Meet 9.55am

Friends of Stocker’s Lake is a community-led charity dedicated to caring for and protecting Stocker’s Lake and its surrounding habitats. We bring local people together through practical conservation work, wildlife monitoring and educational activities, helping to maintain the lake as a haven for waterfowl, dragonflies, and other wildlife. By running volunteer work parties, guided walks and events, we safeguard this special place for nature and for future generations to enjoy. Join us to make a visible, rewarding difference to one of Hertfordshire’s finest wildlife sites.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake
07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Sunday 2 August 2026
10:00 13:00

You might think with having such a hot and dry season that the growth along Stockers pathways would be more manageable. Unfortunately there has been no let up, with some sections getting difficult to navigate. Perhaps the proximity to the lake might be a factor!

This month we tackled those pathways on the southside of Stockers. The boardwalk along from Stockers House needed particular attention with brambles, shrubs and nettles making life difficult for walkers.

Another section towards the pumping station needed widening, it was hot work.

The view from Kingfisher Hide needed some clearance, and we removed large amounts of ivy from the hide structure, which would have accelerated its deterioration.

Finally, we cleared undergrowth and brambles from the Gandhi commemorative oak tree.

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Yannick Forbes, Andrew Bird, Nilesh Dodhia, Russell Ball, and Nick Gray.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Meet 9.55am

Friends of Stocker’s Lake is a community-led charity dedicated to caring for and protecting Stocker’s Lake and its surrounding habitats. We bring local people together through practical conservation work, wildlife monitoring and educational activities, helping to maintain the lake as a haven for waterfowl, dragonflies, and other wildlife. By running volunteer work parties, guided walks and events, we safeguard this special place for nature and for future generations to enjoy. Join us to make a visible, rewarding difference to one of Hertfordshire’s finest wildlife sites.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Walks are free, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) and take about 2.5 hours.

If planning to join the walk:

Meet at the seat on the causeway between Stockers and Bury Lakes

The paths are level but not flat and can be muddy and at times very wet so please wear stout shoes or wellies and if you need it bring your walking stick(s). The paths are not wheelchair friendly.

During the winter months you will definitely need to wrap up warm

Bring insect repellent if you need it.

The nearest toilets are at the Café in the Park by the aquadrome carpark

Some locations using the what3words app are given below

Fisherman’s Car Park:            tester.goal.pipe

Iron Bridge                              films.wink.tile

Causeway Seat                      list.chase.from

10:00 12:30

Sunday 6 July 10.30am was overcast, windy and threatening rain and did not bode well for seeing butterflies or dragonflies on our annual walk.  I was fully expecting to have to cancel however, the day could not have turned out to be so different. 

Arriving at our usual meeting point on the Causeway my spirits rose when I saw 5 people waiting to join the walk.  Shortly after more people arrived and we set off with 12 interested people plus Philip, butterfly identifier; Christina Bessant, dragonfly identifier; Josh Kalms, HMWT People and Wildlife Officer and myself. 

As we began our walk, we immediately saw a good number of Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies, both male and female and tenerals (newly emerged adult damselfiles, often paler in colour with milky coloured wings which change colour as they mature). 

Many more of these species were seen on the walk, together with Banded Demoiselles (3 male and 1 female); a Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly laying her eggs and a male Broad-bodied Chaser. 

Our walk became even better when we spotted our first butterflies - a Large White and a Large Skipper. 

We walked into Meadow 3 and saw absolutely nothing but as we began to criss-cross the field, we were rewarded by seeing a variety of butterflies.  Ringlets, Gatekeepers, a Common Blue, a Painted Lady, Meadow Browns.  One of the main highlights of our walk was to find a Peacock butterfly sleeping on a piece of grass (so that only the dark underside of the wing was showing).  We photographed, stared at, discussed and finally moved on and in all that time the butterfly slept. 

Walking on to Meadow 2, in addition to many of the varieties of butterflies we had already seen, we found Green-veined Whites and Small Whites.  Our walked continued out of the meadow onto the river path where we saw Speckled Wood butterflies. 

In addition, on Stockers Lake we saw water skaters and in Meadow 3, Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars enjoying a piece of ragwort, together with soldier beetles and grasshoppers. 

During the walk we were very pleased to see hoverflies and lots of bees, especially on hemp agrimony as well as other flowering plants

Walks are free, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) and take about 2.5 hours.

If planning to join the walk:

Meet at the seat on the causeway between Stockers and Bury Lakes

The paths are level but not flat and can be muddy and at times very wet so please wear stout shoes or wellies and if you need it bring your walking stick(s). The paths are not wheelchair friendly.

