After a week of me rabbiting on, you’ll be glad to know Simon’s back tomorrow so there will be more of a variety of bloggers again! But here’s the final blog instalment of the week from the assistant warden…
Today, Graham (Warden) and I had a busy day planned, and knew from the start we’d have to prioritise as our list of jobs would never fit into one day. We decided that the most important job was to get the electric fences up, as April marks the return of the cattle.
As I was setting the posts out along the ditch between the wet grassland and scrapes on Roads Farm, I found myself thinking about doing the same job last year. – then it was pouring with rain, whereas today it was glorious sunshine! It is about the first time, I’ve been able to say that about an annual task, and definitely makes me feel part of the furniture at Frampton Marsh!
Between the putting up the two fences, we used our journey back to stop off and check a few things along the track from reedbed hide to the mound. I replaced our seasonal interpretation which you will find in the A-boards around the site. At the far side of north scrape, I spotted a little corn bunting sat in a tree singing its little heart out a lovely sound. While a single whooper swan, and several avocets made me smile as I scanned the reedbed, as I read the water level.
Meanwhile Graham jumped some fences to check on the flow in middle and south scrape, which we are currently letting water out of the reedbed onto. There was also some looking in ditches for common toads, something which is causing rather a lot of excitement for our deo! There are loads to be seen all round the site - in just one section of ditch on Marsh Farm, just a few metres long, Graham and I counted over thirty yesterday.
Working out on the reserve is a joy, with plenty to see. One picture which remains in my mind from today is a hare, looking at me then fleeing in the opposite direction. The lapwings and redshanks were calling and displaying, and skylarks could be heard singing; it is just nice to be outside and close to the natural world.
After lunch, a bit of time around the workshop and yard, before we returned to Marsh farm to check the water levels and have a look at the main sluices on the site. We are trying to get this area as wet as possible so there will be plenty of pools and ditches for the waders in breeding season. This includes identifying areas where we are losing water, as it bypasses the ditch system across low ground, and rectifying the situation where possible. This normally involves big machinery, such as a digger, but today Graham and I made a smaller effort to block part of one of the foot drains with spades, and shovels.
By now it was almost four o’clock, so we headed over to the Visitor centre to see Mel (Volunteer) and hear the news from the day before locking up. Some of the highlights of today’s sightings were:
Reedbed: Along with the sole whooper swan, 34 avocets, a female scaup, and a female goldeneye.
Scrapes: 50 shelduck, 22 avocets, and seven redpoll.
Wet grassland: A wheatear, and three pink-footed geese.
Saltmarsh: A little gull.
Mel had also enjoyed a walk out to Tabb’s Head this morning for high tide, where he had seen four common scoter and one eider in The Wash.
So please do come and enjoy a walk here at Frampton Marsh this weekend. Whether a short stroll around the reedbed, a wander along the seawall, or the ramble out to Tabb’s Head, there is plenty to see – from lapwings displaying, hares boxing to toads croaking!
Photo: Marsh Farm from the Seabank, March 2010 (Jenny Boatwright)