Glen Orrin Scrub Clearance Work Party - March 10th 2018

Today’s meeting at Glen Orrin was part of a nationwide network of events to celebrate Butterfly Conservation’s 50^th anniversary.  For Highland Branch, this is an annual scrub clearing event at this location to improve the habitat for Pearl-bordered Fritillary.

 

At the start of the day

Eight of our regular work party-goers turned up, all a year older than when we last met.  In fact, it was rather amusing comparing ailments at the beginning of the day.  We left the cars behind to the song of two singing Yellowhammers and set off towards the hillside weighed down with all manner of tools and survival equipment i.e. flasks and home baking.  On nearing the bottom of the hill, we counted no less than eight Red Kites ahead of us.  They were feeding on a deer carcass and we were treated to their soaring sorties for the rest of the day.

 

Butterfly Cakes and Loppers

In spite of the weather not being as nice at it might have been for March, the rain kept off until near the end.  There were only small patches of snow which didn’t hinder progress and the ground wasn’t so frozen that we couldn’t up-root the broom.  Fuelled by hot cups of tea and lavish amounts of cake, the team cleared an admirable amount of broom from the south-facing bracken-clad slopes.  Quite a little sun trap in the summer, no doubt.  But not today.  We left a trail of destruction behind us in the form of discarded broom bushes and left not a trace of cake.  All very satisfying.

The end result

 

As always, the company was good and the baking was good.  The only thing to lure us back home was the promise of a hot bath.

 

Attendees:  Andy, Mary, Peter & Denise, Brigid, Tom, Pete & Hilary.

 

Baking donated by Mary (fruit cake), Brigid (iced banana & chocolate muffins), Tom (iced Guinness & chocolate cake) and Grantown YMCA (dark chocolate-iced orange cake).

A BIG thank you to all.

The A Team