Friends of Adel Woods

Despite heavy rain at 9 am, a stalwart crew met up in the car park on King Lane at 10 am to carry out this morning’s tasks.  In fact by 10 am the rain had stopped and it turned into a very pleasant morning.

Three tasks today:  some of us litter picked; some cleared branches and foliage from the bridges over Nanny Beck to open it up and make it more of a feature;  and some of us cleared foliage and leaf mould from the path between the Buckstones and King Lane and from the footpath on King Lane.

We finished at 12, astonished at what can be achieved with a little concentrated effort!

Judith, Stephanie and Tom prepared a great display for our stand at the Community Association Gala and by 12 noon we had a wonderful looking stand – thanks are due to Alan and Diane, Adrian and Catherine for help in putting it up (apologies if I have not mentioned anyone).

Unfortunately a few minutes later the rain started and other stalls and stands started to disappear.  We, the Parish Council, Walkabout and the Alwoodley Sinfonietta all moved our stands in concert up to the lawn outside the ACA bar, but, sadly, the rain settled in for the afternoon and by 3.30pm, cold and bedraggled – but spirits unbowed – we packed up.

Well, actually, it was a blue tit!.

At 7.30 am, the hardier souls among us (Phil, Dave, Val, and your trusty reporter) met up with Steve Joul to survey the bird boxes put up by FOAW.  We surveyed the ones we put up in January 2010 – ie along Crag Lane  – and we saw birds using about half of them – including one trashed by a squirrel or squirrels).

As a postscript, on Sunday 15 May your trusty reporter walked down the Meanwood Valley Trail and can report that three out of four boxes observed were in use.  The fourth had been pulled apart by forces unknown

It’s amazing what you can find in Adel Woods if only you look.  Alan found this common lizard – for more information see this link:  http://www.herpetofauna.co.uk/common_lizard.htm  Alan found the link too!

A morning clearing saplings

“You can get up now, it’s lunchtime!”

from Adel Moor, the last patch of original heathland in Leeds, and well worth preserving as a unique habitat for that reason alone.  Birch and oak saplings are encroaching on the moor, and killing off the heather and other moorland plants.  The birch saplings are particularly invasive – there are hundreds of small seedlings from an inch in size upwards.

You never know what you might find on the moor! Have a look at this!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxZiDQ6Iw5s

Despite heavy rain earlier in the morning, a turn out of 16 at 7 am for the bird song walk with Steve Joul. It actually turned into a very pleasant morning.

Twenty one definite sightings or hearings:

Great tit;  robin;  blackbird;  collared dove;  wood pigeon;  wren;  coal tit;  chaffinch;  chiff chaff;  starling; pheasant;  carrion crow;  whitethroat;  blackcap;  dunnock;  long tailed tit;  jay;  magpie; song thrush;  willow warbler;  swift;

and one sighting – in the distance – of a red kite or buzzard.

There was an excellent turnout for the AGM at the ACA.  The existing committee continues with the addition of Rob.  The officers remain:  Roger Gilbert, Chair;  Judith White, Treasurer;  Stephanie Clarke, Secretary.

We reviewed events over the last year, and the finances, and then settled down to conversation in the bar.

Eight of us met with Steve Joul to litter pick and have a go at some dry stone walling.

Another great day, and another great turn out.  There were about sixteen of us, which enabled us to carry out a number of tasks.

Some of us litter picked, some tidied up the hospice woodland, and some of us did some more work to improve the surface of Crag Lane near the picnic area.

A big thank you to everyone.

We had a happy morning clearing mud from the worst patch of Crag Lane – just by the picnic area – and putting in some drainage.

There is a good path below the mud, which is the result of years of leaf mould rotting down.  Step one was scraping off the mud, and step two was to create a channel where water can flow away.  Step three was to create a causeway with hardcore provided by Leeds CC.

Thanks to everyone who helped.  Stephanie and Ian also collected several bags of rubbish.