It was our monthly wetland bird’s survey yesterday and have a few bits that might be of interest Wigeon over 2000, Pintails 42, Whoopers 8, Curlew 206, and with the spectacle of their flight 1300+ Golden Plover.
There were others but then it becomes a list.
Re-wetting of the Crook.
Since the Book Festival (thanks to those that came along and introduced themselves) I have been busy with Eric and his big digger from Mersehead
Over the past months this has involved talking to SEPA and others for permissions and then drawing up and the collection of data to give us a best guess as to what is going on under the soil surface. Also the digging of test pits to see the soil profile and establish the make up of the soil which is clay overlying blue clay and so finally work has started.
We have been putting in and taking out the bits of infrastructure to re-wet the 29 hectares at the top of the Crook.
The pictures above are of the water controls that have been installed, the pipe and elbow can be turned through 90 degrees to retain varying amounts of water therefore raising the water table to around 300mm below the soil surface of the site over a longer period this will be attractive to the wintering waterfowl and in the spring nesting waders.
In several places we have removed drainage to increase the retention of water across the site. The pictures below show pools of water that are being retained by this process that should form good feeding sites for the lapwing chicks this coming spring.
We still have a day or so to go until we are finished the initial work but all the signs so far seem to be positive.
Good Evening
The road has been started on and compaired to before it is a motorway but only with care.
It is thanks to Bill as a local making all the differance when complaining to the councill as the three time i phoned from the RSPB the matter died.
so hope to see you at the Crook soon
Paul