Notification: I must point out that I have special permission to be on the Eversley quarry site of Fleet hill farm, Manor farm and the Hampshire part. These are not open areas for general access. Public rights of way are being incorporated into the sites to enable people to enjoy the new reserves.

Please bear this in mind. Although I refer them in my blog as reserves, they are still, technically, part of an operating quarry. So please keep to the existing public rights of way, and wait for the new ones to be adopted. Also it is will be even more important to stick to the public rights of way when they do become reserves so as not to disturb the wildlife.

Update: Apparently Cemex and RSPB have been working together to restore 1000 hectares of ex-gravel works to prime habitat. The aim was to achieve this by 2020. They actually managed the 1000th hectare in 2017.

Eversley was the first hectare to be restored under this partnership; actually the Moor Green lakes and surrounding area e.g. Horseshoe lake. This youtube video features scenes from Manor farm which regular readers will be familiar with.  Here is an explanation on the RSPB's website, and here is one on the Cemex website about them being runner up in the MPA Quarries from Nature awards due to their work on the Eversley quarry restoration.

27th Jan 2018 - we get a mention in The Telegraph: 50 disused quarries turned into wildlife habitats to help Britain's endangered wildlife. "Eversley Quarry in Hampshire was the first to be completed following three years of work by wildlife and conservation experts."  Ahhh, they missed phase 2, the subject of this blog.

This blog is about a proposed nature reserve on the Cemex gravel extraction works between Finchampstead and Eversley. There are three parts to the reserve.

1. Moor Green Lakes.  This reserve already exists.  It was restored by Cemex some years ago.
2. Manor Farm.
3. Fleet Hill Farm.

Initially, this blog concentrates on the restoration efforts Cemex engaged in prior to handing over the reserve to a conservation group for day to day management.  Once this happens, I would then hope to chart the efforts required to turn the raw restoration into a fully operational nature reserve.

That being said, there is already a wealth of wildlife inhabiting the site, mostly as Cemex have ceased extracting gravel, and appears to be a mecca for bird watchers.  We often encounter them as we walk around the footpath, humping their tripods, spotting scopes, cameras and binoculars or perhaps exchanging notes with each other on what they have spotted that day.

Although I live about three miles away from the proposed new reserve, I only learnt about it recently. I started to photograph the efforts Cemex are expanding in clearing the gravel works and, as is the nature of such endeavours, realised I had a photo journal before I knew it.

Extent of entire reserve

The plan below shows the extent of the reserve.  It stretches for 2.2 miles along the Blackwater river.

Moor Green Farm is already a nature reserve, namely Moor Green Lakes nature reserve. For more details see here Moor Green Lakes Group or here RSPB entry. Perhaps you could join us on one of our work parties to aid in the conservation of this reserve.

Fleet Hill farm is supposed to be ready as a reserve by end of summer 2017. Apart from a few sub-phases, this appears to have been achieved.

Approximately 18 months later, Manor Farm will be incorporated into the reserve. A target date in a planning application I read suggested that restoration of Manor farm should be completed by 31st December 2018. Personally, as of 7th October 2018, I can't see this happening unless the scale of infill is altered drastically or a lot more resources are thrown at the restoration effort.

You may notice, dear reader, quite a few differences between the various plans and google earth images of the reserve displayed below. I am not sure why.  I suspect that some of the differences are due to extraction of gravel. This is certainly true of the Fleet Hill farm portion of the reserve. Note: I have since discovered that the plans for the restoration were fairly fluid and subject to numerous alterations.

Update: I am keeping my speculations for historical reasons. Part of the 'fun' of keeping this blog is working out what Cemex and Inert are up to.  Well, the later posts show that they are infilling Finch pond. They may also modify Cormorant and Manor farm lakes to look more like the plan.

Plan of proposed Manor Farm part of reserve and image from Google Earth

NOTE: I've finally got around to updating the google earth image with the expanded reference points. Hopefully, this will allow you to navigate my text a little better.

