Finch pond junior? 16th June 2018

Inert have built a rather interesting structure, and I can't really say for certain what it is.  The nice little 'bay' that they created last week has had its mouth closed by a spit of land.

One interpretation I can give, it that this spit of land marks the route of the Colebrook. Having marked it out, the bulldozer driver need only fill in the 'bay' without having to think too much. Only this doesn't really make a lot of sense to me.

A second interpretation is that Inert are creating a small pond i.e. Finch pond junior.  This, I feel, is more plausible.  The structure plans do show some small ponds dotted around the area north of the reinstated course of the Colebrook, but they do not correlate with the 'pond' created this last week.  Then again, the plans were only advisory and subject to change.

I await developments with interest, but see what you think from the photos in the slide show; some of which I took from the north embankment on Saturday.

Note, dear reader, I am not sure if it is Colebrook or Colnbrook.  I have seen both in literature I have come across, and I think (though it was difficult to read) that Colnbrook was the spelling used on the diagrams for the planning application.

Moving swiftly on.  That Inert and the haulage lorries were busy this past week is evident by the closing of the 'bay'.  However, they were noticeably missing on Thursday. The only activity I witnessed was the water tanker filling up with water from Finch pond, before trundling off to the Hampshire part of the site; and a couple of grab loaders dropping off stuff by the boulder sorter outer.

A rather strange pile of chalk or limestone also appeared near the Longwater road entrance. It looks like some alien craft or Aztec temple.  It's just totally weird: one pile of white carbonate material.  Other heaps of stuff were dumped on the former location of pump station bridge.  All quite perplexing, but as I pointed out on numerous occasions, the restoration progress seems to randomly flit about the site.

I could just hear activity on the Hampshire side of the site, but couldn't see anything.

Our hard working pump has been switched on again, and was merrily chugging away. I even crossed the works bridge to see if water was cascading into the Blackwater.  Sometimes it can be difficult to hear the pump if the wind blows in the wrong direction.

It might be coincidence, but I have noticed a large number of R Collard lorries trundling down Jubilee and Longwater roads carrying what seemed to be soil. Could this be inert soil destined for Manor farm or are the lorries simply on another job or heading back to base?

There was a large number of Canada geese in Cormorant lake. Along with the flotillas of Tufted Duck, it almost felt like winter seeing the lakes festooned with wildfowl.  Other interesting sightings (for me anyway) were a Redshank feeding on the east shore of Cormorant lake, the usual Lapwings, and a Golden-ringed Dragonfly.