I have just got back to the Exminster Marshes after a very nice break for Christmas and New Year to find the whole reserve is completely underwater! It’s been well reported in the media that the UK, and in particular the south west, has been hit by heavy flooding sadly damaging lots of homes and businesses.
The grazing marshes here, as well as being amazing for wildlife, act as a flood storage area for Exminster village and the Alphin Brook catchment, protecting some of the local towns and villages from the high water levels. It was quite a sight over the weekend to have no field boundary ditches visible, but instead a large, flat expanse of water with gates and fence posts protruding from the pool for as far as the reserve reaches.
Our work to give nature a home hasn’t been halted by the storms, with gate and fence repairs, path checks and refilling the Cirl bunting feeders continuing as normal, albeit in wading boots with the water levels being up to our waists in some places! Noah would be proud.
The birds don’t seem to be perturbed by the sudden change either and as the water levels are slowly receding, it is nice to see large flocks of the waders and wildfowl congregating in high numbers on the exposed marshy areas.
Our monthly count just before Christmas revealed some very good numbers too; in particular 2000 widgeon were recorded that day along with high numbers of Canada geese, teal, black tailed godwits, dark bellied brent geese, lapwing, redshank, dunlin, curlew and some lovely golden plover glistening in the morning sun.
Over at Bowling Green Marsh, we had reports of 700+ avocets from the bird count volunteers there. I think everyone would agree that made for an amazing nature spectacle, and really shows our work is providing a home for such a treasured species.
Over the next week we will be watching the water levels closely and hoping that they recede enough to continue with our work on the predator fence for lapwing field, but until then it will be more workshop work and wading.
Daniel Mason.