With the official end of summertime approaching I am sure we can all appreciate what a pleasant summer it has been. The good weather has also been a great benefit to the dragonflies and butterflies across the marshes after such a dismal display last year, 13 butterfly species were recorded this summer with high numbers of meadow brown a typical grassland species but also multiple records of woodland specialists such as commas and speckled woods probably attracted by the many hedgerows and droves. It is not too late to spot a few butterflies during a late sunny spell particularly the red admiral, once a migrating species from the Mediterranean due to a warming climate it now overwinters in the Britain. The fine and dry weather has also been beneficial from our management perspective. Having the fields dry enough for tractor access has allowed us to cut and bale all of our compartments, an essential part of the management of the grassland. We have also been able to turn out good numbers of cattle over the summer to keep on top of the tufted hair grass and soft rush, two of our problem species over the marshes. Taking a walk across the Powderham side of our reserve you will be able to see our arable crops. Despite a late sowing, with all the sunshine and warmth the various seed bearing plants (spring barley, millet, sunflower, quinoa) have flowered well and should provide plenty of food for the small songbirds over the colder winter months.
Looking ahead to winter as rainfall steadily increases and temperature decreases, many over wintering bird are migrating back to the estuary. Over a thousand bar tailed godwit have been spotted on the estuary already, after their long flight down from Iceland. The first of the iconic avocets have also returned from their breeding sites in the East Anglia or the Netherlands. For the twitchers out there, a lesser yellow legs has been feeding around bowling green and Topsham. This is a rare wader normally found in North America, but has been severely blown off course.
A large upcoming project here on the marshes is the installation of a second predator fence. This is after the success of the first fence on the Powderham side in increasing numbers of breeding waders. The new fence will be going up this winter around three fields on the southerly part of Exminster, fields which were historically used as nesting sites for lapwing and redshank. Both these species of waders have shown large population declines nationally, and it is important to try and reverse these declines.