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Jim's Diary |
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| Current Jim's Diary | ||
| Jim's Diary Archives | ||
| February to April 2008 | ||
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| February to April 2008 | ||
 A fair amount of water flowed down the Uck and Ouse on 1st. February. I took a walk from Isfield to Lewes in the mild weather and wondered if February would bring in the ‘fill-dyke’ month and help to raise the flows even more. It is most important that the underground supplies are kept topped up and that rivers flow as they should do. It was a lovely walk in almost Spring-like conditions. Violets and Primroses were in flower beside the paths along the old railway line and the usual Buzzards cried and soared overhead. The river-side trees held lots of small birds and I sighted a pair of Egrets on the Brooks. I picked up a newly opened freshwater Mussel shell and guessed the Heron had found breakfast. Some early Mullet were in the river just above Lewes. On the 3rd. there was a lot of water and all the sluices were open and the river was fining down a bit. A cold wind blew that day. I disturbed a pair of Cormorants fishing the river near Isfield. On 5th. I walked along the Uck and Ouse and noticed leaf buds showing on the Willow and Hazel. Near to Worth I watched a group of twelve Deer in a distant field. They really have become more numerous and can be seen quite commonly nowadays. The riverside vegetation was growing and in amongst a Bramble thicket a number of Great Tits were very active and I saw a piebald Blackbird. I was delighted to see two Redpolls and a Siskin, both seed eaters, on my bird table alongside the usual various garden birds. There seem to be a lot of Blackbirds coming to the garden. On the 8th. after an early frost I went out to clear up around the village yet again. I was greeted by the bright yellow of the Celandine flowers all along the ditch banks. Celandines are usually the first of our Spring wild flowers which are welcomed by the Bumble Bees as they emerge on the milder days at this time of year. Bumble Bees seem to be more plentiful again after going through a period of hard times recently. There was a get together, organised by Robin Akers, of the Task Force on 10th. held at the John Harvey Tavern in Lewes. We had a very enjoyable lunch and discussed the programme for the coming season’s work on the catchment. On the 12th. I walked the Ouse and into Lewes. Blackthorn was tightly in bud and the  weather was still dry with early frosts A few anglers had been attracted out too. I sat still on the river bank for a while and waited. Firstly I watched an amazing aerial display by a pair of Herons and then I saw a Sparrow Hawk make a direct attacking strike at a flock of finches which I guess would have been successful for the hawk. I walked on and crossed a stile and there, in a crack of the old wooden fencing, were a number of Ladybirds and a very early bright yellow Brimstone butterfly fluttered past me. St Valentine’s Day arrived by which time the ducks had been paired up for ages and the drakes were making their usual noisy squabbles. The Blackbirds in my garden had paired up too. I was delighted to see a pair of Hares and very much hope to catch sight of them boxing next month. I have seen Hares boxing before in March but this was in the days when Hares were very much more plentiful in the Ouse valley brooklands. I saw more early Mullet but no sign of any Sea Trout Kelts about. However, a Seal came up on the tide to a point above Lewes. Perhaps it had a mate but none seen although I found a slide mark in the mud just like I had seen during the winter. There was a pair of Toads in the Paper Mill Cut area and a Heron was working the ditches. As I walked along to see how the flow was doing from the Offham Springs and the site of the pumping station a lone Egret flew past me. On the 16th. I took a walk along the Bevern upstream of Holman’s Bridge and found a few blockages which would have to be dealt with at a later date.  I decided to walk the main Ouse on Sunday, 17th. February where I met anglers who talked of a second large Pike weighing 32lbs., the biggest in years, which had been caught above Barcombe Mills. The Pike in the photo had been caught earlier in February and weighed 31lbs. 12ozs. The next morning I awoke to –5°C of frost followed by a glorious day of bright sunshine. On 23rd. I visited the stretch of the Uck behind the industrial estate to see just how much clearance would be needed on our first Task Force visit. I was verysaddened to find, as usual, a large number of discarded items which made the area look like a tip. When will there be an end to this place being used as a rubbish dumping ground ? The day turned colder with drizzle as I continued down the Uck seeing on the way a large Carp and Balsam plants starting to grow. The following day I noticed the Dawn Chorus becoming more pronounced and later I walked the Ouse and met the Pike anglers out again. I watched a very early brood of twelve Mallard ducklings in the main river. A pair of Buzzards circled over the Mills and Primroses and Milkmaids were flowering along the ditch banks. MARCH - The Wet Month It turned out to be the wettest for many years. On 2nd. I watched a Wren which appeared to be building a nest in the nesting box in my garden hedge. There was a Moorhen pecking about on the lawn. By this time I had seen Frog spawn in a number of places. Some Elm trees had budded and in the wood-lands Wood Anemones were beginning to carpet the ground with their white flowers. Despite the heavy February frosts Spring was emerging slowly but Nature had surprises in store. The next morning started with a phone call about a dead deer at the bottom of Clay Hill. I have seen numerous slots where they cross the road at that point. A pair of Brimstone and Peacock butterflies were in my garden but not for long when the afternoon became much colder with wintry showers. Redpolls were in the riverside trees. The 5th. was a fine, sunny day and so I decided to go to Uckfield. The birds were very vocal and I spotted a hatch of small Mayfly going on over weed beds downstream of