It was touch and go whether I would get to Manor farm restoration this weekend. Early Saturday morning was very cold, with heavy rain, and forecasts of sleet through out the day. I decided to stay nice and warm at home.

We had our Covid-19 booster shots at lunchtime. Thus my initial plan was to wait and see if I had any adverse reactions. People had reported being wiped out,  the day after receiving the Pfizer jab. Therefore, I was dubious whether I could get to Manor farm on Sunday morning.

As it was, the weather cleared in the afternoon, but with a heavy band of rain approaching from the north east. I decided to get myself down to Manor farm during this break in the weather. I'm glad I did. For one thing, Sunday morning was perishing. Though I didn't have adverse reactions to the Pfizer jab, except for a sore patch where I was injected. Which was not any more painful than that I experienced when I received my first ever flu vaccination, some years ago.

Inert et al have been terribly nice to me, this week, and expedited my forecast that they could complete the in/up fill of Cormorant lake (north). A very nice job the bulldozer driver has done. The last bit of Cormorant lake (north) was filled in, and blended nicely with what was the east ridge. The whole area west of the east ridge has been nicely smoothed.

Not surprisingly, the emergency drainage ditch has been filled in, but only as far as a a ditch carrying run off from both the north east side of the site and the ridges. A large quantity of water is flowing off this area, which has quite a few drainage ditches. So much so, it is quite a challenge to walk west to east (or vice versa) across the north east part of the site.

The only slight problem with the ditch carrying run off is that it is flowing in the wrong direction i.e. easterly instead of westerly. No doubt this will be corrected as restoration proceeds.

I'm not sure what Inert are going to do next. The most obvious is to continue the infill of what little remains of Cormorant lake (south). However, one or two major items remain missing. Firstly, is a large lake that should sit just south of what was Cormorant lake (north). This needs digging out.

Secondly is extending Manor lake (south), across where the pump currently resides, all the way over to the copse. 

Thirdly, landscaping new ponds on what was Finch pond, and plumbing Colebrook back in.

Fourthly, flattening of the west and north embankments, also the large spoil heaps round the pump and near the copse. There is a heck of a lot of soil in these heaps, with precious little lakes left to dump them in.

Fifthly, installing a car park on the north west corner of the site.

Sixthly, all the frilly final landscaping, tree planting, reed planting, etc, etc, etc.

I remain agog as to what happens next. In the meantime, I shall relish with the warm fuzzy feeling that my immune system is locked and loaded against Covid-19 and flu.

1 week to booster jab!

Yes, the boys have done it again. Last week I predicted that based on their accelerated rate of in/up fill, Inert et al would complete their work on Cormorant lake (north) by this week. This was not to be.

Progress had slowed considerably. There could be many reasons for this. Lack of lorries available for hire. Work needing to be completed elsewhere on the restoration. Possibly lorries back to queuing again. Who knows. 

What little remains of Cormorant lake (north) could be filled in next week, given a little effort and availability of sufficient plant. However, I have seen this scenario many times over the years, as Inert flit about the site.

I think this was the first week for many, many months where we did not get any rainfall. The odd, tiny bit of drizzle, but no rain.  Large parts of what was Finch pond are now very firm. A few soft bits remain. Therefore, I was rather surprised as to how torn up the ground was around the in/up fill activity.

After an astonishingly mild autumn, a cold front moved in last night. On the one hand this will mean wrapping up really well. On the other hand, it might brighten up the mornings. Yesterday was extraordinarily gloomy, with low, thick dark grey clouds. Photography was a challenge, early in the morning.

Last week, I estimated that Inert et al would take a further four weeks to complete the in/upfill of Cormorant lake (north). As always, Inert et al have proved me completely wrong; though in a very pleasant manner.

They have made spectacular progress, this past week. In/upfilling roughly 2/3rds of what remained of Cormorant lake (north).

There could be many reasons for this acceleration in restoration. Sufficient lorry numbers available for hire, rain (i.e. torrential downpour) easing off, someone from head office wanting faster progress, etc, etc, etc.

Conversely, these same factors could see progress grind to a halt, this coming week. Alternatively, Inert could do their usual trick and flit off to another part of the site.

If the gods and fair wind combine, and Inert et al work at the same pace then Cormorant lake north will be filled in, and upfilled to the level of the east ridge by close of play next week.

Anyone want to place bets? I wouldn't.

Unfortunately, all this infill and upfill of the once mighty Finch pond and Cormorant lakes north and south have produced a very boring flat landscape. A far more interesting reserve, with greater ranges of habit, great viewing positions, and greater water retaining capacity could, I feel, have been achieved cheaper, quick and with less effort by not filling in the lakes. Instead, a more judicious landscaping and contouring of the ridges and embankments, and leaving alone much of what was there, would have been better.

I also had another thought that introducing beavers would have produced a much nicer and varied ecology.

But then, I'm a simple pleb, who doesn't know diddly squat about how to restore a quarry.

With clocks going back last weekend, I had to resort to Saturday morning site visits. Keeping my fingers crossed that Inert weren't working on Saturdays. Otherwise I'd have to adjourn my visit to Sunday.

Rainfall has finally abated. The odd short, sharp shower is all that has passed this last week. Despite this, ground conditions were soft. Interestingly, ground conditions over the latest in/upfill was very firm.

Inert have ploughed on with the in/up fill of Cormorant lake (north). The area of lake bed, which the bulldozer had ventured upon last week, has largely been both in and up filled.

I think I have to revise my optimistic estimates of the length of time to complete work on this lake. I feel a good four weeks will be good going. The speed of restoration depends on how much stuff can be obtained and shipped in. Plus the hiring of sufficient numbers of trucks.

However, once Cormorant lake (north) is filled, there is still the matter of completing the infill of Cormorant lake (south), plus the outstanding work of digging out the new Manor Lake (south), and the large pond that should occupy a position just south of Cormorant lake (north); and then on to tree planting and final landscaping e.g. the new Finch ponds.