My strategy of fortnightly on-site, weekend visits is paying off, I feel. Progress on the infill of Manor lake is slow. I'm not really sure why. 

My Saturday morning visit (8:00am)was thwarted by Inert working! Two bulldozers, one digger, and at least one heavy earth mover were clunking around. I had to turn round and go home.

Sunday morning was a little brighter, weather wise, and Inert were not working. I struggled to see what progress Inert have made since my last on-site visit.  Yes, the area around the new pump was churned up, with the possibility of a drainage ditch being dug to drain this area. It really was very boggy and soft going.

The main infill area looked a little flatter, and may have progressed a little further east on its northern edge. But overall, as I said earlier, it was hard to see any real progress.

Our old faithful pump was not chugging. Consequently, water levels were high in Manor lake, to the extent of encroaching on the north west edge of the infill. Not terribly safe for all the heavy plant - or me, come to that. I had to tread very carefully to ensure I did not sink up to my knees in mud. Follow the bulldozer tracks!

In an attempt to stop fly tipping, Cemex have installed a removable post by the footpath entrance on the Longwater road. This is a notorious place for fly tipping. Vehicles can reverse into this this area and be hidden from cars on the Longwater road. It would be a simply task to lift a car boot or open van rear doors, and hoik stuff over a low fence.  An electrical contractor was forever dumping cable material here.

Cemex initially placed a large lump of concrete across this area to thwart fly tippers. I know to my cost, as I reversed my car into it one day. They obviously decided further barriers were required.  In a way it is a shame, as this was an excellent parking space for birders and walkers.

One can only hope Inert will get on with completing restoration to enable the car park to be built at the Longwater road entrance.  Though at 20 spaces, I maintain this will be too small. Plus, the big plus, the car park should not be built until the site has its management/maintenance organisation in place.  It needs lockable gates to stop fly tippers and/or travelers or other unsavory types abusing the car park.

Freezing weather is set to continue into next week, even though forecaster said mild weather should have arrived yesterday (Saturday). The ground was rock hard. All lakes were frozen over, as well as various ponds on the south footpath.

I spied two  heavy earth movers and a single bulldozer working on Manor lake. Well, they weren't actually working, as they were knocking off for tea brake. The heavy earth movers dropped their loads, and took the bulldozer driver over to Chandlers farm for tea.

I suppose I could have quickly nipped onto the infill for a quick look see, but didn't risk it. I did sidle down to the pump for a couple of photos.

I also elected not to pay a weekend site visit. It is far too cold, about -6C. I may also only pay a weekend visit once a month. I figure infill progress will be slow, and am not sure if it will halt come March.

I feel, dear reader, as if I have grown gills or webbed feet, it has rained so much of late. Ground conditions are soggy, muddy and soft in places. Lakes and rivers are bank full. There appears to be a glimmer of dry weather for five days, followed by one day of rain, with a possible further week or two of fine weather to follow.

I ventured to the Manor farm restoration on a sunny Wednesday morning. The footpath was flooded near its Longwater road entrance, and around the sewage works. It places the water was so deep, small dogs would have to swim through the puddles. One enterprising Moorhen had taken up residence in one particularly long, deep puddle, running by the side of the Longwater road.

What of current restoration progress. Well, Wednesday revealed two bulldozers working on the infill of Manor lake. When I got there, the bulldozers were concentrating on the western and north western edge of the infill area. Piles of spoil had appeared.

Not sure why, but Inert seem to enjoy building huge piles of spoil, before pushing them into a lake. They even built a couple of 'chasms', which I have seen them do before. This, instead of pushing the stuff directly into a lake.

Whatever their strategy, my Sunday morning on site stomp revealed that Inert had pushed infill further north, east and a little way south.  The southeast corner of the infill looks a little lower, and so it should be as it is much higher than the peninsular. The north edge of infill is approaching the existing banking around the lake, reducing the wide channel to quite a narrow one for drainage purposes. I think the east edge of the infill is wrapping further eastward around the peninsular.

A large gravel bank has either been flattened or removed. While the curious large hole on the northeastern edge of the infill has now been filled in. I also noticed that the yellow pump is now fully plumbed in. Though I find it curious why Inert would still want to drain what little is left of Cormorant lake into Manor lake.  The water is supposed to drain westward, therefore the remaining fragment of Cormorant lake should be plumbed into the new, west flowing drainage system.

In an even more curious move, Inert have removed a tiny piece of banking which runs along side the Blackwater footpath. A MGLG member notified me of this. I think I would have missed it if he hadn't.

I don't think Inert will complete filling in Manor lake before the breeding season starts in March. It remains to be seen if they continue the infill, much like they did with Finch pond or if they will accede to the MGLG demands to cease work until July. Sigh.

Finally, our old faithful pump was not pumping. I guess water levels are low enough in Manor lake.

After a distinctly soggy Christmas and New Year, the sogginess continues. Manor farm was flooded in places, with all ponds and reed beds looking nicely filled.

Work wise, I feel Inert are beginning to ramp up. When I arrived, I spied one digger loitering around the west side of Manor lake. The operator's primary concern appeared to be moving a bucket further south for safe keeping.

At 9:50 a bulldozer trundled across the bailey bridge. Both operators had an extended conflab on meeting.

About the only sign of progress I could see, was a pile of spoil dumped to the west of Manor lake.

Our faithful pump was chugging away, trying to empty Manor lake, which had filled up during Christmas.

Yet more rain is expected, making for difficult restoration conditions.  I hope the pace will pick up.