During the winter months you will definitely need to wrap up warm

Bring insect repellent if you need it.

The nearest toilets are at the Café in the Park by the aquadrome carpark

Some locations using the what3words app are given below

Fisherman’s Car Park:            tester.goal.pipe

Iron Bridge                              films.wink.tile

Causeway Seat                      list.chase.from

https://www.fosl.org.uk/s/Wildflowers-Stockers-Lake-22-June-25.docx

Friends of Stocker’s Lake is a community-led charity dedicated to caring for and protecting Stocker’s Lake and its surrounding habitats. We bring local people together through practical conservation work, wildlife monitoring and educational activities, helping to maintain the lake as a haven for waterfowl, dragonflies, and other wildlife. By running volunteer work parties, guided walks and events, we safeguard this special place for nature and for future generations to enjoy. Join us to make a visible, rewarding difference to one of Hertfordshire’s finest wildlife sites.

Work Party Sunday 7 June 2026

Meet 9.55am

We had a good session with unusually reasonable weather!

Once again we set about repairing a section of corral fencing that had suffered damage from vandals. 

The nettles along several sections of the pathway on the river side required cutting back to maintain a reasonable width to walk along.

Nick the grazier turned up to attend the cattle with some feed. He requested we cut back some brambles on the lead up to the corral to maintain a suitable area to drive and manoeuvre his vehicles. We were happy to oblige.

Finally, with the river level lower than last month, we were able to access Ryall Island to cut away 3 hefty fallen tree sections and open up the pathway by removing further undergrowth. 

Many thanks to: Ken Davies, Phil Gibbs, Phil and Julia Davies, Adrian Christie, Andrew Bird, Nick and Christine Gray, Mike Lansdown, Nilesh Dodhia and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Friends of Stocker’s Lake is a community-led charity dedicated to caring for and protecting Stocker’s Lake and its surrounding habitats. We bring local people together through practical conservation work, wildlife monitoring and educational activities, helping to maintain the lake as a haven for waterfowl, dragonflies, and other wildlife. By running volunteer work parties, guided walks and events, we safeguard this special place for nature and for future generations to enjoy. Join us to make a visible, rewarding difference to one of Hertfordshire’s finest wildlife sites.

Work Party Sunday 7 June 2026

Meet 9.55am

We had a good session with unusually reasonable weather!

Once again we set about repairing a section of corral fencing that had suffered damage from vandals. 

The nettles along several sections of the pathway on the river side required cutting back to maintain a reasonable width to walk along.

Nick the grazier turned up to attend the cattle with some feed. He requested we cut back some brambles on the lead up to the corral to maintain a suitable area to drive and manoeuvre his vehicles. We were happy to oblige.

Finally, with the river level lower than last month, we were able to access Ryall Island to cut away 3 hefty fallen tree sections and open up the pathway by removing further undergrowth. 

Many thanks to: Ken Davies, Phil Gibbs, Phil and Julia Davies, Adrian Christie, Andrew Bird, Nick and Christine Gray, Mike Lansdown, Nilesh Dodhia and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party Sunday 5 April

Meet 9.55am

We stretched our resources this month by splitting the group and working at either end of the lake.

It was very satisfying to clear away brambles and the build up of leaf litter on the wooden bridge above the weir at Springwell Lane entrance. This will go a long way to slow down the ageing of this wooden structure and keep it serviceable for us all. Many similar bridges across the country are falling into disrepair due to lack of funding available, from private and public entities alike.

Meanwhile at the other end of the lake, near the Iron Bridge, some of us assisted with nettle clearance and further planting in our wild flower meadow project. It's slow progress, with our planting and seeding last year struggling to impact on the dominant grasses.

We had intended to clear a fallen tree trunk that is blocking the path on Ryall island, but we were unable to ford the stream, even after the recent dry spell. So instead we cleared some overhanging branches where our grazier will need good access for his vehicle when he returns with the Dexter cattle.

To cap it all we installed a further cattle post to replace a broken one. So, our maintenance of the cattle fields is complete. We are ready for the Dexters!

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Mike Lansdown, Phil Gibbs, Christine and Nick Gray, Alison Marriott, Viv Bartlett, Rob Liddle, Linda Ascroft and Katie

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party Sunday 5 April

Meet 9.55am

Now that the bird nesting season is well underway, our work around the lake takes on a  less intrusive role. 

One of our annual tasks is to maintain the fencing of the 3 fields before the return of the Dexter cattle. 

