Watching at Watchtree Wed 16th March 2016

Watchtree Farm was originally named in memory of a tree from which local people used to watch for reivers heading towards the area from Scotland.

In 1941 the land was requisitioned “under wartime emergency powers” for Great Orton Airfield. Work began in August 1942 on three concrete runways, a perimeter track, four  hangars, a control tower ...

 

 

What is left of the Control Tower

 

– as well as various communication, technical and accommodation blocks. It was officially opened in June 1943, but did not become operational until October and later it became an air ammunition park for the storage of munitions.It closed in August 1952 but the airfield was not sold until June 1964, and after that it was used mainly as agricultural land until 2001. Parts of the runways can still be seen today. As it was an airfield, the land is flat so no hills or slopes to worry about!

 

 

Part of a runway

The six turbines comprising the Great Orton wind farm replaced ten smaller ones in 1999. This increased the generating capacity of the wind farm from 3 to 4 MW.

 

 

 

 

In 2001 during the foot and mouth outbreak the airfield was acquired by Defra, and became internationally infamous because of the animal slaughter and carcass burial that took place here. But one positive legacy of the crisis was the dedication of local people, with support from Defra and others, which resulted in its transformation into what is now a wildlife haven, educational facility and leisure attraction.

 

 

 

Watchtree Nature Reserve was created in 2002 and was named after the farm that occupied the site before it was developed as the Airfield in 1942. Watchtree Wheelers was created in 2007 to provide a cycling opportunity for disabled and disadvantaged people within the reserve environment. The tracks and paths around the site have been resurfaced so that as well as being flat they are even too! There are a great variety of cycles for hire - and were being well used while we were on site.

 

 

 

 

The Visitor Centre is a modern building on the edge of the site. Watchtree put on a series of events during the year including hare watches, photography workshops, a variety of walks looking for wildlife, bat walks and there is also a kids club.

We went to Watchtree on a day that didn't look too promising initially, but developed into a nice sunny afternoon. We began walking along the perimeter track and then headed into the interior of the site. Evidence of Spring was there to see - from the furry pussy willow catkins bursting into bright yellow flowers, to the bright colour of the Scarlet Elf Cup fungi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buzzards circled above us and we spotted 6-8 small birds in the field.  Skylarks?? We had been hearing them, but not in this instance. We believe they were meadow pipits.

All the while we were walking we could hear bird song - another sign of spring. Blue tits, chaffinches, great tits, blackbirds, coal tits, great spotted woodpeckers and long-tailed tits were flitting about from tree to tree and calling to each other. We stood and watched a tree creeper only a few feet away from us.

 

 

 

There are small lakes dotted around the site. Around them, and in the woods, some trees were sprouting leaves or catkins and the evergreen holly still had some bright red berries.

 

 

 

 

Heading back along the runway we called in at the hides overlooking small lakes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mallard, coot, mute swan, tufted duck and teal were spotted along with a lovely Little Grebe.

We finally managed to find the Skylarks we had been listening to for much of the afternoon. Without noticing them on the grass, we spooked them, but then they landed not far away and wandered about for a few minutes. Time for us to look at them in more detail through the binoculars and identify them definitely as skylarks. The male had his distinctive crest in full view.

 

 

 

 

Passing by two turbines, we headed back towards the visitor centre. A pause in the garden filled with bug boxes and a man-made pond for dipping activities gave us great views of tree sparrows. With them, glowing in the sunshine, were yellow hammers. The males couldn't have been more yellow if they had been dipped in paint!

 

 

 

 

A great afternoon which we really enjoyed. Looking forward to the summer when there will be even more to look out for - flowers .... dragonflies .... butterflies ...