Superb summer

The past few months have been another level of busy, I've had to look back over photos again just to remember what has been happening one day to the next!
   We've had various site meetings with airport project supervisors for habitat assessments along some new infrastructure...

Westfield Stream diversion

Grass Snake habitat enhancements

We've been catching ups with our biodiversity partners, plus Gatwick's two Biodiversity Action Plans have now been updated to 2017...

There has been continued reduction of the invasive plant species Himalayan Balsam, with thanks to Tom Simpson's volunteers and JSA Group, Gatwick's ground maintenance contractors...

Gatwick Airport staff volunteers

Balsam-conquering

JSA Group operative Lauren

I recently spent a few days airside with trainee airport operatives on a birdstrike course, run by Birdstrike Management Ltd. It focused on airside bird identification and the prevention of collisions with aircraft...

Airside and Gatwick's Control Tower

Group exercises in bird identification

There have been regular check ups on our thriving Gatsbees colonies and sample collecting for the Sentinel Apiary Project...

Gill checks the health of a newly collected swarm

I also visited the nearby National Trust site at Leith Hill, to learn about the bird ringing and monitoring carried out by lead ranger Sam Bayley.

Tree Pipit, waiting for it's new bling

The coded language of bird ringers

We've had bat surveys coming out of our ears with Laurie and Martyn on our sites...

Twilight along the River Mole

Bat poop-sampling

Bats ∞ infinity

And finally (the bit I like best), biological recording on our sites with a fantastic bunch of volunteers...

Back of the net

A Hoverfly - Sphaerophoria scripta 

(I.D. by Ryan Mitchell)

Ryan and Elliott collect materials for a new bee hotel

Original bee hotel - currently occupied by male Leafcutter Bees

Brown Hairstreak Butterfly - Thecla betulae

Assessing newt habitat suitability (Helen, Elliott & Me)

Emperor Dragonfly - Anax imperator

Wasp Spider - Argiope bruennichi

(Photo by Elliott Lloyd)

Dormouse box checks

Small mammal identification: Yellow-necked Mouse - Apodemus flavicollis

Brown Argus Butterfly - Aricia agestis

Our volunteers always give me an incentivised-boost with biological recording and species monitoring, so a massive thank you to all who have been involved this summer, particularly Helen, Elliott, Ryan and Mark!

Volunteer of the year

I'm sure it's bad form to have favourites with volunteers... so gotta be even worse to choose one who is related to me!

My most consistent ecological assistant (as in consistently late, consistently questioning, consistently disappearing off around the corner) is my mum, who started coming out with me to give a hand with Dormouse box checks in early 2012. 

   Perhaps through a sense of obligation (or coercion), Sue has been unafraid to get stuck in with checking reptile refugia, cleaning out nest boxes, measuring crayfish, repairing my torn malaise trap and generally acting as an endless supplier of pens which I love to drop in field. Ordinarily adorned in in sky-blue, I am incredibly lucky to have such a tireless side-kick for the days when I've seen enough Signal Crayfish to last 3 lifetimes. 

Moth trapping

Bat box checks

Small mammal surveying

She tends to take the habitat works less than seriously...

And the reason for this blatant nepotism? Well today it is Sue's birthday... and its a big one too! So how does she choose to spend it? Why, in the field with two of her favourite kids of course!!

Megan, my bro Joe, the Mother of all Bickers and myself

Without my mum (and a little involvement from my dad I guess), I would not even be here, let alone working on this project. So thanks Mum, please keep up the great work!