Last week we met with our partners the Yorkshire Wildlife
Trust, and staff from the ‘Back from the Brink’ project, discussing the plight
of Willow Tits in the area. The Willow Tit is the UK’s most threatened
resident bird having suffered a 94% decline since the 1970’s, and is now
extinct in most of its former haunts in the south and south-east of England.
The LDV still supports a reasonable population, but we’re
looking at how we can give them a helping hand in the area – this will be
done by ensuring there is enough suitable habitat for them and to provide a
more connected landscape helping them move between sites. Last week we
made a start with our team, modifying some of our existing projects to gain
extra benefits - whilst coppicing and felling some of the willows along the Wheldrake
riverside track, we took the opportunity to leave high stumps, whilst also wiring
up some of the felled stumps, to provide extra rotting timber that the Willow
Tits can use to excavate nest holes, as well as providing new coppice regrowth
of willow and blackthorn. We are looking for help in carrying out a survey
of the wider area (please get in touch if you’d like to contribute), and we hope
to colour-ring some of our local birds as part of the project to help us
understand how they are using the wider area.
Recently our team of staff and volunteers have also been busy repairing and reinstalling the screening by
Pool and Swantail Hides. Despite the rather cold conditions and bracing wind the
team managed to get the old screening back up and secured, as well as raising
the height of the existing screening on the approach to Swantail Hide. This
should mean that there won’t be any undue disturbance to the vast flocks of
wintering waterfowl on the approach to the hides now – of benefit to both the
birds and birdwatchers alike. It was also a case of great timing – with the
reserve flooding the day after the work was finished! If you haven’t visited
the reserve recently then why not plan a visit when the water starts to recede,
to enjoy the improved facilities, new interpretation panels and wildlife
spectacle for yourself. Numbers of wintering waterfowl often build up to
their peaks in late February/March as our own wintering populations are joined by
the first returning north and eastward bound migrants. Thanks as always to our fantastic
team for doing such a great job helping us to maintain the reserve.
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