Carrots! Yes, carrots! We've been busy making hay whilst the sun shines to keep our grasslands in good condition and put them to bed for the autumn. But as you wander around the site you may have seen some patches that are yet to be cut. These are our late meadows, so called because the species in them flower later in the year. Wild carrot has been especially floral this year and we're waiting for it to go to seed before cutting these areas.

We've finished cutting and raking most of our big meadows now, ready to start on hedgerows and the rest of our autumn work programme. Our volunteers have been hard at work raking off this year's growth so that we keep these areas in the nutrient-poor state favoured by most of our native wildflowers, which are otherwise out-competed by a thick thatch of grass.

There are, however, some areas that cannot be mown and raked, either because they're too big or too awkward, too lumpy, etc. In these units we use livestock to graze down this year's growth. Four Black Welsh Mountain sheep have been put into Little Heath. Can you spot them?!

The reserve always throws up some unexpected work. This month the fence next to the Grebe Lake viewpoint surprised us with two broken rails and a snapped post. This is a style of fencing known as Lincolnshire fencing, which interlocks for a strong barrier - this is great until you have to repair a section right in the middle! After much wiggling we got the new post and rails in for another successful repair.

Our wildlife has been very obliging recently and we've had this fabulous photo of a buzzard with prey sent in to us.

This common lizard was seen climbing a tree by one of our reserve staff. What have you spotted lately?