Lee Walther

Spending time at Washington Chalk Pits, always giddy with the diversity on show. Adding some adhoc records to #irecord and relishing the tension between shrub, tree and grassland. Burnet Rose in profusion and the reat of the small in scale but big in delight chalk herbs.

When I worked 4 days it meant I had a day in the week to do housework, shopping etc and the weeknd with the family and friends. I love my current job but would be very happy with a 4 day week.

Have been guilty of that myself whilst managing chalk grassland and heathland especially to our volunteers. I now tend to think of it as scrub coppicing (as it tends too grow back when no grazing is possible) but will try and get out of the habit and call it shrub coppicing instead.

The Wood Ants (presuming Formica rufa) enjoying the light and warmth in the regrowing Sweet Chestnut coppice. They follow the coppicing rotation through the woods. #coppice

Brilliant video, dead wood rocks!

It is a worry, Horsahm District Council have some fantastic nature reserves and a countryside team doing good work. What happens to them too? A suggestion apparently is that the Parish Councils will inherit the land.

Amazing, I'm excited for you!

Was a great day, fantastic to see so many people celebrating the wild.

Not really at work today but fancied a bit of a stroll this evening and hung out amongst the Bluebells and Cowslip in one of our glades.

If you can make it in the next few days the dawn chorus at Knepp is in full voice, the Nightingales are sounding especially wonderful. Thank you @kneppwilding.bsky.social @kneppwildlandfdn.bsky.social

I missed the dancing as had to leave to do the school run and get ready for work. Heres a picture from just after sunrise there this morning.

Radio 2 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds Listen live to BBC Radio 2 on BBC Sounds

I had a right old rant about Tony Blair's ignorant, self-interested statement on The Jeremy Vine Show today. I mentioned that he has worked as a lobbyist for PetroSaudi, earning Tony Blair Associates £41,000/month, plus 2% of any deal he brokered.
Starts 9 minutes in: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

An early morning walk to Chanctonbury Ring with Cuckoo, Yellowhammer and Whitethroat for company (amongst many others). @southdownsnp.bsky.social #wistonestate @sussexornitholo.bsky.social #dawnchorus

Fascinating, thank you.

An early evening walk along a golden Sussex Green Lane. Ancient Oaks, massive Ash Coppice stools, Bluebells and Wood Anemone before coming to the Blackthorn scrub hoping to hear Nightingale and within 2mins as the sun set, 2 signing along with Song Thrush, Blackbird and Robin. What a choir!

My thoughts at the time were that a natural or near-natural (I know the Firest isn't completely untouched) forest allows regeneration that 1100 stems per hectare doesn't. I think our guide talked about that during our walk but cannot recall any figures.

One of my first impressions when visiting the strict reserve last year was how much space there seemed to be amongst the trees, especially the mature ones, compared to some of the woods I work in. I went in early April before the leaves fully emerged so maybe it would be different in the summer?

It's at Slindon, near Arundel in Sussex and on Friday May 30th we are having a celebration day recording wildlife and enjoying being out amongst the trees.

It is a fascinating place with lots of willow scrub, oak and beech, birch saplings, Nightingales singing for the first time this year. It's on it way to becoming a great Wood Pasture habitat with areas still deer fenced due to high numbers of Fallow present, but we are actively stalking them.

10 years ago the National Trust started the Rise of the North Wood project using combinations of natural regen - deer fenced, natural regen not deer fenced, planting deer fenced and seed sowing on a 150acre woodland site that was felled during WW1, then ploughed up again for WW2.

Proud to be playing a small part at Moor Barton Wilding.

"Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect." ~ #ChiefSeattle #WebOfLife

Cuckoo flower in fine fettle, 6am too early for the Orange Tip in Sussex this morning @savebutterflies.bsky.social

A glorious dawn chorus at Ashcombe Bottom near Lewes, a wonderful wood of veteran oaks, hazel coppice diverse scrub and chalk grassland. In the summer you can experience Adonis Blue flying with White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillaries if you are lucky #woodpasture #chalkgrassland

I wonder about the same regarding ponies and horses. Never hear them being accused of taking up productive food growing land. Are there any figures of how much land is used for ponies?

The sun peering through the early morning mist at Amberley Wild Brooks, many Fallow Deer amongst the bird song. First Cuckoo, 2 Swallow, reeling Grasshopper Warbler and my favourite of the morning 8 delightful Sedge Warblers. A big thanks too @sussexwildlifeand.bsky.social and @rspb.bsky.social

We saw you in town today but was focussing on lunch at the vegan food market. Will stop and say hello next time!

Awesome, welcome to the Trust! Heres hoping for some Deep Time perspectives.

Hadn't heard that no😥.

Hi Julie, I used to work at Birling Gap and Ditching. I know some of those bits well. I agree they need protecting from the Devolution consequences but Eastbourne are working with the National Trust already around Belle Tout, the appetite is there from the staff on the ground.