Weather warnings for wildlife

I only have myself to blame.  Six weeks ago I was complaining that we hadn't had a proper winter.  I think that you need to earn spring.  Well, having spent another day shivering between offices yesterday, I was pleased to hear it will be short-sleeved weather this weekend.  From -9 to +17 degrees Centigrade in a fortnight - classic British weather.

But while the weather fluctuates, patterns emerge and some of these can pose dramatic consequences for wildlife.

The environment secretary, Caroline Spelman, held a crisis meeting yesterday with companies, wildlife groups and other river users after the Centre for Hydrology and Ecology (CEH) stated that the average rainfall so far this winter has been the lowest since 1972.

We asked some of our reserve managers what this has meant for wildlife.  Here's what Charlie Kitchin, RSPB Site Manager for the Nene Washes in Cambridgeshire said:

“The breeding season of  2011 was not good at all for this nature reserve. Winter flooding is essential to attract the large numbers of wild swans and other wildfowl that the washes are renowned for and this winter has been the quietest for many years, for example our wigeon numbers are down from 20,000 to 3,000.   A winter flood is good because it leaves pools and a high ground water table for the spring, so we are very concerned that 2012 could be another disastrous nesting season.  This area is known for large numbers of birds that congregate here, creating fantastic wildlife spectacles. If we see another dry Spring, then it will almost certainly have damaging consequences for the populations of birds here.”

And Rob Coleman, the site manager at RSPB Titchwell on the Norfolk coast noted:

“Our natural springs at Titchwell have really slowed down, almost totally dried up and this is a worrying time for us.  At the moment, the water levels are good, we are adapting to the conditions and have a record number of wintering bitterns on the site. However, if these conditions continue, we will have to manage the habitat in a very different way to make up for the lack of water. This will put our iconic wildlife in a very vulnerable position.”

We’re obviously pleased to see the Government taking the drought situation so seriously. But, the system we have for allocating water, ensuring it’s not wasted and protecting the environment is nearly 50 years old and creaking at the seams.   The Government’s recent Water White Paper has some excellent proposals for reform but their timescale suggests they won’t be in place until mid 2020’s when the pressure is being felt now.

Our view is that the Government should take the opportunity to signal a move towards universal domestic metering, the only approach to charging that lets customers understand and take responsibility for their water use and save money by reducing waste.

How dry is it where you are? And have you noticed any local impacts on wildlife? What else do you think that the Government should be doing to deal with drought?

It would be great to hear your views.