On some sections of the fence, especially on the lake side where the ground is quite soft, the posts are easily pushed from the vertical by the cattle when endeavouring to eat the grass on the wrong side of the fence. Our volunteers set about straightening the posts, tensioning the barbed wire and replacing any broken posts.

Some of us cut back any overhanging branches that were encroaching on the fences, and we also found time to clear a bit of undergrowth round the pathway and trees on the Uxbridge Road entrance.

Many thanks to Philip and Julia Davies, Shaan Purohit, Alison Marriott, Adrian Christie, Christine and Nick Gray, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Walks are free, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) and take about 2.5 hours.

If planning to join the walk:

Meet at the seat on the causeway between Stockers and Bury Lakes

The paths are level but not flat and can be muddy and at times very wet so please wear stout shoes or wellies and if you need it bring your walking stick(s). The paths are not wheelchair friendly.

During the winter months you will definitely need to wrap up warm

Bring insect repellent if you need it.

The nearest toilets are at the Café in the Park by the aquadrome carpark

Some locations using the what3words app are given below

Fisherman’s Car Park:            tester.goal.pipe

Iron Bridge                              films.wink.tile

Causeway Seat                      list.chase.from

Work Party Sunday 1 March

Meet 9.55am

This month our team of hedge layers completed the final section on the south side of cattle field 3. It was the culmination of 2 winters work. So it's down tools until next Autumn, when we'll start work in a different area for this particular task.

Likewise, the rest of our volunteers finished the dead hedge section next to Shoveller hide, carried out some last minute pollarding in a couple of areas and tidied up with more dead hedging. 

Finally we cleared some undergrowth from trees at the Uxbridge Road entrance.

Many thanks to, Ken Davies, David Hyde, Yannick Forbes, Mike Lansdown, Julia Davies, Christine and Nick Gray, Alex, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley. 

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

On a grey but dry and mild February morning (i.e. an especially good morning, weather-wise, by the standards of the current winter!) eight of us strolled around the lake for a pleasant two and a half hours to spot wildfowl. We were rewarded with good views of several species. That included Goldeneye which we saw from several different vantage points. As usual for these birds, they were spending quite a lot of time under the water and they were also moving around the lake quite a lot. So it is difficult to know exactly how many we saw in total but at one point we were watching two males and eight females. So there were at least ten of these special winter visitors on the lake altogether, and probably more.

Other wildfowl species which we saw well included Shoveler, Pochard and Tufted Duck, all of them in good numbers, as well as a pair of Egyptian Geese. Also on the water were a good number of Great Crested Grebe now coming into their attractive breeding plumage and in some cases treating us to their spectacular courtship display.

At the water’s edge we saw Lapwing and we several times heard, but did not see, Cetti’s Warbler. Similarly we heard the distinctive flight call of a Kingfisher in the SE corner of the lake, close to the Shoveler hide, but none of us managed to spot it as it was arriving in the bushes there.    

Around the lake we managed good views of several other attractive species. These included Redwing, Siskin, Long-Tailed Tit and Greenfinch, We were delighted in particular by the greenfinch, a brightly coloured male, when he sang for a prolonged period from a prominent position in a nearby tree. At this time of year, as the days grow longer and milder, it is a joy to see and hear some of our resident species start to sing again as they seek to establish territory or seek a mate.

Ours was a congenial group which made it a joy to lead. My thanks must especially go to committee member Linda, who took notes to aid my writing of this report, and also 14 year-old Rishan (hopefully I have the right spelling of his name) who amazed and enthralled us all with his extensive knowledge of birds, his extraordinary eyesight and above all his enthusiasm. Rishan’s contributions very much enhanced the experience for us all and I for one was amazed at, for example, how accurately he was able to pick out and count seven Common Gulls amongst a distant flock of around fifty Black-headed Gulls bobbing on the water.

We saw nothing especially uncommon today but we would have seen or heard 30+species altogether and since that included nice views of some very attractive birds it was a successful outing, I would say.

Simon Jones

This month a couple of our volunteers donned waders and set about cutting a channel through the reed beds in front of Fort Drew hide. They are an important habitat so we don't want to remove more of the reeds than necessary, but we hope the observer will get an excellent view of this special wetland area in the coming months.

Once again we had a team of volunteers continuing with hedgelaying. We have almost finished a whole section along the south side of cattle field 3. With luck, providing no birds are nesting in the remaining section of hedge in that area, our March work party may well complete the task.

We were running short of binders and stakes for the hedgelayers, so another group of us set off to pollard willow and hazel to replenish the stock.

