Hello.
My name is Jonny Holt and I am the new warden intern at Fairburn Ings Nature Reserve. I have previously spent six (very sunny) months at Blacktoft Sands, on the Humber Estuary. With its vast reedbeds and salt marshes Blacktotfts is a spectacularly beautiful reserve. While I was there I learnt many new skills, from reed cutting to bird surveys, my highlight though, has to be, being part of team that helped protect a pair of Montagu Harriers, the UK’s rarest breeding bird of prey!
I am very excited to be at Fairburn Ings another stunningly beautiful reserve. Autumn has well and truly arrived here at Fairburn. The winds are picking up and the rusty leaves are being swept into thick drifts along the paths, birds are leaving for a warmer climate and animals are preparing for hibernation. The reserve feels like it’s holding its breath in anticipation for winter, but there is no rest for the wicked and the RSPB warden staff are out in force.
During my first day on the reserve I cleared the drain at Big Hole, a particularly wet and mucky job! Since then I have been involved in planting the green roof in the wildlife garden, removing scrub from the lagoon islands and preparing for Halloween?! Phew it’s been a busy time!
The diversity of wildlife at Fairburn Ings is amazing. I love mornings and my walk to work through the reserve is always special. On my very first day I saw a kingfisher! It hasn’t stopped there though; I have been lucky enough to see water voles, roe deer, marsh harriers and a sparrow hawk. You never know what you might find and Fairburn continues to surprise me.
I am really looking forward to meeting and working with the many groups of volunteers. I have always had a passion for wildlife and nature conservation and I know the volunteers feel the same. There is a lot of satisfaction when you see the work you have done, having a positive effect on the wildlife and the reserve.