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14 questions so far

21/05/2012 03:07pm

Simon Corr

I have noticed over the Blackbushe airport section of the common a large number of small black flies in loose swarms. About mosquito size but more bulky and very black in colour. They seem to be mating on the wing (or at least they are very good friends!). Just wondered if you could satisfy my curiousity as to what they are?

 

19/05/2012 08:43am

Ian

My wife and I joined an evening walk led by a ranger and he talked about moths and set up a moth trap. Is this an event that is still undertaken please as it was most interesting?

A Ranger replies

The Rangers run a variety of different walks and talks throughout the year, although there is no moth trapping event planned for this year it is always worth keeping an eye on our What's on page as events are often added during the year. By letting us know which events you would like to see run, we are sometimes able to add walks and talks in order to meet the interests of our visitors. Details of our up and coming events can be our What's on page or by following us on Facebook or Twitter.

 

11/05/2012 02:28pm

Sophie Crathern

I am looking to ride my horse over the common and didn't know which car parks were best suited for a trailer. I have used the Hawley Lake one before but not keen on crossing the main road to get to other part of the common.

A Ranger replies

There are a number of car parks situated around the HCC owned part of Yateley Common, but some of them do have height barriers on them. The best car park to use is probably at the Heathlands Cemetery on Stevens Hill, towards the centre of the site. The Yateley Common map and guide 336kb clearly marks this car park, as well as the others. Access with a trailer can be gained from the A30 end of Stroud Lane. Although the main car park has a height barrier, there is an area here which can be used for turning and unloading/loading horses. Enjoy your visit!.

 

08/05/2012 06:28am

did i see a single house martin @1940hr.this evening flying due north over my garden in yateley?

A Ranger replies

Without seeing the bird we can't give a firm answer as to whether you saw a House Martin, it is quite possible as House Martin's Summer in Britain and tend to migrate up from Africa during April and May. Similar Birds which are also migrating at this time are Swallows and Swifts. The house Martin has a distinctive white rump and forked tail and spends most of its time on the wing feeding on insects. At this time of year they will be returning to their traditional nesting sites, and feeding around wetland areas on route.

 

25/04/2012 04:46pm

Jeanette Hardman

I am an activities co-ordinator for a nursing home. I was just wondering if any of your rangers visit homes to give talk on birds, wildlife etc

A Ranger replies

Our North Area team offer a variety of talks on conservation and wildlife relating to our different sites in the north of Hampshire, as well as practical sessions such as bird box building and also Ranger lead walks. We are more than happy to work with groups and organisations to plan talks and activities to suit the group. We generally charge in the region of £30-£40 depending on the size of the group, length of activity and amount of travel involved in order to cover costs and staff time. Anyone interested should contact the north area team office at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk or 01252 870425.

 

20/04/2012 10:43am

Mr Andrew Cresswell

My dog fell into one of the ponds this morning and I have previously seen warnings regarding blue/green algae. The warning signs are currently not there but could you confirm if there are potential health issues for my dog.

A Ranger replies

Blue-green algae is not currently present in Wyndhams Pool, the pond your dog presumably fell in. Blue-green algae is only present when the weather conditions allow it to bloom; prolonged hot, sunny periods, as the bacteria reacts to sunlight.

There are many species of blue-green algae, some of which do produce toxins. It is very difficult to actually say whether the algae in Wyndhams is toxic, so signs are erected just in case. If present, the toxins produced can harm farm animals, pets and even wild animals and can cause skin-rashes, eye irritation, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and muscle and joint pain in people. Not all blue-green algae blooms are toxic, but you can’t tell by just looking at them, so it’s best to assume they are and to take suitable precautions.

Water-users, particularly children, farmers and pet-owners, should treat all blue-green algal blooms and scums with caution. Whenever the signs are erected, please keep yourself and your dogs out of the water to avoid contact with potentially harmful bacteria.

 

21/03/2012 06:23am

ALAN DAW

My partner and i recently took our dog for a walk on yateley common around by the A30 pond and found the whole area to be very run down and the pond looking very neglected.I remember this area form 30 to 40 years ago when it was a pleasant place to picnic, fish, play and take dogs for a walk. My question is are there any intention of getting this area back to it's former glory and a place that can be properly enjoyed by family's again

A Ranger replies

The area around the Gravel Pit pond is regularly visited to remove litter and flytipping and to mow the grass area which is still very popular with families during the summer months. Due to the number of ponds in the Country Park a decision was made many years ago to remove the fish from the Gravel pit pond and to make it a more suitable habitat for dragonfly nymphs and other invertebrate larvae that can be heavily predated by fish, and this has proved very successful with a variety of wildlife visiting the pond.

