(Almost) End of term update

A quiet week in the garden with job list made for the start of next term.  One of the first jobs will be the creation of a reed screen around the compost bins.

The posts and battens have been sourced and our friends from Abbotsbury Swannery will deliver twelve bundles of cut reeds to us at the start of the new term. A reed screen will look natural in the garden and should last several years before we replace the reeds.  The degradation of the reeds will depend on the weather.  Talking of the weather here is the previous weeks data

		TEMP		WIND PARTICULARS m/s			RAIN MAX	PRESSURE
		min C	max C	SPEED	GUST	DIRECTION	mms
DATE	DAY
02-Dec	SUN	2.7	10.2	4.4	5.8	Cyclonic	0.6	1016
03-Dec	MON	5.7	11.6	5.1	9.5	NW	0.6	1009
04-Dec	TUES	3.1	9.1	4.8	7.1	NW/NE	1.2	1005
05-Dec	WEDS	1.5	6.4	3.4	8.2	NNW	O.3	1013
06-Dec	THUR	-1.1	7.8	6.5	13.3	SW	0.3	1012
07-Dec	FRI	3.3	9.7	7.5	10.5	W/NW	9.6	1014
08-Dec	SAT	4.7	11.1	4.4	5.4	W/SW	0	1025

Work has also started on the Aeolian Wind Organ.  Inspired by this magnificent spectacle on the cliff top at Portland during the Harmonic Fields Exposition at the end of the Olympics we are going to create a smaller scale wind organ in the garden.  The slots are cut in the bamboo and the edges filed to 45 degrees. As the wind passes over the slots a beautiful gentle note is emitted. Only heard if the ear is positioned near to the bamboo.



Little wildlife in the garden today except a cloud of Woodpigeons which took off on arrival. They have made short work of what was left of the purple sprouting plants.

Finally the last weeks weather

		TEMP		WIND PARTICULARS m/s			RAIN MAX	PRESSURE
		min C	max C	SPEED	GUST	DIRECTION	mms
DATE	DAY
09-Dec	SUN	5.5	9.1	3.4	6.1	cyclonic	0	1021
10-Dec	MON	0.8	8.9	3.1	5.1	N/NW	0	1024
11-Dec	TUES	-0.2	6.4	1.4	3.1	N/NE	0	1026
12-Dec	WEDS	0.4	7.2	4.4	7.1	SE	0	1012
13-Dec	THURS	2.25	7.5	3.1	5.4	cyclonic	0	998
14-Dec	FRI	6.9	11	6.8	9.9	SE	10.5	992
15-Dec	SAT	8.8	11.9	5.1	9.2	SW	0.6	990

Some weather statistics before we close;

Over the last month the rainfall reading is 503mm.  The strongest wind recorded was  23.5 mph and the strongest gust of wind was 37.4 mph. The lowest temperature at the school garden recorded was -1.2C and the highest temperature was +16C. The lowest windchill factor was -4.6C.



 

A garden first.................

Today was a good day for a little pond management cutting back around the edges and removing the leaves which had crept in under our net.  Other water plants were thinned in order to keep the pond open and more valuable to wildlife rather than a mass of tangled weeds and roots. During the work 5 frogs were found under the frog house and a single pond skater was enjoying the sunshine as it skitted about the pond surface.

With still conditions prevailing a net was put up in the bird garden with the hope of catching and ringing some.  The best bird caught was a female Firecrest, a new bird on the garden list, but a couple of Goldcrests were also caught and some Long-tailed tits, Blue Tits and a Chaffinch.  A male Sparrowhawk continued to visit the garden in late afternoon which put an end to the ringing. The Firecrest weighed 5.2 gms which is about the same as a bank credit card!

Firecrest

Firecrest -click once on picture to enlarge

 

Long-tailed Tit

Goldcrest

Chaffinch

Pond after a tidy-up!

Our second weather review of the previous week.  Temperatures dropped at the end of the week but very little rain and the wind eased considerably.

		TEMP	TEMP	WIND PARTICULARS m/s			RAIN MAX	PRESSURE
		°C  max	°C Min	SPEED	GUST	DIRECTION	mms	hPa
DATE	DAY
25-Nov	SUN	12.1	8.8	8.2	12.6	SE	4.2	1009
26-Nov	MON	9.5	6.2	4.8	6.5	SW	1.2	995
27-Nov	TUES	9.2	6	5.8	9.9	NWW	1.5	1008
28-Nov	WEDS	7.5	3.5	4.4	8.5	N	2.7	1012
29-Nov	THURS	9.1	0.7	2.7	3.4	N	0	1010
30-Nov	FRI	8.3	0.1	0.7	1.4	NW	0	1011
01-Dec	SAT	10.1	2.4	2.7	3.4	NWW	0	1014