the bridge. The Task Force was out in full force on Sunday 9th. March operating through Uckfield. We filled about 50 sacks of assorted litter and found everything from carpets to trollies. I must say a big ‘thank you’ to all who turned out that day. We discovered pollution too which was swiftly dealt with by the Environment Agency. The next day the predicted storm arrived with very heavy rain and high winds. There were flood warnings for the Ouse in the Barcombe area. Selsey defences were breached and there were generally many problems created all around the region. Friday, 14th. March heralded the end of the season for coarse fish angling on the Ouse. The new season would start again on the 16th. June. The open season for Sea Trout started on 1st. May. I cleared up litter around the village on 18th. March to make sure it looked tidy for Easter which was very early this year. I picked up the usual fast food containers thrown from car windows. Bumble Bees were very active on Dandelions and other early Spring flowers. Cherry trees were blossoming and there were more butterflies about. Thursday, 20th. was very wet, cold and miserable and on Good Friday once again it was very cold and it snowed. A real Blackthorn Winter. The next day a bitterly cold wind came from the north-east. The Easter weekend turned out to be very unpleasant for outdoor activities but I turned out for the Isfield Annual Beer Race in my capacity as a steward. There were about 65 entries and the competitors raced through a heavy snow storm ! It was cold standing waiting at Isfield Mill for the racers but it was good fun and for a good cause in aid of the RNLI. The next day more heavy rain fell. On Saturday, 29th. I attended a fishery seminar at Arundel Wetlands Centre organised by the Environment Agency. On the journey there, with other SOCS colleagues, I noticed many clumps of Cowslips on the verges beside the motorway but there was also a lot of litter which is such a disgrace in this country. As we passed the rivers Ouse, Adur and Arun I could see they all looked brown with Sussex soil but they were flowing fast towards the sea. The following day the Ouse was on full flood alert again and all the sluice gates were open. It had been the wettest March for many years but at least the reservoirs had been filled and the underground supplies had been well topped-up.  APRILOn the 1st. I had a trip to London Wetland Centre. It was very interesting to see all the different birds despite being right under the flight path into Heathrow. I then enjoyed the experience of riding on the top deck of a London bus to see the sights on the way back to the underground, which was an experience in itself, then home via Victoria railway station. It was a very good day out but I was glad to be back to see the infant Ouse below me, running very coloured, as we crossed the viaduct. It was nice to be back in Sussex again. A fellow Parish Councillor and I set out on a fine and warm 3rd. April to collect a gas boiler and tyres which had been dumped in a roadside ditch. We took them back to a central collecting point for Wealden District Council to collect which they did very promptly. It would be so satisfying to catch the morons who did this and also the people who threw the rubbish back into the Uck after we had cleared it up. The weather did another complete change on 6th. when there was another heavy fall of snow. The forecast had been quite right and the snow disappeared very quickly. There were a lot of snowmen about for a few hours ! On the 8th. I walked in Ashdown Forest. All the snow had gone on the Forest too and there were a few patches of Gorse in full bloom. It was amusing to see people queuing for ice-cream at the Kingstanding car park. There were a lot of birds in the Pine trees and it was unbelievable how much the weather had altered in the last two days even though they had started with a frost. 10th. April arrived and my fellow Parish Councillor colleague and I set to work on the litter along the parish boundary at Shortbridge and then up Darvell Hill and along the road to Pierpoint Wood. We tackled Buckham Hill next and down to Lodge Wood and then past Constantia Manor back to Isfield village. We had filled 7 black sacks full of all sorts of litter including dangerous glass bottles. I am grateful to my colleague for his assistance. We had worked together from 9.30am to 1pm and it was a worthwhile job well worth doing but the volume of litter which is discarded on a daily basis means it is an endless task which needs doing every couple of months. At Lodge Wood we discovered that a serious water leak, which had been reported in January, was still running that day ! On 13th. The Task Force set out to work above Holman’s Bridge. There were thunderstorms around us and the Blackthorn flowers were fully out in abundance. I hope you enjoyed your full immersion John ? A new meaning to water abstraction ! Seriously though I send my thanks to all who turned out.  At last a real sound of Spring—I heard a Cuckoo somewhere down by the Uck near the church in distant woodland. Another sound was the drumming of a Woodpecker. I noticed a Blackbird sitting on her nest in a hedge. I have seen a few Swallows and House Martins about the village but the arrival of these birds in large numbers is yet to come. The dead flowers of my Camellia had
attracted a Queen Wasp and some Wild Bees were in evidence. There was an abundance of Dandelions in the pastures. I have
noticed a huge increase in the Deer population locally and it seems they have increased greatly throughout Sussex. I have seen evidence of their ‘highways’ from the roadside into woodland very often nowadays. I also noticed some Orange Tip butterflies today and the beautiful scent of Bluebells in the woodlands. Some nights have been cold still and the Blackthorn is nearly over so I am looking forward to a bumper crop of Sloes this Autumn for everyone to enjoy for Sloe Gin production ! Large patches of yellow have appeared in the fields so watch out for the Lioness about but don’t worry it is only the name of a variety of Oil Seed Rape ! I wish all our farmers good luck and good crops for 2008.
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