If you're a regular visitor to Titchwell Marsh you might have spotted the warden team busy on the Freshmarsh this week. Prepping the reserve for breeding season often involves the team being knee deep in cold, muddy water, but this time they decided to ditch their waders for a boat. The task in hand involved installing a long stretch of rope from the south end of the Freshmarsh to the north side, close to Parrinder hide. The rope is actually a series of buoys coupled together to form a floating rope barrier. Based on a Danish concept, this innovative design floats at or just below the surface of the water, kept in place with a series of chain anchors. It's designed to stay in place all year round as it will rise and fall with the differing water levels throughout the year. Secured parallel to the bund that runs north to south, it lies in water approximately 1.5 metres deep. Mammalian predators, such as foxes, prefer not to put their heads underwater. Instead, they will try to swim against the rope or over it and will quickly tire, retreating back to the main land.
Protecting our amazing breeding birds such as Avocets and gulls is a prime strategy for Titchwell's conservation team and we will be monitoring the success of the new design very carefully over the next few years. Initially, we had explored the possibility of installing in-ditch fencing but due to the conditions of the Freshmarsh substrate, this has proved to be too complex. So after a few failed attempts, we have come up with plan B. The floating rope has the advantage of being much less visually intrusive which means that our visitors can enjoy the best views possible of our wonderful breeding birds. Perhaps even a rarity or two!