The plan below is the Manor Farm extension. Below that is a Google Earth image as of March 2017. Note the difference between the it and the plan.  Particularly Finch Lake, which is now huge, and what I have been calling Cormorant Lake which is supposed to be joined to the bigger lake to its right.  The Pump Station area, currently on dry land, would be in the middle of a lake, according to the Cemex plan.

As described above we start our walk at the Moor Green Lake car park, located in the top right hand corner of the map. The details shown in this map are the proposed public right of ways, and possibly some further landscaping. As an example, currently there is a sizable lake at the point I call the Pump Station.  This lake is not shown in the map.

There are large areas of this new reserve I have not photographed as we have tended to keep to the current public footpaths.

We cross the Longwater road at the culvert/entrance to the reserve  to get enter Fleet Hill farm immediately opposite.

Plan of proposed Fleet Hill farm part of the reserve and image from Google Earth.

This is the Fleet Hill farm extension showing proposed structure and public right of ways. Below that is a Google Earth as of Sept 2017.

Stone Crusher lake is a small manky green lake. The plans below suggest that it will be filled in.

Swan lake is also a small manky green lake, which according to the plan will get bigger.

There is a large part of this extension that I have not really photographed as we have tended to stick to the footpaths. Most all the restoration had been completed by the time I started photographing the works.

Update 7th October 2018. I suspect that apart from a few small pieces of work (e.g. completion of bridle path) Fleet Hill farm is pretty much restored. One of the planning applications I read said that tree planting will occur in the year after restoration has been completed. As this happened earlier on in 2018, this would suggest that, apart from a few sub-phases, restoration is complete.

This post shows how the Fleet Hill Farm and Manor Farm parts of the Cemex Eversley gravel works has changed over the years since 1999.  Credit has to go to the Google corporation for their Google Earth initiative and also for developing Googe Earth Pro.  This free application allowed me to explore a history of the images Google have taken of our planet since 1999, and to also save images.

I would recommend you download Google Earth Pro.  It allows to you to zoom in to see an incredible amount of detail.

As well as showing the evolution of the area, the images also demonstrate the evolution of the techniques Google used to photograph the landscape.  If you look closely you will notice that Google had problems stitching some parts of the images together.  They also either went through a number companies to do the fly over and photography or simply garnered images from different GIS companies over the years.

The images below have been reduced considerably in size from the Google Earth images. It would take ages for this blog to load across the network if I left them at full resolution.

Note. I've used Google Earth as was readily available and convenient to use.  There are other GIS sources available, which may provide even higher resolution images or greater quality.  You pays your money and takes your choice.

Several times in this blog I mention the complex geology of the area.  I found a map, courtesy of my old College, that goes part way to showing this complexity. Greater detail can be found here Eocene sands and iron map a natty title that sort of rolls of the tongue.

I've taken the liberty of inserting a much reduced image in this blog. The vertical red line marks the Longwater road. If you zoom in you may just make out the words "Cemex works" to the left of it. This is actually on the Fleethill farm part of the works. To the immediate right of the red line is Manor farm. Count two large lakes to the right and you reach Moor Green lakes.

Quite a landmark are our works.

This is now pinned to the top of the posts.

I have largely ignored Chandlers farm over the years. Partly as most of the restoration will be (and has been) given over to sports facilities, and partly as it is still an operational quarry. I believe there are some 50,000 tonnes of stuff still to be extracted once the site buildings are demolished.

A small area of the site (the north west corner) is to be given over to a nature reserve, and I'm sure I read in one planning document that there was to be a community growing area. Another name for these could be allotments, perhaps. We need more allotments, especially considering the waiting list, and the need to do something to save this planet.

I present to you, courtesy of Google Earth Pro (a free app well worth getting hold of) the changing face of Chandlers farm - the original Eversley Quarry.  Manor farm and Fleet Hill farm are subsequent extensions to this quarry.