Unfortunately there are two issues we are trying to deal with on the pond itself:

Firstly, like many of the ponds across Yateley Common and in the local area the lack of rain in the last few years has meant that local water levels are extremely low and subsequently the water levels in the pond have dropped. The source of water for the Gravel Pit Pond is from run-off coming from the A30 via a ditch, which we continue to monitor and maintain. However not only has this source of water been significantly low in recent years but due to the proximity of the pond to the A30 the water quality has become increasingly degraded, having been created when there was far less traffic on the roads. Work is planned to remove some of the scrubby trees around the Western edge of the pond which may help to reduce loss of water to trees but without any significant input of water the water level is likely to remain low.

Secondly, the pond has a highly invasive pond plant called Crassula hemsii (New Zealand pygmy weed), which spreads across the surface of the pond suffocating native species by creating a thick blanket which deprives birds and animals of habitat and removes oxygen from the water. It is likely that the plant was transfered into the gravel pit pond by a bird, after which just a tiny fragement can quickly reproduce. As a non-native species Crassula has no natural enemies in Britain and it is extremely difficult to control its spread or remove it from a pond once established. We are currently looking at option on how to deal with Crassula but there is no known way of permanently erradicating it.

Whilst these issues are proving challenging, the gravel pit pond and surrounding area continue to be monitored regularly and are part of the management plan for Yateley Common, works to improve the area are constantly being carried out and continue to be planned for the future, in the mean time the area remains popular with families, horse-riders and dog walkers.

 

07/03/2012 03:25pm

Richard Parker

Im looking for a lake to fish for carp. i have noticed it says wyndams pond has carp still there ,would you know if that is the case and how many their are and avarage size to biggest weight ,dont know if you can help me but would love it if you could thankyou

A Ranger replies

Wyndhams Pool is well known locally for its angling. There are many species of fish including tench, perch and pike. There are a number of carp, but exactly how many, we are not sure. Size-wise, most recently a local angler landed a 17 pound carp. Fish are not re-stocked and we do not survey the fish in the pool. It is hoped that a local angling club will assist us with future surveys so we may ascertain the quantity and quality of fish inhabiting the pool.

 

31/01/2012 05:05pm

Wendy Waygood

Why are there signs up saying there is no access to Yateley Common.

A Ranger replies

Yateley Common is open to the public at all times and we do endeavour to ensure all our bridleways remain open, however we do occasionally have to temporarily close sections of track whilst works are being undertaken, or when the tracks become unsafe.

With regard the signs you saw, I can only assume you refer to a section of bridleway near to Stroud Pond which we have recently had to temporarily close due to a large, dangerous tree falling across the track -this was closed for several days but has now been cleared and is once again open.

 

31/01/2012 05:58pm

Maureen Lee

I live on Stroud Lane and walk the Common each morning. I do pick up litter as I go. Unfortunately the contractors for a house being built are in the habit of strewing their litter at the entrance. I have picked that up regularly but it is becoming worse. Could someone please have a word with the site owner to ask him to make sure his contractors treat the common with respect and clear up their mess?

A Ranger replies

Litter is an ongoing problem for us and takes a lot of our time to clear up so we appreciate it when we can identify a source and are able to try and prevent further littering. We do endeavour to litterpick the Common as regularly as possible but are always greatful of the support of visitors to help by taking their rubbish home with them and by picking up other rubbish that they see on site.

Yateley Common Country Park is 193 hectares and it is very hard for us to cover the whole site on a day to day basis, so we value messages from members of the public telling us about flytipping and litter incidents. We will of course be following up any reports and can be contacted directly at northern.sites@hants.gov.uk or telephone 01252 870425.

We also organise an annual Spring Clean, where members of the public are invited to join us to litterpick the whole of Yateley Common at the end of February each year prior to the start of the Bird nesting season. More information about this event can be found on our Whats On page.

 

Review Ref. 486933

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