Otter Antics and Sunny Delights

Once again we’ve been at the mercy of the weather forecasters this week and our busier days have, not unsurprisingly, coincided with those occasions when the sun has been out. And what glorious days they were! The good weather not only brought more nature-lovers to the reserve but also teased some of our most anticipated wildlife out for visitors to see.

Recent sightings

Otters continue to thrill, with at least four present around the site. As is often the case, Lower and Causeway pools provide the most reliable locations, though as we’ve said many time before they can turn up absolutely anywhere!

Hobbies never fail to excite and with the warmer conditions resulting in more dragonfly activity, the dashing falcons were guaranteed to put in appearances. And indeed they did, with up to three different birds swooping over the meres in search of their insect prey, much to the delight of birdwatchers and photographers sat in the hides.

Ospreys are another seasonal favourite and a number of birds have been dropping in periodically in search of a fish lunch. What was presumably an off-passage juvenile Marsh Harrier paid a brief visit midweek but failed to linger. 

Much of the action has been over at the Eric Morecambe and Allen pools - despite the fact that our wardens have been busy working on the saltmarsh. Spoonbills are still the stars of the show for many visitors, with a fine supporting cast that includes both Little and Great White Egrets as well as lots of waders. Among the many Black-tailed Godwits one may also see Bar-tailed Godwits, Redshanks, Greenshanks, Dunlins and Lapwings. A couple of Knot have also been recorded along with another Wood Sandpiper, Ruff and the first Little Stint of the autumn (did I just say autumn??). The quality and quantity of birds will change here on an almost daily basis in the coming weeks, and keen-eyed birders may well discover something out of the ordinary before too long.       

Saltmarsh Shenanigans 

While we're talking of the saltmarsh, please do note that our warden team will continue to work out there until Wednesday 16 August. This will doubtless result in some notable disturbance on the Eric Morecambe and Allen Pools as our team get to work on some improvements and repairs on the lagoons.

You may remember that our wardens constructed a bund (or embankment) last summer that divides the Eric Morecambe Pool. Wading birds prefer probing for food in shallower water, so keeping water levels low is ideal to attract them to the pools. However, with the lack of rainfall this spring, keeping water levels consistently low risks the pools drying out entirely. The construction of the bund across the pool has meant that we can operate the two sections almost independently, keeping shallower water nearer to the hides, while holding back a reserve of water further away in case of prolonged dry periods.

Repairing Erosion Damage

Over the next week, the team will be repairing some erosion damage to the bund and will be installing a pipe to allow for further water level controls. They will also be reinforcing the banks around the pools that have suffered erosion. Reinforcement material will be made by digging up mud from the pools, and a welcome side effect of this means increasing the variation in topography of the pools – creating a wider array of feeding opportunities and hopefully attracting a more diverse range of birds. Last year, we saw an instant improvement in the numbers of birds using the pools after the work, and we have since had a very successful breeding season for Avocets.