I'm deeply suspicious of both the imagery and the dates attached to them.  The earlier ones exhibit particular problems, typical of a fledgling service. Imagery has come from various sources, with varying degrees of quality, and they have been stitched together with varying degrees of accuracy.

I'd certainly take the imagery dates with a large pinch of salt. The year 'might' be correct, but the date is not always correct e.g. images dated 31st December or 1st January show deciduous trees in full leaf!!!

Consider the 'settlement ponds' in the top right hand corner of the site.  These three rectangular ponds are, I believe, where water (pumped out of the various ponds and lakes) are passed through to allow sediment to settle out, before the water is put into the Blackwater.  The photos for 1999/2000 show these ponds. The ponds are missing from the photos dated 2003, only to reappear in 2004.

I hadn't appreciated how much restoration had already taken place on Chandlers farm. Note the football pitches - rather poshly flood lit at night. I thought they had been there before the quarry. But no. They were one of the first parts of the quarry to be restored.

You will also notice the stop-start nature of the restoration. Not readily apparent from the large gaps in the imagery data, but quite normal as I have reported in this blog.

Still, it looks as if Hampshire county council is putting pressure on Cemex to get Chandlers farm completed, judging by the all out effort put in this year. Alternatively, it might be Inert flitting around the various sites, as we have seen over the past couple of years.

However, at least this is being done. Hopefully, the surrounding communities will benefit greatly, and hopefully a small fragment of this planet will be saved for wildlife and future generations.

Enough ramblings, on with the show.

First a plug for the Moor Green Lakes open day, on Sunday 29th Sept i.e. next week. There will be guided tours around parts of the reserve not normally open to the public. I might be leading some of the tours (depending on how many volunteers and visitors we get), but should be manning Colebrook hide and the 'new workings' (aka Manor farm) during the afternoon.

Yesterday's mammal walk/talk went well, and I managed not to throw any naughty children into Colebrook lake; though one precocious tyke (not used to sharing) did deserve it. More details (including short video clips) to be found here https://www.facebook.com/pg/MoorGreenLakes/community/?ref=page_internal

Returning to our scheduled report: Once again, on my Wednesday walk, all that was apparent on Manor farm were piles of spoil and lorries trundling to and from dropping them. Our bulldozer was working away on Chandlers farm.  On my return from MGL, the bulldozer was busily at work on to the north of the copse.  Seems a sensible strategy to me, if indeed this is the modus operandi: the bulldozer works on Chandlers farm while the small number of lorries available build up the spoil on Manor farm; when there is sufficient spoil to work on, the bulldozer returns to Manor farm.

Much progress has been accomplished this week. Finch pond, for all intents and purposes, is gone; completely filled in.  The structure I called the 'inlet' (a narrow strip of water running parallel to the ridge) is almost completely filled in. I would expect the tiny remaining remnant to be filled in this coming week: though Inert have caught me out before by flitting over to another part of the site.

In addition to filling in the 'inlet' our bulldozer driver appears to have worked all over Manor farm, smoothing and grading the surface.  Piles of spoil have been dropped near the north embankment. I am going to stick my neck out and say this stuff is going to be used to build up and contour the land to the required finish level - some 5' (1.5m) in places.

I couldn't be entirely sure (I paid a quick visit on Friday evening, as I was helping with the mammal walk/talk on Saturday morning) but further infill has occurred along the gravel bank which separates Cormorant lakes north and south.

For those interested. The Black-winged Stilt is still hanging around East Fen (aka Manor lake north) on Manor farm. Plenty of bird watchers in attendance.  Quite a few other species on offer e.g. Ruff, Green and Common Sandpiper, Sparrow hawk, numerous Lapwing etc, etc, etc.

First an updated infill map. Although the change from last week's map looks miniscule, an awful amount of work has been done. The depth of infill is over six feet (1.8'), which is a substantial amount of stuff to cart around.