There were a few hedge whips left that were donated to FoSL for us to plant in any gaps along the cattle hedge rows. Mission completed.

Finally, near the causeway junction between Berry and Stockers Lake, there is a viewing area of a pond that needed some clearance of undergrowth to observe the pond.

Many thanks to Viv Bartlett, Yannick Forbes, David Hyde, Sylvene Greaves, Alex, Alison Marriott, Philip and Julia Davies, Christine and Nick Gray, Mike Lansdown, Ken Davies, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley.

 Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Walks are free, about 2.5 km (1.5 miles) and take about 2.5 hours.

If planning to join the walk:

Meet at the seat on the causeway between Stockers and Bury Lakes

The paths are level but not flat and can be muddy and at times very wet so please wear stout shoes or wellies and if you need it bring your walking stick(s). The paths are not wheelchair friendly.

During the winter months you will definitely need to wrap up warm

Bring insect repellent if you need it.

The nearest toilets are at the Café in the Park by the aquadrome carpark

Some locations using the what3words app are given below

Fisherman’s Car Park:            tester.goal.pipe

Iron Bridge                              films.wink.tile

Causeway Seat                      list.chase.from

Work Party Sunday 4 January

Last January I bemoaned the weather, asking what happened to those bright and crisp January days, as heavy rain and sleet forced us to abandon the morning's work and retreat to the cafe.

It was a different story this year. It was crisp, cold and bright. A perfect day. We soon warmed up by pollarding Willow and Hazel trees, then transporting the branches to finish the job of dead hedging that we started in December.

Our second task this month was to continue hedge laying a section of the hedges surrounding the cattle fields. The aim is to encourage thicker growth from the base, which provides a healthier ecosystem for many species of plants, insects, birds and small mammals.

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Sylvene Greaves, Julia Davies, David Hyde, Yannick Forbes, Philip Gibbs, Russell Ball, Nicola Pazdzierska, Nick and Christine Gray and Catherine Green.

Jack Westbrook

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party Sunday 7 December

The weather has been unpredictable of late and it didn't disappoint this Sunday. It was very challenging for all who decided to take a chance with the elements.

We continued hedge laying with two experienced volunteers and a new recruit who has, in the past, had some experience with this task. They were able to lay a section of hedge and start installing stakes and binders from our stock of materials gathered last month.

The rest of us worked in an area west of Shoveler hide. The view from the pathway had become obscured by low hanging oak branches and the waters edge had brush and young trees restricting access for wildfowl to the area. To protect the area, having cleared the undergrowth, we set about building a dead hedge along one section of the pathway and planting young hedge whips on another.  

Many thanks to Julia Davies, Sylvene Greaves, Alex, Viv Bartlett, David Hyde, Russell Ball, Nilesh Dodhia, Mike and Brin Lansdown, Nick and Christine Gray and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party Sunday 2 November

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

This month we resumed hedge laying from where we left off last winter. A small group of us prepared the hedge by clearing undergrowth and removing unwanted branches. Another group set off to forage for stakes and binders by pollarding hazel and willow trees, which are essential to provide structure and stability to a newly laid hedge.

A further team set off, including two new volunteers, to clear undergrowth from what I believe is the final section of previously planted hedge whips, to ensure they get a good chance to flourish next year.

Two of our volunteers, Tony and Sheila, have been helping us around the lake for many years. The task they set themselves this week, which they have done many times before, was to replenish the pamphlet holders with details on how to join FoSL, and where necessary repair or replace them when damaged by vandals. 

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Tony and Sheila Lee, Philip Davies, Alison Marriott, Sylvan Greaves, Yannick Forbes, Viv Bartlett, Mike Lansdown, Nick and Christine Gray and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party Sunday 5 October

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

We had a collaborative work party this month.

A Friends of Stockers Lake project to create a wild flower meadow led by Linda and Kate and assisted by Josh from HMWT set to work to create the best conditions to achieve our goal. For these conditions to exist we need to weaken the soil by removing the nutrients in the ground. Having prepared the ground with much mowing, raking and turning over of the soil we sowed yellow rattle seeds. This plant weakens the roots of dominant grasses, reducing their vigor and preventing them from out-competing other wildflower species. 

I'll be honest, the field doesn't look pretty, but this is a long term project to establish a stable environment for wild flowers. Oh, and we did optimistically scatter some wild flower seeds in with the yellow rattle!

Two of our team also set off to reclaim a section of 2 year old hawthorne hedge that was swamped by undergrowth and to widen a section of pathway.

