For a wet grassland site, Beckingham Marshes had been looking rather dry during the run up to Christmas. Beckingham Main Drain (where we abstract water from) was also very low. Therefore, I turned on our windpumps in late December and hoped for rain (and wind of course).
Yesterday we had our Annual Ecological Review, where site staff are joined by regional staff and national specialists to discuss how the site is performing against our management plan targets. As we walked out on site in the afternoon, the difference was quite dramatic as all of the scrapes and ditches were brimming with water.
Wetland birds have been in very short supply recently and it was nice to see wigeon and teal loafing on one of the larger scrapes, a couple of grey herons standing guard on the ditches along with a single snipe and a single green sandpiper, which were flushed off the wetter parts of the field.
One of the barn owls that reside in the Willow Works was also seen, quartering the eastern end of the site in the late afternoon sun.
(Image courtesy of Carl Cornish)