Heads up: Blackwater River Festival kicks off next week. The Blackwater Valley Countryside Trust and associated nature conservation groups have a week of events planned between 21st and 29th September.

As part of this, Moor Green Lakes Group will have an open day on the 29th September where members of the public will be permitted access to the reserve. I am scheduled to perform various tasks on the day, from possibly leading guided tours, and also manning Colebrook hide and Manor farm.

Back to our normal schedule.

Manor farm was very misty at roughly 7:30 on Saturday morning. Opening and closing the Longwater road gate to Manor farm (it still isn't padlocked properly), and clambering up the west embankment, I could barely see half way across. I decided it wasn't worthwhile walking along the embankments, and took off across what was Finch pond. By the time I got near the ridge, the mist had been burnt off by the sun. Amazing how quickly this can occur.

Inert have been very busy this week. My Wednesday stomp revealed nowt but a whole load of lorries dumping loads on the north side of the copse. There was very little sign of Finch (village) pond west or of the bulldozer. It was busily at work on Chandlers farm.

Told you Inert flit about the site.  Though it probably makes sense for the lorries to dump a whole load of stuff, before the bulldozer does its business. When there are only a few lorries, the bulldozer driver can spend a fair amount of time waiting for sufficient stuff to flatten.

Last week, Inert filled in Finch pond west; remember I've been calling what was calling them large village ponds.  This week, Inert have almost completely filled in Finch pond east. Only half the 'inlet' is left.

Inert have also started to fill in Cormorant lake, pushing what looks like really good top soil along the south side of the gravel ridge separating Cormorant lakes north and south.  Shame. The birds really like the flat, open shoreline, bereft of vegetation. Strangely, very few birds seem to use Cormorant lake north. I do see them there. Just not as many as on Cormorant lake south. I guess it is too enclosed.

Other than that, the whole of Finch pond and area around the copse have this tidied up, flatten appearance.  Interesting, seeing as the survey stakes suggest the land has to be built up considerably. I think this is where the north embankments (strictly, they are banks) and ridge come into play, being bulldozed flat.

The shiny new limestone/chalk track way is taking a pounding from the lorry traffic. It's beginning to form ruts. This will make it a bouncy ride for the lorry drivers in the not too distant future.

Our pump wasn't pumping. Gone on strike again. Though water levels were quite well. Not much point in pumping the lake (i.e. Cormorant) completely dry. All the little fish will be killed off.

On the wildlife front. There was (and maybe still is) great excitement at the appearance of a Black-winged Stilt. More on this in the wildlife section.

Firstly, an updated map of the latest round of work (in yellow) since Inert were last here back in early march. NOTE: Inert have actually been working all over what was Finch pond, and the old infill I call the Land Mass.  They have been steadily landscaping the site, smoothing it over, and building up bits. The yellow hatching simply shows the new infill that has taken place since they returned a couple of weeks ago.

As part of my Wednesday stomp, I usually take a wander over to Colebrook hide to see if there are any interesting species around. This week there was a Snipe - a somewhat reclusive bird. I was dead chuffed to see it on the sand bars in front of the hide.

At this point a birder comes hoofing it up to me, all excited like, asking if I'd seen the Black-winged Stilt. I wouldn't know this bird if it came up and bit me on the leg. I showed him the photos of the Snipe I'd taken, on the grounds that my bird identification skills are so low it could have been said Stilt.

My photo was dismissed. However, the birder did spot the Black-winged Stilt. A creature of the Med, rarely seen in this country. This particular individual was a juvenile, suggesting that it was hatched in this country. No doubts they are moving north due to climate change.

Anyway, this sighting caused considerable excitement, and went out on the birders hotline very quickly. On my early morning Saturday stomp, I found two birders already in position, viewing said bird on East fen. Another one joined them shortly thereafter. A fourth, whom I met heading west on Manor farm, was heading back when I left for home. I think he had gone off to Manor farm as it was so misty early on. Nothing could be seen.

