Welcome to the Friends of Lavell's Lake (F.O.L.L) Website
HELP US PROTECT LAVELL'S WILDLIFE
A POLITE REMINDER TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND VISITORS THAT FROM APRIL - JULY INCLUSIVE WE ARE IN THE BREEDING SEASON. IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT NOW THAT DOGS ARE KEPT ON LEADS AT ALL TIMES, MINIMISING DISTURBANCE TO THE NESTING BIRDS. IN ADDITION TO LAVELLS LAKE, AREAS OF CONCERN ARE THE CAR PARK FIELD, SANDFORD LAKE AND THE PERMISSIVE FOOTPATH ALONG THE RIVER LODDON FROM THE BAILEY BRIDGE TO SANDFORD LANE. THANK YOU IN ANTICIPATION OF YOUR CO-OPERATION.
Bittern, Lavell's Tern Scrape 2008: Ron Bryant
Last updated 16/5/2012
Fraser's DP birding blog
Who are the Friends Of Lavell's Lake (F.O.L.L.)?
We are a registered charity (297074) with nearly 400 members (Feb 2011) and we hold monthly volunteer work parties to help manage the habitats to maximise the biodiversity.
Lavell's Lake has two scrapes, Phragmites reed beds and scrub habitats and in co-operation with Dinton Pastures Countryside Service (DPCS), we have worked together to build 2 excellent public hides overlooking Tern and Teal scrapes.
From January 2010 F.O.L.L. built a 'members only' hide called 'Ron Bryant' hide at Lea Farm GP. With kind permission from Summerleaze Ltd, FOLL members are able to view across the lake and landfill, offering a very different habitat than anywhere on Dinton Pastures.
The original committee set up the agreement with Dinton Pastures Countryside Service (DPCS) in 1984, dedicating Lavell's Lake as a Local Nature Reserve (L.N.R.).
Lavell's Lake offers a good mixture scrub, grassy areas, mixed Alder, Hawthorn and Blackthorn scrub, mixed deciduous hedgerows of Hazle, Spindle, some young Oak, Ash and the usual assortment of Willows. The amount of Phragmites reed has increased over 500% since 2004, along with reedy fringes, shallow waters, well stocked with natural fish, make this small reserve a paradise for equatic species in summer and winter.
Resident reed bed species are Reed Bunting and Cetti's Warbler, in the summer we have Reed & Sedge Warbler, with Water Rail & Bittern in the winter, along with Snipe, Teal, Shoveler and Lapwing on the scrapes.
Our key mission is to ensure the habitat is managed in the best way for nature to thrive and that area remains protected, whilst providing disabled access to bird watching hides.
Why we need your help
To keep attracting these birds, we have to constantly manage ever encroaching Willow and keep vegetation low and dense to maximise the scrub to attract these species, as well as Whitethroat, Bullfinch, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Tits and finches.
In recent years DPCS have been hugely successful in helping F.O.L.L. with the expansion of new reed beds, grants for Bittern Hide and the disabled access path, as well as a new hide at Sandford and even more Phragmites.
But DPCS has undergone many downsizing and restructuring phases and we no longer have the guarantee that a DP person will be able to assist on our monthly work parties - All we need is enough people to come and help.
If you cannot help physically, we welcome assistance in other forms, like helping promote the benefits of membership on awareness days, litter picking, bird counts, etc.
F.O.L.L. maintains a winter bird feeding station at Bittern Hide and this costs around ££400 per winter period to keep the feeders full, so even if you cannot help physically, we would really appreciate every donation - a sack of Black Sunflower costs £20 and lasts about 3 weeks
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED & HELP
- Join F.O.L.L. - Annual membership from £5.00 per year, or £7.50 for families
- Attend our monthly 3 hour guided bird walks around Dinton Pastures (Every 2nd Sunday from 09:00 til 12:00) for a £1.00
donation
-
Help out at our monthly volunteer work parties, held every 4th Sunday of each month
-
Donate additional funds towards conservation tasks and winter bird food
-
Attend our AGM and get involved with committee decisions
SECURITY ADVICE
DO NOT BE A VICTIM OF CAR CRIME LEAVE NOTHING IN YOUR CAR -
If you drive a hatchback, remove it to show would be thieves you have nothing to steal
Fraser's DP birding blog
|