Many thanks to: Ken Davies, Phil Gibbs, Christine and Nick Gray, Phil Davies, Alison Marriott, Linda Ascroft, Kate, Janet Lowndes, Josh Kalms Nigel Daley, Russell Ball, and Mike Lansdown.

Jack Westbrook

Best wishes
Jack Westbrook

Lead Warden

Friends of Stockers Lake

For further details of up and coming Work Party events, please contact:

FoSL Warden <warden@fosl.org.uk>

Work Party 7 September

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Our attempts to prepare and plant a wild flower meadow in May were scuppered by multiple heat waves, even though a few dedicated volunteers made many visits to water the area.

This month we set about preparing the area by mowing and raking the cuttings away. We even expanded the area width by 3 metres. This is all in preparation for seeding Yellow Rattle next month. It's a great plant that suppresses grasses, which in turn supports the growth of more diverse wildflowers.

Keeping undergrowth at bay along the pathways this year has been a test for us. We had two final sections to clear this month and hopefully that will be an end to it for the year.

Many thanks to : Philip and Julia Davies, Phil Gibbs, Amy Gornall, Mike Lansdown, Nicola Pazdzierska and Nigel Daley.

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work Party Sunday 3 August 2025

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Muti tasking this month.

Firstly we had identified that some of the areas where young hedgerow whips had previously been planted had now become engulfed in undergrowth. It was a delicate task to find the whips and clear the ground so that they will see the light of day in the spring.

One of our tasks is to maintain a plot of land where we mow twice a year, but a tree fall needed removal to gain access with our mowers. Mission accomplished.

The kissing gate by Fort Drew had a tree fall that made the gate inaccessible, so the low hanging branches were removed to open up the path. 

More undergrowth was removed from around the cattle coral area to ensure the grazier can gain access for his vehicles.

Last but not least, we are preparing an area for a container to house our tools near the Fishermans car park.

It required the final shipment of aggregate to be shovelled into place. Wish I had the energy to do that!

Many thanks to: Ken Davies, Tony and Sheila Lee, Phil Gibbs, Christine & Nick Gray, Philip Davies, Alison Marriott, Cathrine Green, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Sunday 6 July 10.30am was overcast, windy and threatening rain and did not bode well for seeing butterflies or dragonflies on our annual walk.  I was fully expecting to have to cancel however, the day could not have turned out to be so different. 

Arriving at our usual meeting point on the Causeway my spirits rose when I saw 5 people waiting to join the walk.  Shortly after more people arrived and we set off with 12 interested people plus Philip, butterfly identifier; Christina Bessant, dragonfly identifier; Josh Kalms, HMWT People and Wildlife Officer and myself. 

As we began our walk, we immediately saw a good number of Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies, both male and female and tenerals (newly emerged adult damselfiles, often paler in colour with milky coloured wings which change colour as they mature). 

Many more of these species were seen on the walk, together with Banded Demoiselles (3 male and 1 female); a Four-spotted Chaser dragonfly laying her eggs and a male Broad-bodied Chaser. 

Our walk became even better when we spotted our first butterflies - a Large White and a Large Skipper. 

We walked into Meadow 3 and saw absolutely nothing but as we began to criss-cross the field, we were rewarded by seeing a variety of butterflies.  Ringlets, Gatekeepers, a Common Blue, a Painted Lady, Meadow Browns.  One of the main highlights of our walk was to find a Peacock butterfly sleeping on a piece of grass (so that only the dark underside of the wing was showing).  We photographed, stared at, discussed and finally moved on and in all that time the butterfly slept. 

Walking on to Meadow 2, in addition to many of the varieties of butterflies we had already seen, we found Green-veined Whites and Small Whites.  Our walked continued out of the meadow onto the river path where we saw Speckled Wood butterflies. 

In addition, on Stockers Lake we saw water skaters and in Meadow 3, Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars enjoying a piece of ragwort, together with soldier beetles and grasshoppers. 

During the walk we were very pleased to see hoverflies and lots of bees, especially on hemp agrimony as well as other flowering plants. 

Below is a full list of our sightings together with a variety of photographs taken by, Vicky, Peter, Christina and Philip.

Damselflies/Dragonflies                                                                                                                                

Common Blue Damselfly

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Banded Demoiselle (3 males and 1 female)

Four-spotted Chaser

Male Broad-bodied Chaser

Butterflies

Large White (3)

Large Skipper

Red Admiral

Ringlet (2)

Gatekeeper (8)

Common Blue

Painted Lady

Meadow Brown (6)

Peacock

Green-veined White (2)

Small White (6)

Speckled Wood (2)

Work Party Sunday 6 July 2025

Dear all

There will be no work party on Sunday, 6th July as we are taking a break and letting nature take its course. The next work party will be on Sunday, 3rd August.

