Long, balmy days seem to be behind us; there’s a chill in the air and the reedbed is turning golden. Visitors are beginning to catch glimpses of the elusive bearded tits on the grit trays - a sure sign that autumn is upon us!
Marsh harriers had been notably absent in previous weeks; post breeding season sees them disperse and we all eagerly await the return of the overwintering birds. One female has been sighted regularly over the past few weeks, and now we are receiving intermittent reports of a male on site, too. The hustle and bustle of wintering wildfowl is beginning to build, the pools are now providing good views of teal, gadwall, shoveler and wigeon. Kingfishers have been rather co-operative models, seemingly posing for pictures across the reserve. Over on the saltmarsh, there’s been a noticeable increase in waders, with redshank, greenshank, spotted redshank, snipe, knot, dunlin, ruff, little stint and grey plover having been reported in the past few days....
(Photo by Jarrod Sneyd)
If you spend much time in Morecambe Bay, then it's easy to assume that the redshank is a relatively common bird. They probe the mudflats in large groups, and are present all year round. There are roughly 25,000 breeding pairs in the UK but this figure is 42% less than that of 1995. The plummeting population numbers is, in part, due to lack of suitable breeding grounds. With many wet meadows being repurposed and drained, saltmarsh is where we are now most likely to see them breed - but this is another habitat that is in deep decline.
Here at RSPB Leighton Moss, we manage an area of saltmarsh on the edge of Morecambe Bay. While we often talk about the intricacies of managing a reedbed, the saltmarsh demands a similar level of attention to detail. The water levels, the topography of the landscape and the length of the sward can all be determining factors in breeding success. The climate crisis is making our seasons less predictable, and the rainfall (or lack thereof) is making this management all the more challenging. So, we are adapting! Over recent weeks, the wardens have been hard at work – you may have seen them with their diggers and dumpers from the Eric Morecambe and Allen hides. But what have they been doing?
The team have been creating a bund (or embankment) 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 in spring, keeping water levels consistently low risks the pools drying out entirely. The construction of the bund across the pool means 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. The bund is constructed from mud dug out from the pool. The removal of this mud in different areas offers a wider range of depth without needing to lower the water levels, meaning a wider variety of feeding opportunities for different waders. At the same time, the banks of the pools are also being built up to make them more resilient to storm damage. Some of the mud dug out from the pool has been deposited by our wardens further, out on the saltmarsh. Creeks wind through the marsh, and water runs back out through them to the sea. Once again, lack of rainfall means that they are regularly drying out. These creeks would usually be full of insect life, prime feeding spots for redshank, who often choose to nest in the sward on the banks. The wardens have been strategically blocking up the creeks to slow the flow of the water, creating standing water, that will hopefully increase the number of invertebrates and resultantly, breeding populations of these birds. This is work that has already been carried out successfully at other reserves in the North West, such as Hesketh Out Marsh.
(Photo by Beth Fox)
The past month has seen an enormous amount of effort from the warden team, including the work party volunteers. We hope that, with some high tides, rainfall and the build up of overwintering birds, they will soon see some of the immediate rewards. We hope that our breeding redshank numbers increase over the coming years, as the habitat becomes more attractive to potential parents. These waders, like many of our species, need all of the help they can get. If you’re interested in getting involved, then why not have a look at our work party volunteering opportunities?
Let us know what you see at the Allen and Eric Morecambe hides on your next visit!
Beth