We spend lots of time telling visitors how elusive and secretive bitterns are, however, one particular bird on the site has been enjoying smashing stereotypes over the past week and delighting visitors by feeding right in front of Causeway Hide! Lurking in the edges of the reeds, and sometimes walking directly in front of the hide, this has proven to be a treat for photographers – please do tag us in your social media posts if you manage to get some good snaps of our very obliging model. There have also been sightings of two jack snipe from Causeway Hide, along with great views of up to four otters. The long tailed duck is still visible from Lower Hide, and there have been repeated reports of flock of siskin on the alders from the path on the way. A highlight for the week has been a scarce visitor to the reserve: a water pipit. Water pipits generally breed in the mountainous regions of central Europe, such as the Alps. It’s thought that there are roughly 190 birds that overwinter in the UK, so it’s a delight to see one on the reserve. Historically, they’ve enjoyed following the wardens around on their winter reed cut, and they can often be seen foraging in the freshly cut reed on the edges of the pool. (Photos by J Sneyd) Now, if you’ve ever wondered what the wardens get up to, along with cutting the reeds, then this is the blog post for you! We’ve been lucky enough to have a guest post written by Dan, our new residential volunteer warden, this week. Dan has been with the team for just over a month, and here he is – giving us the lowdown of what he’s been up to!
My name is Dan and I have just completed my first month as a Residential Volunteer with the warden team at Leighton Moss. It has been very busy, and the learning curve has been steep, but I have been struck by just how diverse the work can be day-to-day, even hour-to-hour. Such variety certainly makes for enjoyable and engaging days and with all the physical work outdoors, it’s safe to say I am sleeping better than I have for years! Even better is that I have somehow only managed to get caught in any significant rain on one occasion, testament to the unseasonable October we had.
So, what have I been up to? Twice a week I have been helping to run the volunteer work parties, which have taken place at Leighton Moss and some of the satellite sites at the reserve. This work has largely revolved around cutting back and clearing areas of the reed, scrub or grassland in order to ensure that paths remain safe for our visitors and that a variety of suitable habitats are created and maintained for the array of wildlife found here. Such is the extent of this kind of work at this time of year, I have become more proficient with a pitchfork than a table fork during this time! I have also learned to operate the BCS, a large pedestrian mower used to quickly cut back large areas of grass and reed. At first it feels like a bit like you are being taken for a walk by a huge dog – think Saint Bernard or Great Dane – but, as soon as you learn to tame it, it becomes a joy to work with. It has also been great to work with volunteers of varying experience, ranging from those on their first day to some who have been volunteering at Leighton Moss for years. Usefully, this has provided me with the opportunity to be both teacher and student.
On two occasions I have also been able to join the fortnightly Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS), which takes place across Morecambe Bay - from Morecambe up to Silverdale. Both times I have had to pinch myself that something I would choose to do in my free time – birdwatching – constitutes an actual job that someone is paid to do. I have been lucky to be able to tag along with experienced people on the counts and have physically felt my brain getting larger with the knowledge they have imparted. Highlights from the counts include a bittern, two kingfishers, goldeneyes and, although they are not wetland birds, an otter and quite possibly the pallid swift mentioned in the Leighton Moss blog from October 28th!
Other jobs I have carried out include trail checks to ensure the safety of the paths at the reserve, boundary checks, cattle pen checks, and ladder, high seat and scaffold tower checks. Lots of checks! I have also helped to monitor and manage the water levels across the reserve, crucial for management, habitat quality and visitor safety. Additionally, I have been able to sit in on the warden team’s quarterly meeting, which provided a fascinating overview of the considerable amount of work to be carried out during my time here, as well as join an appraisal of the quality of salt marsh habitat with the wardens and RSPB’s ecologists. Finally, I was also tasked with producing the graphs presenting the results of the last year’s water quality sampling regime to be included in the annual report.
What stands out to me most after this first month is the sheer amount of knowledge and expertise a warden needs in order to carry out their job. As well as being able to identify the birds (and other wildlife) found across the reserve, they also need to know their ecology, and how to accommodate this through habitat management. They must also be aware of how the site will respond to changes to the season, weather and tides, how to operate and maintain a huge range of tools and machinery, how to construct and maintain infrastructure like paths, stiles and fences, how to comply with a plethora of internal and external policy, and how to manage groups of volunteers to ensure that each work party is safe, productive, and above all enjoyable. Such a knowledgebase takes years to accrue and illustrates just how highly skilled a job it is. Given that I am at the start of my warden journey, it would certainly appear a daunting prospect to assimilate similar amounts of knowledge if it wasn’t such a joy to be learning it all every day here at Leighton Moss!