Saturday October 16th 2004- Sage Autumn Work Party at Boundary Brook Nature Park, Oxford. It was another good gathering and afternoon's work in the nature park - wet under-foot, and up to the elbows for those pond-delving, but thankfully not from above as the rain stopped just as folks arrived, and held off until we were clearing up for tea. Preparing for the Sunday Open Day, Pat Mansfield led us in cutting down around the small garden pond the grasses and wild flowers in order to clear some of the spreading reeds in the water; clearing one of the flower beds; and trimming back brambles and branches from some of the paths, all of which created a small compost mountain in the very organised composting corner. We were entertained by intermittent frog-counts (including a mating pair, seemingly confused about the season, and at least 9 others calmly gazing up at us...) which reminded us why autumn is a good time of year to do such work, to avoid disturbing either hibernating or breeding wildlife. Another attraction, also possibly muddled, was a beautiful dragonfly (probably a Southern Hawker, although green rather than with any blue on it) that appeared to be trying to lay eggs on the edge of the large pond and which didn't seem to mind us peering at it from close range for about half an hour. Is there upset in the internal seasonal clocks of some creatures.....perhaps something to do with a shifting climate.....or were they just testing our reactions??! We also enjoyed the paintbox of other colours the park, the such as the reds of the rowan berries, the spindle's vivid pink & orange and other golds & greens in the woodland that promise more to come in this changing season. We finally retreated to the impressive new information hut, for tea and flapjacks. Pat added to the notice-board of 'wildlife seen today' and we hoped & prayed for a good dry Open Day for the Urban Wildlife Group on the Sunday.