You may not see them but...

When I was taught that nuclear particles are invisible, at least to the human eye and very powerful microscopes, I asked how then do we know they are there. The answer was that they leave evidence of their presences. Thus it is for the band of conservation volunteers.
As you wander around the parkland, you rarely see them. But of their work, there is plenty to see. Newly sawn trees, fresh piles of branches and cut up boughs placed on the edges of the woods, new lengths of dry stone walling and tree trunks suddenly wrapped in plastic protection. This team of volunteers meet regularly on Wednesday mornings which corresponds to one of our scheduled patrols.

This week we encountered them as they set out with saws and gloves. One of them is also a ranger and indicated that refreshments would be available if we happened to be at the rotunda in a couple of hours or so. We acknowledged the invitation and proceeded on our way. We did see them later, not as a bunch, but working in twos and threes, to thin the silver birches in the Shed plantation, next to the rotunda.

One of them introduced himself as Richard and perhaps was pleased to take a break from shifting short, but no doubt quite heavy, sections of boughs. We were too early for coffee, but, as we take our own, we were not disappointed to miss. The difference they made was quite visible. There were still plenty of trees but the wood was thinned, enough, as Ian said, for certain birds to fly through and find food and shelter.We left them to their work and made our way to the seats that surround the Argyll Monument. This is still a good place to stop, but it it is not too rich in the bird life its attracts. We had a most exciting spot as we walked back into the parkland from the village of Hood Green and towards Keepers Pond. A pair of raptors, possibly sparrow hawks, were soaring on thermals until they were invisible. Two swallows perched upon a phone wire and two jays scurried, noisily across the pond frightening the moorhens. After a quiet morning, these events made a good end.

The trees are beginning to green at their branch fringes, but of sunlight today, there was little in the way of brightness. Next time, Ian will be away, so don't expect much on the bird front.