hulbert@gmail.com for more details.

Sunday 17 May - Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve Work Morning

 

 

This workday will be a combination of a spring clean of the reserve and assorted vegetation management. Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

Our events are all free to attend and they do not require advance booking. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

You can bring your own tools and gloves, or if you don't have them they will be provided. 

An enjoyable work morning at Goose Green on Saturday April 25

The River Frome between the Reserve and 
the houses at Ash Close and Oak Close

There were only three of us at the Goose Green Local Nature Reserve work morning, but we achieved a lot in a couple of hours. We were pleased to see that the Reserve was in generally good order.

The areas we had cut back last time such as the butterfly bays were still in good shape, so we concentrated on cutting back encroaching tree branches on the edges of the grassland, plus some branches that were threatening to block one or two smaller paths. We also cut down some small patches of invasive weeds in the middle of the grassland.

Invasive weed patch on the grassland

There wasn't much litter around - many thanks to the people who had been tidying up before us, particularly the Upper Frome Friends group who do such splendid work along the river every few weeks. All we found was a few bottles and sandwich wrappers in the denser woodland patches.

We saw and heard quite a lot of bird life, for example: 

A pair of buzzards - overflying

A pair of mallards - on the river 

Eurasian Wren

Eurasian Robin

Common Wood-Pigeon

 

Mallards on the Frome below the footbridge