Hope you are all enjoying the summer.

Kind regards

Jack

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

It was a hot day but with a welcoming cool breeze for our annual Wildflower
walk on Sunday 22 June 2025. 
Janet Lowndes was our identifier and Christina Bessant joined us and also
provided identifying information. 
14 interested people, many of whom come along each year,  joined us on our
walk and most but not all were FoSL members.   
Our list of seen Wildflowers varies from year to year and as Janet
mentioned, 'you won't see everything every year because of the different
weather conditions.  Quite a few things were over earlier - others could be
so small that you don't see them - or some might be slightly later if they
do not like the dry hot conditions or were simply not in flower'. 
This year we have included a list of those Wildflowers seen in 2024 but not
in 2025 to give a better idea of the number of Wildflowers often seen around
Stocker's Lake.
Our list of identified Wildflowers in June 2025 is 103, of which 4 are
grasses.  The Wildflowers seen in 2024 but not seen on this year's walk,
total 21.

https://www.fosl.org.uk/s/Wildflowers-Stockers-Lake-22-June-25.docx

Work Party Sunday 1 June 2025

Meet 9.55am at The Fisherman's Car Park

The paths until recently had stayed fairly clear but there has been a growth spurt, especially with the nettles.  With this in mind, our volunteers tackled the pathways around Stockers.

Further maintenance work was carried out on the cattle fences, straightening posts and tensioning the barbed wire. We are now ready for the return of the cattle. 

Finally, a bit of carpentry was required to block off a narrow gap with fence rails to prevent the cattle squeezing through to freedom.

Many thanks to Tony and Sheila Lee, Phil Gibbs, Christine and Nick Gray, Phillip and Julia Davies, Alison Marriott, Sylvan Greaves, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley.

Summer Social

FOSL are having a barbecue on Sunday 3rd August for you and your better half. Further details will be announced shortly.  

Look forward to seeing you at the BBQ on the Sunday 3rd August

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Spring Chorus and Warbler walk 17 May 2025

We are extremely grateful to the very knowledgeable Simon Jones for leading this walk.

We met at the usual meeting place on the causeway. 7 of us joined the walk on this

somewhat dull day.

From the causeway looking over the lake we could swifts circling . Loud calls of the

blackcaps were heard on the causeway. Moving on into the reserve, we immediately heard a

cetti’s warbler, dunnocks and a great spotted woodpecker.

The call of the reed warblers were a delight, as was the sighting of a pair of these lovely

song birds. The common terns were jostling for space with the black headed gulls. A pair of

terns were busy mating and ignoring all other commotion of the gulls. A cuckoo was heard

too.

Lots of songbirds heard but not seen.

Work Party Sunday 4 May 2025

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all

Friends of Stockers had the idea of creating a wild flower meadow on an area of grass close by the Iron Bridge and adjacent to cattle field 3. I'm pleased to report that we have started that project.

Firstly, our work party set about cutting the grass and raking away the cuttings. We then raked further into the grass in metre square blocks to plant plugs of yellow rattle, (removes nutrients from grass roots thus allowing less robust wild flowers a chance to thrive), clover and white campion, also beneficial to rewilding. We added a sprinkling of mixed wild flower seeds and watered.

Another team continued work from last month maintaining cattle fences.  

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Tony and Sheila Lee, Alison Marriott, Sylvine Greaves, Janet Lowndes, Linda Ascroft, Katie and Dan, Nick and Christine Gray, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley.

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Venue : Mill End Baptist Church, Field Way, Rickmansworth, WD3 7EL

Work Party Sunday 6 April 2025

This month our volunteers concentrated on work in and around the cattle fields.

Over time, many of the posts gradually lean outwards due to the cattle's attempts to forage beyond the boundary and the soft nature of the ground. We have a method of straightening the posts, so our first group managed to complete this work in field 3 and part of field 2.  A second group worked on clearing branches that overhang the fencing and could potentially cause expensive damage to them. Finally, two vandalised fence rails on the coral section between fields 2 and 3, and another rail on one of the kissing gates, were replaced.

Many thanks to Tony and Sheila Lee, Ken Davies, Christine and Nick Gray, Philip and Julia Davies, Phil Gibbs, Nicola Pazdzierska, Shann Purohit and Sylvene Greaves.

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work Party Sunday 2 March 2025

We have had some good hedgelaying sessions over the winter months, and given the uncommonly mild weather this Sunday, it made our last session before bird nesting a real pleasure.  Now we can just watch and see the new growth thicken the hedge and provide good habitat for many species of wildlife. 

