Preparations to extend current Manor lake? Stuff removed from SW corner of new long Manor lake. 12th October 2022

Firstly: I spotted the Marsh harrier. Peter (MGLG member) told me, when I met him on the start of my stomp, that the Marsh harrier hadn't been spotted for a week. However, as I was retracing my steps from the Bailey bridge towards my car, the beastie flew south east, over the Blackwater footpath, heading for Chandlers farm.  It was being half pursued by a Carrion Crow.

Peter was hot footing it towards the grey transformer (he had hopped over to Fleet Hill farm) wondering what had spooked all the Lapwing resting on the east part of the main reed bed.

Secondly, the last, tiny fragment of the once mighty eastern North Embankment is now gone. The area is totally flat.

Thirdly, that large mound of soil which Inert dug out of the west corner of the new, long Manor lake, and dumped on its beautifully crafted south west corner, well Inert were removing it on my morning stomp. A digger was loading the stuff on to a heavy earth mover, which in turn shipped it over to Chandlers farm.  Daft buggers. I did keep saying they had brought too much stuff onto Manor farm, and would have to dig bits out again.

Fourthly, our old faithful pump was chugging away, pumping water out of the current Manor lake to the settling ponds on Chandlers farm.  It is a noisy beast.  No idea if the yellow pump was also chugging away, as it is very quiet.

I reckon this pumping is preparations to dig out the new, long Manor lake.  Reduced water levels in the current Manor lake will make it safer for plant to be operating in this area.  Can't have a tidal wave swooshing down the new lake once they connect the two halves together.  Though Inert still have an awful lot of stuff to remove.