Water levels have continued to rise at unprecedented levels since November. Despite starting off with near record lows following the dry summer, we are now approximately 10cm off the highest recorded water level on Burrowes Pit. This has led to the inundation of the new islands at ARC, but thanks to the island raising project there last summer, they should emerge from the water much earlier next year and hopefully in time for the breeding season. The new islands on Burrowes Pit continue to protrude from the water and look like they will form an important winter high water refuge once the hide has been installed. Thanks to the work in the ditches, the levels in the wet grassland fields are high and we hope to hold it like this well into next year.
The team have been busy working on clearing willow regrowth from around the Oppen Pits, these globally unique pits are home to rare fen vegetation and as such encroaching willow/bramble is controlled to ensure this fen vegetation can flourish. This work has been a priority for the team this winter following a couple of years when limited work has been possible for a variety of reasons. We are now close to completing this task for the year with only a couple of days work left.
The fencing team have done a grand job installing stock fencing at ARC to enable sheep grazing close to the car park, this area has really benefitted from grazing over the past couple of winters as the orchids have been fantastic, but we felt that we needed a more secure fence than a seasonal electric one. The team will be helping out with some of the habitat management programme before returning to fencing in the early Spring.
We have also started clearing willow from the margins of New Excavations to benefit the floral interest in this area. By clearing the willow back we hope to be able to get the tractor around the margins of most of the lake to top the bramble scrub out. Where possible we are felling the willow into the water and still attached to the main stem (hinged), this have been seen to be effective perching points for kingfishers and egrets to fish from. This work at the eastern end of the lake will also prevent the damp sand habitat from shading in the near future, this area is very important for our damp sand beetle (omophron limbatum).
The raft at ARC has now been recharged with shingle so it is ready to be relaunched in very early Spring, but in the area in front of the Viewing Screen as we believe this will be easier for monitoring usage by seabirds. Our plan for the next month is to start work on removing willow from the reedbed at Hookers and Dengemarsh, cutting further willow from the margins of New Excavations and from the willow trail to encourage reedbed development and improve viewing from Axell Viewpoint and the causeway to the Sound Mirrors at Lade to reduce ongoing clearance next summer.
The cold snap in December was very welcome and we had a good number of Teal recorded, but the recent worryingly mild, unsettled weather of late has meant the conditions haven’t been ideal for many of our usual or now unusual winter birds to turn up. The forecast for next week or so looks to be continuing the current pattern, so fingers crossed for a cold spell again soon after!