As our attention turns to the maintenance of cattle fencing, a second group set about removing overhanging branches, in particular willow, which has a habit of snapping and could cause expensive repairs to the stock fence. 

Over the last month a smaller group of us have carried out a couple of extra weekday work parties. On the 17th Feb. we progressed the hedgelaying ready for the final session on this March work party.

Another annual task we carried out on the 24th Feb. was the clearance and re-shingling of some of the Tern rafts. Originally these rafts were introduced by FOSL and over the years some have been replaced by ourselves and by HMWT. It's a mucky job clearing of old nesting material and resurfacing with new shingle.

Finally I would like to welcome Nick Gray, who has kindly agreed to join me as a fellow warden of FOSL. He will be helping me organise the work parties and better utilise our volunteers precious time, which we hope will keep Stockers lake a pleasurable place for all. 

Many thanks to Sylvene  Greaves, Nick and Christine Gray, Rob Liddle, Nicola Pazdzierska, Mike Lansdown,  Nilesh Dodhia, Nigel Daley and Phil Gibbs.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work Party Sunday 2 February 2025

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

Our volunteers were back in action after bad weather prevented the January outing.

We still have a few weeks to undertake further Hedgelaying, so a group of us set to work by extending the section near Drew hide. When eventually the sap starts rising we'll call a halt to this activity and move on to other things.

A second group led by Russell, set about planting some dry root whips in a section of the cattle hedgerow where brambles and undergrowth had taken control along the fence. So a fair amount of clearance was necessary prior to planting.

Finally we are acquiring a container to keep our work tools more secure, after we suffered a break in and had many of our tools stolen. So a small hard working group prepared the footings for the container.

Many thanks to Christine and Nick Gray, Alison Marriott, Alex, Sylvene Greaves, Kim Jacob, Russell Ball, Cathy Green, Mark and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

A group of 9 met at the causeway for a 2 and half hour walk around the lake. Starting at the causeway, there was all the expected migratory winter wildfowl, with several Tufted Ducks and Shoveler, both Common and Red-crested Pochard and a single female goldeneye. Shortly later, a group of c.40 Wigeon flew from the farm floods, making their presence known with their loud whistles. Whilst observing the wintering wildfowl, a group of Siskin flew around us, eventually coming in quite close for us to gladly watch them feed. Walking further round to the heron viewpoint and it was evident that the herons were starting to return to their nests, getting ready for the upcoming breeding season. From tern hide, we were able to see the many resting Lapwings on the grassy islands on the lake and were treated to a flyby by two Kingfishers. We also identified 2 not so common, Common Gulls. We then got exceptional views of some goldeneye from the viewpoint just beyond the scrape hide, the highlight of the walk for many. By the fields, we got close views of a small group of Redwings feeding on insects in the cow field and they were accompanied by a stunning male goldfinch. Finally, there was surprisingly a Common Sandpiper that flew across the lake from Fort Drew but unfortunately, it was too quick for most to see. Overall, a successful walk with many of our winter migrants on display. I hope everyone enjoyed the walk.

Shaan Purohit

Work Party Sunday 5 January 2025

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

 What happened to those cold but crisp and bright January mornings? I was hoping to get away from being hampered by the soggy conditions that we endured last year but the weather was having none of it!

We had planned to plant some hedge whips along a section of the cattle fields, but the ground was frozen. Hedge laying was still a possibility and although we had a snowfall overnight the local forecast was for a dry few hours in the morning. However, the snow turned to rain and it persisted.

So with a heavy heart we decamped to the café. What's that saying ….. Every cloud …..

With thanks to Julia Davies, Kim Jacob, Nick and Christine Gray, Cathy Green, Russell Ball and Nigel Daley

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work Party Sunday 1st December 2024

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

This month's tasks were all about hedgelaying.

Firstly, we made a good start of hedgelaying on a new section of the cattle fields. It wasn't long before the local residents in field 3 wandered over to see what we were up to.

Some of the hedgelaying we carried out last season had flourished, so much so that we need to trim those sections. It's recommended to repeatedly cut back the new growth in the first 3 - 5 years, allowing the hedge to gain in height and width each year, so our second group set to work on that task. The benefits of trimming this way help to maintain the hedge density, with more leaf cover for nesting birds and small mammals and allowing the hedge to fruit and berry each year.

