A dank, damp mizzely sort of morning with mist shrouding the fells.  I went up to the Tarn early on to look around and do the Turn Dub invertebrate check.

Wildlife abounded.  A pair of black and white duck that look like goldeneye from a distance have a chick.  If they are goldeneye then the fact that they are breeding is noteworthy as they do not normally nest in the UK.  The swans are still sitting and looking thoroughly bored with the process.  I almost stood on a curlew hidden in the sedge between the tarn and the river.  Its mate took off from deep cover a few feet away so I suspect that they have a nest in the sedge.  On approaching the rather stagnant looking ditch that passes for the river at present I disturbed a grey poacher that hauled itself into the air and flapped off down river.

The check was surprisingly fruitful given the dreadful conditions and I found  good numbers of baetis as well as most of the other key families.  Netting was a challenge and rather tedious as most of the flowing water is liberally dosed with algae and filament weed.

Most of the trees we planted here in February seem to be growing away well tucked down in their little micro climates within the tree guards.  Perhaps we won't have to wait a lifetime after all to see a good deal of cover on this beat.

The Tarn will be stocked on Saturday at about 9am.  This is the main season stocking that will see us through to July and I am promised 180 rainbows of the same quality as we got in March.

Finally, I got a call yesterday morning from a contact who offered me a supply of willow stakes and withies to use as willow spilling bank protection.  By chance the Hon Sec and I were looking at length of river opposite Studfold where the bank is being heavily eroded and we were contemplating doing a bit of work here.  After a couple of phone calls to check that landowners were OK with the work the willow was delivered to site yesterday and the plan is to get it put in on Saturday morning.  If any member fancies playing in the river for a couple of hours then meet at the bottom of the big field below Cragghill farm at 10.30 on Saturday.

Ian