Blimey, September already! Where did the summer go? Here on the reserve our thoughts now turn to the winter work programme. The pleasurable jobs of summer are over; the butterfly counts, the guided walks, the photographic recording of the site, all done now. Also the less pleasurable job of bracken spraying is done for another year.

One other job over the last 5 to 6 months that will soon come to an end will be the stock checks. Mid September marks the end of this year's grazing. The Belted Galloway cattle will be off the reserve for the autumn and winter months. With hand on heart, I can say this first year of grazing has been a great success. As I write it's early August, so with fingers crossed as you read this, there have been no significant problems, one bid for freedom that's all so far (hope I am not tempting fate). All being well they will be back next spring, they will be grazing a different part of the common, as to where? not sure yet, but keep an eye of next year's articles.

This summer has been a mixed bag. The recovery of the sites wildlife is going well; we have achieved a national best with populations of solitary bees and wasps, but lost our Dartford warbler population, due to the loss of habitat post fire and the unusually heavy snow fall back in the winter. The particularly hot spell during June / July hit some of the young recovering heather. In particular, the common heather or ling as it's sometime called. This type of heather doesn't fair well in drought conditions, particularly at the moment. The new growth is more vulnerable as its root system is less established and along with the fire changing the sandy soils structure and removing the organic matter which helps retain moisture they have suffered. As many of you may have noticed a lot has browned off. When I got back from some holiday I wondered what on earth had happened, I thought our bracken spraying contractors had made an awful mistake, and used the wrong chemical by mistake!

On a positive note, I have seen all six of the reptile species (that's the lot for the UK) on the reserve now, they are; Adder, Grass snake, Smooth snake, Slow worm, Common Lizard and Sand lizard. It has taken me 3 years to locate the presence of the Smooth snake, the rarest of them all. So I was delighted to find all the species had survived.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the winter work programme will soon begin. To these ends it's time offer you the good folk of Thursley and Elstead to come along and help out again.

I am planning a work day on Sunday 11^th October. Meet at the Thursley recreation ground, by the children's play area at 10.30 am. We will be clearing more of the old burned gorse stems, so a cheery fire may tempt some. Working until 3 pm(ish) or, as long as you can spare. Old clothes, gloves, food and drink required, I will bring tea, coffee may be some cakes. All tools and training provided. Please let me know if you can help - contact details below. I look forward to hearing from you.