So just to start with an introduction, my name is Hannah and I am one of the new Residential Volunteers here at the Exe Estuary. I have always been interested in nature and wanted to work within conservation and will be working with the RSPB for the next six months to increase my knowledge and skills within the field. My first week is drawing to an end and so far it has been wet, muddy and tiring but wonderful. Just like every typical British summer should be!
I am learning that wellies, waterproofs and enthusiasm are must-haves! So far, I have chased cows, built fences, watched birds and butterflies, cleared plants and somehow managed to not fall over once!
Each day here varies hugely. I am learning that a lot of conservation work involves estate management and maintaining land to make sure that it is in the best possible condition for wildlife to thrive in. This involves a lot of training and I am looking forward to learning how to use a quadbike, chainsaw and various other pieces of equipment needed for this job. I’m not sure that my parents are quite as keen for me to gain these skills...
My first day arriving here at the Estuary, I was able to join in with our main monitoring project surveying the Lapwing on Powderham Marsh. We walked to a beautiful elevated area from which the whole marsh area could be seen. Most of our Lapwing chicks have fledged now but I was lucky enough to be able to spot a few chicks with their mothers. Monitoring on Powderham is always a great activity. Even when Lapwing numbers are low, you are almost guaranteed to see an array of interesting birds such as Oystercatchers, Canada geese and Coots.
Blue skies and sunny weather on Tuesday allowed us to visit Labrador Bay; a beautiful area of land overlooking the sea close to Shaldon. This area is hugely important for the Cirl Bunting, a rare bird species found mostly in South Devon. This species likes a very specific kind of habitat so we are currently looking into scrub maintenance on this piece of land. Scrub management can sometimes seem like an everlasting battle when you start to see weeds start to creep back in. However, it is well worth it to know that you are protecting such an important species and to be able to carry the work out in such a beautiful setting.
The view from Labrador Bay
We have undertaken many different wildlife surveys this week and I have been lucky enough to see several rare and interesting creatures such as the Scarce Chase Dragonfly as well as some slightly more common species such as the good old British cow.
One of the main things that has struck me since joining here is how passionate and hardworking everyone here is. From the paid staff to the volunteers, everyone puts in the time and the effort on every job to do their part to help wildlife. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can over the next few months and having the chance to do my bit as well.
Interesting report Hannah