Personally, I found the Black-winged Stilt a little on the boring side.  I far prefer Lapwings, Snipe, Egyptian geese, etc. They are more colourful. Still, each to their own.

Now some of the more familiar species inhabiting the reserve.

Well, dear reader, the game, as Holmes is alleged to have said, is afoot and motoring away.

My Wednesday morning stomp revealed contractors working on the embankments and ridge in force; and were making their way along the north and west embankments bordering Cormorant lake (north). Why is this significant? After all, the north and west embankments and ridge have been cleared before.

It is the clearing of the north and east embankments which lead me to believe the big push is on. I realised that if you are a bulldozer driver or digger operator, perched 3m to over 6m up on some steep sided banking, then you really want to know where the edge of said banking is.  Kind of difficult to establish when it is covered in dense growths of thistles, nettles and bracken over 2m high.

Further signs that Cemex are really go for a completion sooner rather than later:

- What was Finch pond is rather flat and filled in. Only a tiny bit remains around the north of the copse. What I called east Finch pond has been filled in. I had an easy walk around the site: no having to work my way carefully around what was left of Finch pond, assessing the best route through an apocalyptic  landscape resembling the Somme, clambering up high, steep side gouges in the land and then sinking up to my knees in mud.

- Inert have continued to gouge out the north embankment next to the ridge, and bulldoze it into the 'inlet' of Finch pond. The inlet is a tongue of water that ran alongside the ridge. Inert always left it there, and I wondered when they would start to fill it in.

- The south end of the ridge has been bull dozed flat. Well, actually a small nub of a hillock that was isolated when Inert cut a way through the end of the ridge to allow lorries to access the gravel spit the divides Cormorant lakes north and south.

- Further work has been done on Cormorant lake (south), mainly to clear out and deepen the channel that drains said lake.

- Inert have also been over bits of the land mass (aka the infill from previous years) and  bulldozed some of the north and east shores of Cormorant lake.

- The pump, which was wheezing on Wednesday (a partial blockage, I reckon), was off today (from what I could see), but water levels were quite low all round.

I'm sure there are many other bits of restoration I have missed, but I was impressed with the speed at what had been accomplished this week.  Who knows, Cemex might pull it off and complete restoration by the end of the year.  This does mean no more need to get down to the site at 7:00am on a cold, wet, dank winter's Saturday, ploughing through my nemesis: mud the consistency of quicksand.

If I am any judge of the lie of the land, the reincarnated Finch pond, once landscaping has finished, will be quite shallow, possibly with some terracing. The latter is pure conjecture. Terracing is there, but it will be a piffling task to grade to a nice, gentle slope.

We'll kick off the slide shows with a 360 from the top of the structure I call the mega mound.  Inert have sliced a chunk off it to build up the track way. The resulting steep slope made it a little 'interesting' to clamber up.  As I climbed up I noticed caterpillar tracks all the way to the top! These digger drivers are absolute nutters. I swear the slope it trundled up is greater that 45 degrees.

Now on to the main slide show. Inert have been flitting all about Manor farm; though mainly concentrating on Finch pond. A little work has been done on the 'tank traps' i.e. the barriers built around the Longwater road entrance.

Some photos from Wednesday stomp showing how Inert are tackling the embankments.  I did wonder how they were going to do this.

Also the contractors working to clear the embankments of vegetation.  It was blisteringly hot when they did this last year during our mega hot summer. This year they had a nicer time of it, temperature wise. Though it isn't a pleasant job.

Wildlife was somewhat sparse. I'm not sure if this is due to the season, the time in the morning I visit the reserve or the creatures not being used to the heavy plant working on the site.

