It's over three weeks since the arrival of our first spring avocet (16 February) and despite the cold week of the "Beast from the East" knocking back numbers temporarily, the count now sits at more than 50 of these majestic birds wading through the shallow water of Burton Mere Wetlands' main scrape. In addition since the welcome thaw last week, we have been seeing lapwings starting to perform courtship displays over our wet grasslands; you can hear their ‘zipping’ call even if you can’t see them. These are definitely obvious signs that spring is on its way even if the weather has been trying to disagree!
It’s been a busy couple of weeks for the wardening staff with lots of work being carried out before the breeding season begins, whether that be fixing fencing, coppicing willows or strimming along path edges to break up the rank grasses. Those that have visited the reserve over the past couple of weeks will have noticed that several hedges around the site have been layed by a contractor. This is a traditional management technique which helps to create a thick bushy hedge by cutting through 2/3 of the main stem and leaning the plant over in the direction of the remaining 1/3. In doing so the layed hedge continues to thrive, with all the needed nutrients being supplied through the attached bark, while promoting coppice like regrowth from the cut 2/3. This mixture of new and old growth creates a varied habitat and dense hedge, unlike flailed hedgerows often seen in the countryside now, making layed sections perfect for nesting birds and mammals to move along.
Layed hedge on track - Image J Langley
Close up of hedge, notice how the stems have been partially cut through - Image J Langley
A volunteer and I have also been continuing our counts on the Mersey, which is fed into the BTO low tide wetland birds survey (WeBS). We count sections behind Stanlow oil refinery, and the number of birds that use that area are unbelievable! Between the two counters we had over 32,500 dunlin feeding, over 1,000 black-tailed godwits as well as close to 2,000 gulls. I also counted good numbers of common snipe (17) and jack snipe (4) when walking back on the saltmarsh. I love finding snipe on a saltmarsh, not only are they great looking birds and noisy when you disturb the common ones, zig-zagging in flight away from you but jack snipe sit tight until you almost stand on them! It makes it feel like they are flying up from under your feet, and they don’t call so all you hear of them is flapping wings until they drop down onto the marsh again a couple of meters away.
As winter draws to a close and with spring just around the corner the wardening schemes around the reserve change from wintering protection to breeding protection. The wardening at Point of Ayr ends at the last high tide in March while the Neston Reedbed wardening begins when the clocks change. We are still looking for new volunteers for the Neston Reedbed scheme to help protect the site from damage, like last year where one of our voluntary wardens quickly contacted the fire service preventing an accidental fire taking hold and destroying the habitat. Further details of the volunteer position can be found here.
Colts foot emerging - Image J Langley
As you walk around Burton Mere Wetlands you’ll notice other signs of spring with trees starting to bud, lesser celandines, and colt’s foot beginning to flower and bluebells and lords and ladies starting to develop their leaves. On the warmer days song thrushes can be heard calling from trees as well as tit species setting up their breeding territories. There is plenty of action over the scrape at the moment with merlin, peregrine and marsh harrier all seen regularly, with a merlin often perching in the oaks behind Reception Hide. Green sandpipers, groups of 30+ curlew, great spotted and green woodpeckers drumming and calling, displaying teal, wigeon and shoveler all give the impression that spring is really not far away, and there's no better time to shake off those winter blues and pay us a visit!