Wigeon by Graham Osborne
Tomorrow (Friday 2 February) is World Wetlands Day so it’s the perfect time to tell you about some of the upcoming work that our wardens and work party will be carrying out on the wetlands. Our volunteer work parties join us on Tuesdays and Fridays, so if you’re planning a visit in the next week or so you may see them out on the North Brooks.
One of the main tasks ahead of the breeding season is the management of vegetation out on the wet grassland. Our breeding waders - in particular the Lapwings – like to nest in pretty short vegetation or even on bare ground so clearing the vegetation that is growing on their favoured islands and on the bunds is a top priority. Bunds are the raised embankments between some of the pools which provide habitat for our ground-nesting waders, feeding opportunities around the pool edges and roosting spots for ducks during the winter floods.
We’ll also be clearing some of the Willow and other scrub which is encroaching along some of the ditches. Willow can grow very quickly and starts to choke up the ditch system. The ditches are incredibly important on a wet grassland – they enable us to move water around the site, helping us keep or top up water in key areas for breeding birds once the chicks hatch. The ditches are a fantastic wetland habitat being home to aquatic species such as dragonfly larvae and the rarest species on the reserve Anisus vorticulus – the Little Whirlpool Ramshorn Snail. This snail is only found in 3 places in the whole of the UK!
Whilst our wardens and volunteers are carrying out this work there will be noise and disturbance. As a reminder, this work will be taking place on Friday 2, Tuesday 6 and Friday 9 February. You should still be able to enjoy some peace and quiet, and wonderful wetland wildlife on the southern part of the reserve from West Mead and Winpenny hides.