Sunday 23 December 2012

A quick look back at the last year

In January we had the visit from the RSPB to advise us on the reed bed lagoon, our first volunteer day work party, we started to plant 900 trees, our 1st north loop update, and Allan put out the start of the bird feeders.
February  There was a common scoter on the ski lake, 1st redpoll on the feeders, Queenie on the canal ( a kingfisher that displayed for about 6 weeks ) put up the start of our bird box's, continued with planting, cut some tree's on the lagoon with the help of Calderdale volunteers.
March  early Butterflies were out (Peacock )  Sand martins and Swallows back, we had our first AGM,  we hit 10,000 visits on the blog Bluebells and frogspawn were early, we planted more trees and cleared the Wooded arch walk.
April  Saw the membership open (we are now at 51 members), we had our first piece in the local newspaper, finished planting the trees, we changed the venue for the meetings to the Halifax Fire Station on cost grounds. The solstice walk took place and the goosander had 11 young.
May  1st Dragonfly's /Common Sandpiper/Whitethroat and Warblers, we also had a Water shrew on the Lagoon margins and we prepared  the areas for the memorial stone and bench seat that was donated to us by Roy .
June The 1st moth night we had planned had to be cancelled due to bad weather, Marshall's donated and placed a stone on the prepared area on the wettest day of the year ( Hebden flooded that day ) and we started to expand the feeders .
July The rerun of the moth night was a great success 13 turned out for a great evening, signs were put on the entrances and we started to prepare the areas for the lagoon bridge
August August was a quiet month however we started to build the screen on the feeders and the steps down to them.
September We expanded the screen and put in seating, we had an open day at the Brighouse library, the little grebes had 4 young a late brood and the bench seat was fitted
October We redid the constitution on advise, prepared the bridge for the lagoon, had a Kingfisher at the feeding station 1st Redpoll of this season on the 10th, Not all good though we had a camo netting stolen and the hay meadows were cut a little too late this year, and put up the information board
November  The bridge between the lagoons was completed, we had our 2nd open day at Kershaws Garden Centre with Santa, and the Waxwings were in Brighouse .
December  The grass was cut on the weir bank and removed, Road signs were finally erected, The Bailey Bridge sides were filled in and the gate opened 12 months ahead of our initial prediction .

I would like to thank everybody for there efforts and support this year and look forward to Next Year
Have a great Christmas and new year and to the ones that stole the camo netting and bird seed and fat balls  may you get the Christmas you deserve. Yours Graham


2 comments:

Bruce said...

I look forward to future achievements on the reserve Graham as I am sure we all do.

gwh said...

Thanks bruce i also think we will have a good year. yours Graham