Hello
Welcome to this weeks round up from the North Norfolk Reserve Team.
Last weekend was my turn to be Duty Manager, this role is rotated between Hayley, Jim, Lucy and myself resulting in one of us working one weekend a month. We act as first aid cover and supporting the visitor operations team. Normally this role also provides me time to catch up with office work. On Friday and Saturday, the Norfolk coast was subjected to Storm Francis in which we experienced extremely strong winds of more than 40mph gusts.
The first task on Saturday was therefore to carry out a tree safety check identifying if any trees were damaged or had fallen posing a risk to visitors to the reserve. On this occasion there were half a dozen willow trees that had snapped, blocking paths. As a result, it was time to get prepped and bring the chainsaw out to make a start clearing the paths. There was one tree that I wasn’t comfortable dealing with due its positioning and so Jim came in later to help in its removal.
Winds were still strong on Saturday night, so a further tree check was completed on Sunday but fortunately no more trees needed clearing away. As we are a part-time cleaner short at Titchwell one of my main tasks on Sunday as Duty Manager is to clean the toilets twice a day in line with our COVID guidelines.
With Monday being a Bank Holiday Jim and I had the day off although I still visited the reserve to check on the ringed plover chicks we had on the beach. You can read more HERE.
This week Jim spent Tuesday – Thursday working at Snettisham with our hide contractors to finish Knots Landing and to make a start on the new boardwalk section linking the existing path to this new hide. We are edging closer to being able to open this hide, so stay tuned.
I was back as Duty Manager at Titchwell which was spent completing and submitting our breeding bird data to HQ and writing several articles for local newsletters.
On Wednesday I was able to get out the reserve to finish cutting the fen meadow and making a start on raking away all the cuttings to reduce nutrient input which ensures floral diversity. At the end of the day Lucy and I headed to Parrinder hide to plan the maintenance work that is required for us to reopen it such as repainting the interior, repairing windows, cutting back the vegetation, oh and getting a door open which is now stuck closed!
Having worked the weekend, Thursday was my last day at work this week as I was taking Friday off. I was Duty Manager once more which was spent replying to visitor enquires that had come in via email, covering lunch breaks for the visitor operations team and supporting them as required plus pottering about with other odd jobs.
So, a slightly more office focused week for me, that felt far busier than what I have written about and a Snettisham focused week for Jim.
Thanks for reading
Lizzie
North West Norfolk Reserves Warden
I won't ask whose bum that is! Good to know the Parrinders are being prepared for re-opening, and many thanks for your informative updates.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.