Star of BethlehemWe were blessed with superb weather again this week when Margaret Rees led 18 members on a varied day out.  We started at West Tanfield where yellow star of Bethlehem was found amongst many other species on the river bank as we listened to a blackcap singing away.  We then decamped to Nosterfield for a brief visit to the superb bird hide where avocets were the star attraction.  We were serenaded by another blackcap as we ate our lunch at the Tarmac site at Nosterfield before progressing to Marfield Wetlands, situated on the Middleham road out of Masham which was a new destination for the group.  Here we had a plesant 3km walk round the site where Mute swans, greylag geese and great crested grebe were all seen sitting on nests.  The day was rounded off with a short refreshment stop in Masham before we headed off back to Bradford.  A total of 46 bird species was recorded as well as 134 plants, 70 of which were in flower.

Stuart

This week saw us at the Bowling Park Community Orchard. There were lots of jobs on the list for this fairly large site, and we soon got down to work.

I may miss something out, but here's an attempt at listing the tasks we managed to achieve:

- install colourful bird boxes
- clear/tidy woodland area
- mowing
- weeding (a small entry, but a big task!)
- install insect homes
- clear pond area and bog garden
- move willow fence

We were rewarded by glorious sunshine in the afternoon, and, at the end of the day, left tired but satisfied (well, I did at least!) that the site looked better than it did when we arrived!

Hello, I'm Narciso, but everybody calls me Chicho, and I'm from Spain. I'm a volunteer with Bees and I arrived here 3 months ago, in January. My experience with Bees has been fantastic because I'm learning a lot of things that are different in Spain, for example the people, the society, and the education, as well as how the people here work. It is very interesting to discover a lot of things that before I only imagined, but never experienced. Now I'm having a wonderful experience, because, not only am I learning different things, it's wonderful because I'm working in something that I love. I'm working with people who are marvelous, they help me, teach me, and have given me all that I need since I arrived here, and I feel that I am teaching new things to everybody in all different ways too, and this does one thing: Makes me happier than I imagined before I came here. And one thing more that is very important and I didn't say, is that I am learning a lot of English (language) and this always was a problem for me, and here it's easier than I imagined.

I'm a European Volunteer, and a came here with the help of ‘Everything Is Possible’ (in England) and ‘Afemjo’ (in Spain), and with the help of BEES too of course, because my project is with them. Here I think that I'm like a joker in a pack, and I work on anything that they need me to, with all different projects and activities, and with all the BEES staff. I am feeling like a worker more than a volunteer in BEES, and this means that I feel better.In all this three months I did a lot and different activities and jobs, like:

- I work with Bianca, Jenny and Rachel on the C.S.C. Sessions, doing different things like making a community garden in the Springfield area (plants, trees, and flowers, making some games, playing with the young people, using clay, painting, drawing...) I help them every Monday and Wednesday, and once, I cooked "tortilla espanola" for one group! This work is the most similar to one of the jobs that I did in Spain (teacher).

- I also work with Nick on the E2E (Entry to Employment) sessions with teenagers, where we provide training to help them to get work in the future. For example we do some carpentry work, gardening work and other similar construction work, to get new skills.

- Another job that I have is office work, where I write my diary, write this blog, tidy the office (no a lot, hehe!) tidy the store room and the tools, and help with anything else that somebody needs me for.

- And one of my favorite jobs is on Fridays when I work on the task program with another volunteer from Bradford. During these Fridays we do environmental work, where we go to different green areas in Bradford and do conservation tasks in these natural areas. Since I started work with BEES, I did a lot and different and very interesting things, like: we use different tools like saws, axes, hammers, mauls, loppers... and more than know! I don't remember. We make different habitats for animals, and the wildlife. We built different things with willow; we made charcoal, planted trees, fitted a bench, and of course, cleaned with litter-pickers everywhere we go. I didn't write everything that we did, but it is a lot, and I enjoy it!!. The next Friday we will go to the Orchard to create a tool storage system, making insect homes, and a general maintenance. 

- And some times I go with Amanda, Cathy, Julia or Nick, to work at different sessions in the schools, high-school and primary school, where we do environmental activities and games. Some of these activities were with Buttersaw School, Dixons high school and Green lane primary school...

ok my friends, this is the first time that I write in thos blog, my blog in Bees, and I hope write more in the future, and you will be able read and know, my experience and my little adventures. thanks very much, and if you wants to say something to me, please, do it!