Last year the birds in particular got very used to lorries, bulldozers, diggers and other assorted vehicles trundling about the site. They totally ignored the huge hulking things, to the point where I figured that if I disguised myself as one (e.g. wear boxes painted yellow, with a big flashing light on my head, and me making brum-brum noises) I could walk around the site photographing birds.

I was intrigued by the number of garden plants on the site; especially the sunflowers. Right now the post industrial landscape of Manor farm provides a rich variety of flowering plants, much like an old fashioned meadows. Unfortunately, the reserve to be will likely not exhibit this level of diversity. Certainly the East Fen (the area I call the grasslands) seems somewhat barren.

Enough of my wittering...

Inert appear to have returned to Manor farm to tackle the landscaping of Finch pond with a vengeance.

The infill of what was left of Finch pond continues, probably just grading and perhaps building in some features - see slide show for details.

Perhaps their most dramatic action is to cut into the east side of the north embankment alongside the ridge. A great huge chunk has been gouged out of it and pushed into Finch pond. Now part of me says that we will see the embankments being flattened over the next couple of weeks.  However, I have been here before. I know Inert flit about the site. Having started on the embankment this week, they may not touch it for months.

Anyway, what was particularly nice was that the embankments and ridge were shorn of nettles and thistles. Well, actually the west embankment was shorn, the north embankment and ridge had wide path ways cut through them. Interestingly, the 'backs' of the embankments (i.e. west edge of west embankment and north edge of north embankment) had also been cleared or at least flattened. This does tend to hint at their demise soon.

In any case, it sure made walking along the embankments and ridge a breeze this week.

There is still quite a considerable amount of inert stuff to be dumped on the site to complete landscaping. Particularly on the new north shore of Finch pond. A sinuous 'hill' is to be sculpted, with at least five and a half feet (say 1.5m) still to go.

Another dramatic feature, built by Inert, is to cover the trackway running along side the south shore of Cormorant lake (south) with compacted limestone or chalk, possibly with some ballast. This will provide a smooth surface for the various plant to traverse. Currently, they have a very bumpy drive, bouncing up and down, and having to drive slowly.

Will Inert manage to complete the restoration of Manor farm by the end of this year? Well, although I remain sceptical, they sure have gone at it hammer and tongs this past week with a view to doing so, perhaps.

A mid-week supplemental. I had taken a few photographs (mostly on my smart phone) on my Wednesday morning stomp; I was too lazy to take my bridge camera. Only I forgot to download the photos. My cheapo smart phone does surprisingly well. The only downside is that mobile phones have digital zoom, which is next to useless.

We can now see what activity occurred early (like before 8:30am) Wednesday morning.

I did notice that the floaty pipe, so beloved of gull type birds when water levels rise, has severed itself. Will it no longer float?

Unless otherwise stated, the following photographs were taken on my smart(ish) phone.

Now on to wildlife; was it a mass of plastic pollution I spied?

As I remarked earlier, my usual Saturday morning stomp didn't. Instead I wandered around Manor farm early evening of the Friday; as the gas man was coming on Saturday morning to service our boiler.

As such, the wildlife on view was not the normal mix I see. On a Saturday, the site tends to be full of roosting birds, most getting ready to go to various feeding grounds. Many of the birds had not returned on Friday evening.

There is quite a bit of pollution on Manor farm, mainly of the plastic variety. I have posted photographs of some of the stuff I have seen, particularly polystyrene beads in Finch pond. Thus, when I crested the ridge and stared into Cormorant lake (north) I saw its shores lined with white stuff, which I took to be polystyrene; lots of it.

Only when I looked closer at the photographs I'd taken, I realised that it was nothing more than a mass of white feathers. The closed nature of Cormorant lake (north) simply concentrated the feathers.  Looking at other photos of the area, I realised that the whole site is dotted with white feathers. I reckon that these feathers either come from moulting birds or were the downy linings for nests.

