Wildspace News

This page shows news items from December 2022 onwards. For older items you'll need to use this 'Wayback Machine' link which will take you back to the old News articles from 2007 onwards, albeit missing most images and links.

For current news, the Wildspace facebook page is the place to look.

Ely Wildspace Work Party Roswell Pits Nightingale Plot 1/2/2026

Well done everyone for a highly successful and enjoyable Sunday morning at the nightingale plot! We had some new volunteers - to whom welcome - and some returnees - to whom welcome back - as well as a good number of our regulars, which was very encouraging.

Fifteen of us, with two electric hedge trimmers, the newly acquired electric pruner extension arm, and multiple saws, loppers and shears soon demolished encroached vegetation and overhanging tree branches, and trimmed back the planted and pollarded shrubs. We have a nicely open area with lots of dense cover that we hope will attract a singing male nightingale.

A number of you expressed an interest in joining the Ely Wildspace committee, and some also to join my list of volunteers for the Witchford Open Spaces Group (some are already on both lists!). Please can you remind me in a return email so I don't get it wrong.....thanks!

The next session is pencilled in for Sunday 21st February - contact us for details.

Thanks all.

Richard

 

Ely Wildspace Work Party Springhead Lane 9/12/2025

From Richard Braund. On Tuesday 9th December we had a session for the annual tree and hedge maintenance, cutting the Ely Wildspace hedge in Springhead Lane alongside the McCarthy & Stone care home, and clearing around the trees and shrubs planted further along the lane. Apologies for the choice of a week-day, but we will have our usual nightingale plot session on a Sunday in January or February.

Many thanks to our volunteers who came along despite the ever-present threat of rain. We welcomed two new volunteers as well as a returnee.

We completed all the tasks of the day, which is evident to anyone passing along Springhead Lane. The photo shows some of the team.

Ely Wildspace Work Party Springhead Lane 2/2/2025

From Richard Braund. Many thanks to all those who came along today in glorious sunshine to complete the hedge cutting, clearance, tree planting and maintenance all as planned - a very successful morning, only possible because of you our volunteers. Most of the trees and shrubs we have planted and maintained along Springhead Lane over the last few years are now large enough to be seen and make a difference.....keep up the good work!

 

Ely Wildspace Working party 24 November 2024

From Richard Braund. Many thanks to our volunteers on Sunday, consisting of a number of our regulars but also some newcomers whom we are always please to welcome. Despite the forecast, we had no rain, though we did experience something of a breeze. We got the job done, and cleared the tall ruderal vegetation covering the site, cut back the encroaching brambles, and trimmed the shrubs we have planted and coppiced over the last few years, hopefully to the liking of nightingales arriving next spring.

 

Ely Wildspace Working party 18 February 2024

From Richard Braund. Thanks to the volunteers (not deterred by the weather, which wasn't as bad as it might have seemed!) we finished the tasks soon after 11.30am. The brambles have been cut back, last year's ruderal vegetation has been felled and the shrubs and coppice have been trimmed, all to maintain plenty of open space. We continue to hope that a passing male nightingale will like what he sees, settles and sings.

Ely Wildspace Working party 3 December 2023

Many thanks to the stalwarts who turned out on Sunday to carry out all the tasks for the day. The photo below (less Chris who had to leave a little earlier!) shows the completed hedge works. Fortunately we missed the rain which started just as we finished.

Next session will be in Jan/Feb at the nightingale plots on the Ely Wildspace land. Details will be sent in due course.

In the meantime have a good Christmas, and we hope to see you in the New Year.

Richard Braund

Ely Wildspace Nightingale on BBC!

If you listen to Radio 3's Sunday Breakfast show you'll know that halfway through it features 'Sounds of the Earth' on which they play a recording of natural sounds interspersed with complementary music. This Sunday, 9th July, Sounds of the Earth featured nightingale song, from Ely Wildspace!

It was sent in by Susan Robinson, who made the recording on 10th May. If you missed it you can find the whole show on BBC catch-up (until early August at least). Link is https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001nh1g . The Sounds of the Earth section starts at 1:19:35 into the show and lasts about 15 minutes. The railway crossing alarm and passing train are a bit of an intrusion but locate the recording firmly by the old oak on Springhead Lane, Roswell pits! Well done Susan (and the BBC).

 

Ely Wildspace Working party 26/27 February 2023

Many thanks to those of you who participated on Sunday (and today). We completed the work in the nightingale plots, which are looking good. Let's hope we can tempt a male nightingale to drop by later this spring and sing for a mate.

We didn't quite finish in Springhead Lane on Sunday, but that was because I had to leave early. Chris Horne and I went back on Monday and dug up some elm suckers to plant in pots for replanting in the autumn. Three of our earlier transplants are growing well, to extend the line of the elm corridor. We also cut the hedge alongside the McCarthy & Stone retirement home.

There'll be more to come in due course.