On Friday June 26th, I arranged a boat trip with Grove Ferry River Trips. If you get a group of 12 people together (the maximum number the boat will take) you have the boat to yourselves and can choose where you want to go, either upstream towards Fordwich or downstream towards Pluck’s Gutter. The twelve who went were all volunteers who work in Blean Woods, plus partners. Even more people expressed an interest, but not everyone could make the chosen date.
On the appointed day the weather forecast was good and at 2pm we all assembled in the car park at Grove Ferry. We weren’t quite sure what to expect but the ‘Ellen Mary’ was a smallish boat and was a Regatta 23 electric launch, for anyone who knows about boats. We had a roof above us and the possibility of plastic sheets which could be rolled down over the sides should it rain.
It was a very relaxing trip which everyone enjoyed. We set off in the direction of Fordwich, although we were told we were unlikely to get that far as it would take too long, and in the event we had to turn back just before Westbere Lakes because the water was becoming too shallow, a combination of a low tide and general low water levels after such a dry spring. Much of the trip was along the side of Stodmarsh Reserve and, as we were allowed a generous two hours (partly because the boat was slightly late arriving) we also went a short way in the opposite direction towards Plucks Gutter in the last 20 minutes or so.
32 different birds were recorded along the way. Most were what we would have expected to see but the highlight was the sight of two different kingfishers, the first of which we saw very clearly. When we got to Hersden Lake, which opens out directly onto the north side of the river, we could see dozens of mute swans. Dave Feast, the former Warden at Stodmarsh, said that they were non-breeding birds and he’d seen over 300 there one year. We were also all entranced by the sight of dozens of banded demoiselle damselflies among the floating plants at the side of the boat, which are very beautiful.
All in all it was a very successful trip and definitely to be recommended.