After spending a week in south Italy, covered in factor 50+ and hiding under any scrap of shade, we had hoped for some relief from temperatures in excess of 30 C when we got home. Instead, we flew straight into a heat wave with temperatures the same as we had endured all week. I wasn't in a fit state to visit the proto-reserves yesterday - partly as Ryanair's flight left late, partly as we were knackered, and partly as it was sooooooo hot.

I disappeared down to Manor farm early this morning (no way was I going to leave it later on and the stupid temperatures we're expecting today) and had to infer whether or not Inert have returned. Well, with no mid-week stomp, I have to say the jury is out; despite the evidence.

Firstly, I noticed the usual traffic control had been set up near the bailey bridge. To wit, some large tyres and boulders placed across a trackway.

Secondly, I noticed that the west embankment, bordering Longwater road, has had a shave. This happened last year, at roughly the same time. Contractors moved in and cut down vegetation on the west and north embankments bordering Finch pond. This year, their job would have been a little more difficult. Last year's very hot dry summer, stunted the growth of the thistles and nettles. This year, as evident from an earlier blog post, growth has been rampant. Shame I didn't wait a couple of weeks before scaling the embankments; though I am hoping the contractors will return to tackle the north embankment this week.

I was very surprised how much water levels had fallen over the past week - despite the deluge we got last week. In fairness to our pump (which was off today) Finch pond is now not much bigger than a couple of large village ponds, whilst Cormorant lake is smaller than it was. Still, it did surprise me.

I didn't go on to Manor farm to see if any bulldozing had taken place i.e. infilling Cormorant lake. I figured Inert hadn't fully returned, and that the traffic control was in main for the contractors who cleared the embankments. My guess is that Inert will return in force either this week or next.

Over on Chandlers farm, the great wall of spoil has grown out of sight to the east of the bailey bridge.  I didn't hop over said bridge, this morning, to photograph the extent of the embankment. It's very impressive, whatever it is.

On with the protracted slide show. This first batch (I may get round to putting some wildlife shots up later) were taken with my smart phone.  Those who know me may get off the floor or close mouth after being in stunned amazement.  Yes, after decades of not having a mobile, I have finally got one. Still don't really need it, but it does come in handy for wide angle shots - especially as the image chip in a mobile phone isn't much different to that in a bridge camera. Though I did miss the optical zoom on my bridge camera.

Yes, it isn't a Saturday or Sunday. Early report due to university visits. It's that time of year!

It is also business as usual. No activity on Manor farm - except our hard working pump is chugging away, lowering water levels in Finch pond and Cormorant lake.

Over on Chandlers farm, Inert are busy extending their earth banking; almost as if they are building a wall to keep the Berkshire folk out of Hampshire.  :-) :-) :-)  Seriously, I do wonder what this earth bank is all about.

I still reckon it will take at least another two weeks of pumping to get water levels down to a safe depth. Matters are not helped either by the deluge we got on Wednesday, and the pasting we are supposed to get today.  The Blackwater was running very high, after a long period of having quite low water levels.

Bird life was surprisingly abundant on Cormorant lake (south) - and not just the usual suspects of Canada Geese and Mallards. My inexpert eyes spotted a Green Sandpiper - first time I have ever spotted one - as well as the Little Ringed Plover.  Will the latter attempt to over winter in the UK?  Climate change is causing more and more migratory birds to do so.

Speaking of Canada Geese - I think I managed to spot an 'albino' one. Technically it is called a partially leucistic Canada Goose as it is lacking melanin.  Still, if it is such then it is a first for me.

Kicking off the slide show with the usual 'restoration' shots.

Now the 'albino' Canada goose

For what ever reason, many flocks of Canada geese decided to descend onto Cormorant lake (south) - this, in addition, to those who went on to Moor Green Lakes.  It is somewhat interesting to note the huge disparity in bird numbers from day to day.

Now the Green Sandpiper and some Sand Martins I managed to photograph as they fed over Colebrook lake (north) in Manor farm.