Many thanks to:  Mike Lansdown, Phil Gibbs, Alison Marriott, Sylvene Greaves, Kim Jacob, Alex, Russell Ball, and Nilesh Dodhia 

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Sunday 3rd November 2024

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

The bat project has been underway for several months. This entailed removing rubbish and debris from the pill box, modifying the window slits and fixing a secure threshold and door with a metal outside cover which mice and rats can't get through. 

To create a roosting and hibernation habitat inside 4 bat roosts were fixed to the walls,  made from untreated rough sawn hard wood. 12 bat bricks were fixed to the ceiling and 2 towers of logs which were piled up, nearly to the ceiling. 

For the hedgelaying we split into 3 groups. The first made a start with the hedge by thinning and preparing the hedge to be laid. The other two groups went foraging around the vicinity for stakes and bindings that will be required to hold and secure the newly laid hedge. It will be a season or so, but the aim for our hedglaying is to enhance biodiversity for birds, small animals and insects by encouraging regrowth from the base and thickening the hedge for greater security.

Many thanks to:

Our bat team - Cathy Green, Nilesh Dodhia, Nigel Daley and Shaan Purohit and anyone else who contributed at other times.

On the Hedgelaying front:

Ken Davies, Mike Lansdown, Phil Gibbs, Philip & Julia Davies, Nick & Christine Gray, Alison Marriott, Alex, Amy Gornal, Kim Jacob, Sylvene Greaves, Russell Ball and Nicola Pazdzierska.

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work Party Sunday 6th October

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

In the coming months we will be hedge laying, one of the most rewarding jobs we carry out at Stockers. So in preparation we worked on a section of hedge around the cattle fields by removing unwanted growth up to head height. This also served to make the pathway more accessible.

Another group worked along the causeway between Berry and Stockers Lakes to clear some larger branches that would restrict the grazier's vehicle when transporting the cattle to and from the fields.

We all joined forces later to cut back brambles and again remove unwanted growth leading up to the cattle coral.

Finally, our dedicated group working on the pill box for the bat project put some finishing touches to the access door to ensure it is rat proof.

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Bob Sheeren, Julia Davies, Nick and Christine Gray, Phil Gibbs, Nilesh Dodhia, Russell Ball, Catherin Green and Nigel Daley

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Sunday 28 July dawned sunny with a light breeze - a perfect morning for seeing butterflies and dragonflies and we were not disappointed.  9 of us (Chris, Kay, Janet, Kate A, Lynda, Brian, Kate T, Barnaby and Linda) spent an enjoyable 2+ hours around Stockers Lake both on the River Colne and canal side plus Meadow1, which the cattle had not been in and so plenty of tall grass and wildflowers to attract insects.

Thanks to Chris Bessant, our identifier, with so much knowledge on the life cycle and habits of these beautiful creatures.

We also saw a long horned wasp beetle and on Stocker’s Lake, a good number of water boatmen and a pair of ruddy common darter mating on the wing, the female dipping her tail in the water again and again as she dropped single eggs into the Lake.
Linda Ascroft
FoSL Events Coordinator
The list and a count of the butterflies and dragonflies seen on the walk. 

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

It was time to cut back the brambles at the causeway viewpoint between Stockers and Bury Lake. Another season and the bench would have been swallowed up by them. 

We had a small group of volunteers this month, but we achieved our goal. It is now intended to cut back a couple of the lakeside trees to fully appreciate the view over Stockers Lake.

Meanwhile, two of our number continued on the Pill Box project for bats. One more course of concrete and the door threshold will be rat proof.

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Tony & Sheila Lee, Alison Marriott, Mike Lansdown, Russell Ball, Catherine Green and Nigel Daley.

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093

Work party Sunday 4th August

Meet 9.55am at The Iron Bridge

Dear all,

A busy session this month.

For some months we have intended to carry out maintenance of the cattle fences, but circumstances or weather conditions have prevented us. At last we made a good start and also carried out temporary repairs to broken (vandalised) fencing around the coral.

A couple of the team finished the job of grass cutting on Ryall Island. It's a task we carry out at spring and late summer and was started by our volunteers a week or so before. 

Further preparation of the pill box for bats was carried out by rat proofing the entrance and vegetation clearance was also carried out. 

Finally, our last group cleared the pathway of a lesser used route between field 3 near Fort Drew hide and Stockers Lake.

Many thanks to Ken Davies, Mike Lansdown, Tony & Sheila Lee, Christine & Nick Gray, Shaan Purohit, Catherine Green, Nicola Pazdzierska, Nilesh Dodhia and Nigel Daley. 

Best wishes

Jack Westbrook
Lead Warden
Friends of Stockers Lake

07716 296093.