I had eagerly anticipated my visit to Snipe Dales this month now that spring has truly arrived. I was even more optimistic when I opened my curtains in the morning and there was a gorgeous blue sky with the sun shining down. However, I should have known better with English weather and when I actually stepped out the cold air hit me like a brick wall. My hopes of blue skies, butterflies and bird songs were quickly dwindling as grey clouds started to move over and by the time I arrived at Snipe Dales, it was well and truly dull weather. I did not let this stop me enjoying the beautiful greens though that had now fully emerged across the site, but I did wish I had brought a pair of gloves with me!

For our first job of the day, we went and retrieved some of the pots left in the Country Park from Louth Watch Group, who had been planting for the Woodland Flora project at Snipe Dales the day before. Wildlife Watch is a nature club for kids from around 6 to 14 years old and a great way to explore your surroundings and get closer to the wildlife you share it with. If you are interested in joining your local watch group why not read some more information about it here: https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/for-families/wildlife-watch. You may remember that back in November I was first introduced to the Woodland Flora project and had my own go at planting out in the Country Park. It is really cool that the different factions of the Wildlife Trust can come together in a way that is both educational for younger people whilst still contributing to real world conservation.

Whilst James went to Furze Hill with the mower, volunteer Andy and I went to the reserve on foot and checked on the ponies. The ground was quite soggy from the recent wet weather we had been having and of course whilst we were out with no shelter, we got caught in a shower! This didn’t stop us though, nor did it stop the wonderful sound of blackcaps and willow warblers singing across the reserve – my first time hearing them at Snipe Dales this year. I still find it wonderful how the residents of Snipe Dales coincide with the type of management being carried out. As the spring visitors arrive, James shifts from woodland to grassland management. Although their arrival is not the reason, it is a nice little parallel that happens. This meant that the day focused heavily on gearing up and preparing for things such as the cattle’s arrival.

When we got back to the base, James needed to swap over implements from winter to summer work. The tractor has been used for moving timber and brash and now the main focus will be using it to gently push back sides of paths to keep all necessary access after the explosion of growth in the spring. It is a very difficult task to do alone as it involves getting everything lined up properly so it was a great opportunity to carry out the tasks whilst Andy was also in. It is also incredibly time consuming and ended up taking us all the way to lunchtime getting everything prepared. Not every job a Warden does is as exciting as some of the things I have already written about in my blogs, but this was just as necessary in preparation for all of those jobs coming up.

In the afternoon, we geared up with a chainsaw, fence posts and wellies (as we had to cross a ford!) and made our way over to Sow Dale. The weather was still unpleasant but the rain was momentarily holding back for the time being. It did feel as though I was visiting in January rather than April, and I am extremely grateful to James who let me borrow one of his warm hats!

The job for the afternoon was to cut a fallen willow that had landed on a fence and re-solidify the fence ready for the cattle in the summer. It is not usually the time of year to do chainsaw work because of the nesting birds, but because of the emergency we did a thorough check to make sure there were none nearby before starting the work. This can actually take up a lot more time than you would imagine and the trunks are seriously heavy, meaning they need to be cut up into smaller bits so we are able to move them. Willow is so resilient and you could already see the roots growing out from the branches that were hanging over the fence.

The fence needed repairing and securing after the willow was removed, and with the help from the handy post knocker that I have shown you in previous blogs we managed to get it done. Once the wiring had enough tension, James hammered it into place and it was all ready for when the cattle will eventually arrive. I must admit though, one of the most exciting things from the afternoon was hearing the laughing call of a green woodpecker and even managing to spot two flying in the distance in front of us. I have mentioned throughout my blogs the different challenges that a Warden faces, and I’m certain one must be having to resist taking a break from the jobs to have a wander listening and looking for wildlife with so much around you!