This week we were at Reevy Mill Dam. Our job was to clear the path which had become overgrown with grass, and to install 2 lovely new benches. We were helped by a group of kids from the local school, some of whom also helped clear a lot of the litter from the dam itself - good job lads!

We also enlisted the help of a couple of lads from the school to try out the height of the benches before committing cement to the holes we had dug. Once levelled out, the benches were fixed into position and the site made good. By the time we had finished, the benches looked like they had been there for years!

There still remains plenty of work to be done here, clearing the paths a little more and making sure the dam is free of litter, but we made a good start and hopefully local people will be inclined to spend a little time to sit and watch the resident geese fighting!

daffodils at SizerghJoan Dobson led a full complement of 20 members to Sizergh where we enjoyed a bright, blustery day when the showers that were about fell elsewhere.  The location allowed the option of anything between a leisurely stroll through the gardens and castle and a decent walk over the fells but it wasn't necessary to walk too far to get  spectacular views over Morecambe Bay, with Arnside Knot and viaduct prominent, the mountains of the Lakes and Ingleborough which all gave excellent views.  The wind kept the bird count low this week, but we did manage to record 35 species in the day, with perhaps close-up views of a pair of buzzards being the highlight.  No hawfinches were spotted and we're beginning to think that this bird must be related to the Yeti - does anyone know anyone that's seen one??   Flowers and ferns totalled 33 with the highlights being brown-backed fern (but see note in comments!) and moschatel (our inexperienced recorder had the former down on the bird list as a brown-backed tern until he was told that such a bird doesn't exist!).  BEES is working hard on the second E of the acronym (for educational) but obviously has some way yet to go!

Stuart

 

A Nice Place to Live, Ledsham/Fairburn Ings, Mar09Gillian & Stuart led this week's trip when 14 members enjoyed a lovely day out when we walked from Ledsham over the fields to RSPB Fairburn Ings, passing a wood with more violets (sweet and early dog) than Joan has ever seen in her life (that really is saying something!) and then we returned by a different field route which passed through a wood with a remakable display of wood anemones and where the first bluebells of Spring were just showing flower.  A record total of 52 bird species was seen or heard and 36 plant species  were recorded as well as comma and orange tip butterfly.  Most of us enjoyed a refreshing drink at the Chequers Inn (who had very kindly allowed us to park our (new) minibus in their carpark) before returning to Bradford.  Watch out for some lovely photos of willow tits taken by Sue who will try to post them on this blog.

Stuart

The Mask, Yorkshire Sculpture park, Feb09Hi Everyone, a short report in case this, my first attempt at a blog, fails!

After a break of a couple of trips necessitated by an Antipodean adventure, I joined this week's field trip to South Yorkshire.  The varied options of the visits meant that the trip was much more fragmented than usual but we had an enjoyable day with half the party decending to the depths of the coal mine whilst the others stayed on the surface.

At Bretton we wandered off in small groups and I had the pleasure of Donald's company for most of our time there.  Bird life was not plentiful, but we did manage singing song thrush, goosander, great crested grebe, singing nuthatch and kingfisher together with the usual suspects.

Joan had spotted Wall Rue and Slender Speedwell before I lost her and Donald pointed out Maidenhair Spleenwort and corrected my identification of Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans) to that of White Butterbur (P. albus) - at least I got the P. right!

Hope that this blog works - I look forward to some more blogs from other members.

Stuart

 

 

ClumberPark, March09Our group of 16 enjoyed the varied landscape of Clumber Park, Nottinghamshire.  Among the 33 bird species recorded were greater spotted woodpecker, red poll,willow tit, goosander and grey lag goose. We enjoyed the exhibition showing the work on the park also the parks use in war time. A repeat visit was suggested.

Margaret  

Knaresboro, Feb09This was a geology walk conducted in mild weather involving a party of 21 people.The conditions were muddy under foot.We enjoyed our walk beside the River Nidd examining the rock formation of the Permian / Carboniferous rocks on the way . Knaresborough is picturesque at all times.We enjoyed drinks in the open air at the end of the walk in the vicinity of the viaduct, a reminder of Switzerland.

Margaret

Sandal Castle, Feb09Our visit to Pugney's and Sandal Castle was blessed with fine but cold weather. We saw about 30 different bird species even though many of the lakes were frozen. The views from Sandal Castle were spectacular. Hazel catkins were blooming. Joan