Inert are still staying off Manor farm. It will take a couple or three weeks for the pump to get water levels down to safe depths for the plant to operate on the site. Looks like Manor farm will not be completed this year.

I think the last time I stomped around the west side of Manor farm was about the beginning of December 2018. Partly as restoration had shifted to Cormorant lake (south) and partly because of the breeding season from April this year.

Well, I decided to revisit Manor farm west to show how quickly the area greens up, without any human intervention.

Was I in for a nasty surprise. The abundant rainfall and reasonable temperatures has caused nettles, brambles and thistles to grow to crazy heights. I would normally clamber up the west embankment at the Longwater road entrance, then stroll along said embankment taking photos. Not today, I didn't.

Yes I fought my way up, though brambles 15' (5m) long, and nettles and thistles over 2m high. I managed some photos from the south end of the west embankment, but made my way down gingerly. For why? From what I could see, I would have to fight my way through dense thistles, nettles and brambles, taller than me, all the way to the north embankment.

I chose to walk along the former shore of Finch pond, which had nothing more nasty than daisies and Oxford ragwort.

However, I did have to fight my way through nettles and thistles over 2m tall along half the north embankment. It took me some 8 to 10 minutes to battle my way some 50m through this stuff. I'd normally stroll that distance in about 40 seconds. Thankfully I had elected to wear my wellies and a heavy duty fleece.  Unfortunately, I was wearing summer weight walking trousers. Thistles had no trouble getting through these, while the odd old nettles managed also to get through the thin material.

Luckily, from about halfway east along the north embankment the thistles dissipated, the nettles only came knee or chest high, and from about three quarters of the way east, I had nice grass.  The ridge was covered in nettles, over 2m high in places, but no where near as thick or dense as on the west side of the north embankment.

I pity any surveyor who has to make their way along the north embankment to check on restoration progress.

Now, it may take a bit of time to update this posting, as I have many before greening and after greening photos to post.  The before greening photos mostly come from 10th November 2018.

Perversely, I have put the after image before the before image. Sorry about that, but it was the after images I started with, and so have to try and find the before images.  Just use your imagination.

Firstly, some photos of the nasty stuff I had to fight my way through. The camera was held at head height.

East from Longwater road entrance

South south east from Longwater road entrance.

North north east from west embankment next to Longwater road entrance.

East from west embankment next to Longwater road entrance.

South from west embankment next to Longwater road entrance. I'll try and find a better 'before' image that is more south facing.

North from along side west embankment next to Longwater road entrance.

East south east from west end of north embankment

South from west end of north embankment.

South east from midway along North embankment

South from midway along north embankment

South west from midway along north embankment

West from midway along north embankment

South east from 3/4 way along north embankment

South from 3/4 way along north embankment

South west from 3/4 way along north embankment

South from up against the ridge

South west from up against the ridge

East over Cormorant lake (north) from the south end of the ridge

South from the south end of the ridge over channel to 'land mass' aka previous infill of Cormorant lake (south)

South west from the south end of the ridge over what is left of Finch pond.

Sort of west north west from south end of ridge

North back along the ridge. Yes, those nettles are taller than me.

Although green, the plants are quite sparse on the infill of Finch pond. The nettles and thistles haven't had a time to get established.

South to the copse from the new east shore of Finch pond

West over what is left of Finch pond from the middle of the new north shore of Finch pond.

North west over the infill from the middle of the new north shore of Finch pond.

East over infill and what is left of Finch pond from the new west shore of Finch pond. Note, I've put the same before image in as it covers both the after images.

South east over infill and what is left of Finch pond from the new west shore of Finch pond. Note, I've put the same before image in as it covers both the after images.

South over infill and what is left of Finch pond from the new west shore of Finch pond

I'm not entirely sure I photographed these lumps of concrete. Anyway they were always just inside the Longwater road entrance. I always wondered what it was - and still do.