Tuesday 3 April 2012

Adwick

Canada goose 2, grey lag 2 and also a few coots, moorhens, mallard and gadwall - which is fantastic considering that the site was bone dry only a week or so ago.
Plus c120 linnets, 2 or 3 pairs of redshank and a shed load of breeding lapwings.
Willow warbler singing in the goat willow scrub at the eastern end.

Still a few people wandering about on there with dogs though.

2 comments:

Carl Dixon said...

What are the water levels like?

Young Nudger said...

Dunt get mi started.

Basically the state of play at the moment along the Dearne is this:

Edderthorpe Ings - great

Houghton Washland - totally dry

Wombwell Ings - still high winter levels and no water management

Broomhill Flash - struggling to get right levels due to vandalism of the sluice. Water levels about 50cm lower than what the Garganey Trust would like them to be at this time of year.

Old Moor
Field Pools - great
The Mere - still high winter levels with no water management
Wader Scrape - still high winter levels with no water management.

Reedbeds and Bolton Ings - are right water levels for that type of habitat.
Wath Ings - good for this time of year.

Adwick Washland - water is being diverted onto the site from Crane Well Dike but we need some rain to improve the situation.

Been working near Martin Mere in the last couple of weeks. A warden has told me the water levels have been reduced in their Mere (which our Mere was named after) by more than 40cm over the last few weeks to attract more breeding and passage wading birds. If the WWT do this then why dosent the RSPB?

Plus - the drought has affected the Derwent Ings this winter and spring. There has been very little flooding on this 2500 acre national nature reserve. This could quite easily push wading birds and wildfowl out of that area to look for alternative sites. That is to say, the Dearne could attract more breeding wilfowl and wading birds this year if water levels are managed right.