11July 2011

Titchwell Update by Dave Hawkins

What will happen in 2011.
Contractors will arrive on site w/c 25th July 2011 and we expect work to have finished by 31st October 2011 at the latest. A variety of locations will be involved:

West bank path.
During 2010, we discovered that to completely protect the freshwater habitats, we needed to improve the very southernmost section of the west bank path that lies south of Meadow trail. It was not possible to do this work in 2010. During these improvements, access to the west bank path, hides and beach will be along Fen and Meadow trail. This work is expected to take two weeks during September.

Parrinder wall.
The easternmost sections of the Parrinder wall beyond the Parrinder hides will be completed. Both Parrinder hides will remain open throughout.

The East bank.
A breach will be made in the east bank to the north of the Parrinder wall. This will allow saltwater on to the current brackish marsh. The brackish marsh will change over time into tidal saltmarsh, which will protect the new Parrinder wall and the freshwater habitats to the south.

A section of the south-east corner of the bank will be improved, enabling it to better protect the freshwater habitats.

The sluice on the east bank which lets freshwater off the marsh will be replaced. This will enable us to control water levels on the freshwater marsh more effectively than we can at present.

The wet grazing meadow.
A reedbed will be developed around the new pool in this area.

If funds allow, two new trails will be developed. The first, a loop trail that runs east from Fen hide. The second (seasonal) trail will run east from the new loop trail to the southern end of the east bank.

You can find out more information about how work is progressing via:

· Our website and click on ‘Read our blog’

· The visitor centre by asking members of staff or volunteers or reading the regularly updated notice boards outside the centre.

· By calling 01485 210779 during shop hours.

· By email titchwell@rspb.org.uk

· By writing to Titchwell Marsh RSPB Nature Reserve, Titchwell, King’s Lynn, Norfolk PE31 8BB

28 June 2011
Agri-environment funding under threat

In the last 72 hours, we have learnt that agri-environment funding could be lost as part of the upcoming European Budget. This decision threatens to undermine the good work that many farmers have already done to support farmland bird populations, and restrict the opportunity to do more in the future.

This proposal is being considered by the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, as he finalises his plans for the EU Budget - expected to be announced on 29 June. If the EU continues with this plan, there is no doubt that wildlife will suffer. We have asked our supporters to demand that the EU continue the vital support for wildlife-friendly farming from Pillar 2. We thought you would want to have an opportunity to do the same, so please tell President Barroso how you feel about this proposal.

Take part in our quick and easy online action to send President Barroso an email.

Please pass this message on to as many people as you can as we only have until 29 June to make our voices heard.

Our campaign will not stop on 29 June, but this is a crucial moment in agreeing the EU Budget and your help is much appreciated.

Thanks for your support

Martin Harper
Conservation Director

June 2011
Make Your Nature Count
There is so much to see and do outdoors at this time of the year. Thanks to everyone who counted wildlife in their garden during the Make Your Nature Count survey - the results will be out in August. Now check out our nature reserves to see what fun events you can do with us this summer.

As our daily Springwatch fix finishes and Wimbledon begins, find out what it was like to share our Ynys-hir nature reserve with a camera crew. Are staff breathing a sigh of relief or looking forward to next year?

Finally, this spring's baby birds are now ready to leave home. Find out what happens when it's time to fly the nest in our story below.

So long, Springwatch
We hope you enjoyed this year's BBC Springwatch, which was broadcast live from our Ynys-hir nature reserve. Our staff and volunteers had a great time showing visitors the wild stars of the show on the reserve. Maybe you paid us a visit? Now the programme's over, we're already looking forward to doing it all again next year!
Get a glimpse of life behind the scenes of Springwatch

It's time to leave home, kids!
By now, many chicks have reached that teenager stage. They want to see the world and their parents are fed up with feeding them. But how do chicks pluck up the courage to leave home when they hatched on a cliff edge, in a pitch-black burrow or high up in a tree?
Discover how brave chicks really are

Love seabirds?
Seabirds are struggling for survival and many of their chicks are starving to death. The good news is, you can help. Please sign our pledge to make UK governments take action. The more people who sign, the better the chances for seabirds.
Sign our quick online pledge

Say it with cake
Don't forget Father's Day on Sunday - nothing says 'I love you' like a slice of something nice. So bring your Dad, invite your family, or take your friends out to one of our nature reserve cafés. We can help you treat the people you love to a scenic stroll and a yummy lunch or afternoon tea.
Find a reserve with a café

8th June  2011
It's party time! This year we're celebrating 100 years of the RSPB working in Wales.

Since 1911, we’ve been committed to protecting and helping Wales’ special wildlife and beautiful places. With your support we’ve spoken up for red kites and seabird colonies, coastal beauty spots and ancient woodlands.
Thanks to people like you, we’ve restored the fortunes of some of Wales’ most iconic birds and protected many habitats. Hurray!

Win a Welsh cottage holiday!

To mark the 100th birthday of RSPB Cymru, we’ve teamed up with cottages4you to offer you the chance to win a cottage holiday in Wales.

Did you know that RSPB supporters get a 5 per cent discount on the price of holidays booked through RSPB Leisure? That includes more than 900 properties in Wales within the cottages4you portfolio - from cosy cottages to manor houses. And we get an extra 8 per cent donation, too.

It’s easy to enter the competition. Visit the RSPB Leisure website to answer the following multiple-choice question and see full terms and conditions:

How many Welsh properties are in the cottages4you portfolio?

Choose from the following answers:

a) 200  b) 500  c) Over 900

You have until 30 June 2011 to enter. Good luck!

13th June 2011
Time for CAP to step up for the environment

 Dear Supporter
The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is crucial in determining how our farmland is managed and is also hugely important for wildlife – in the UK alone more than 70% of our land area is farmland. However, the policy still fails to do enough to support ways of farming that benefit the environment.

The massive task of reforming the CAP is currently underway. At the moment the EU Agriculture Commissioner Dacian Ciolos is drafting his proposals on how this should be done.

Now is a crucial time to make sure that the environment is put at the heart of CAP. Working with other BirdLife organisations, the RSPB is leading the call from citizens across Europe for a CAP that works for the environment, not against it.
Please step up for nature by emailing Commissioner Ciolos, calling on him to reflect the needs of the environment in his proposals for CAP reform.
It only takes a couple of minutes.
Thank you very much for your support.

Yours sincerely

Steven Roddy
Parliamentary Campaigns Manager

20th June 2011
I'm writing to update you on our Nature fighting fund appeal.

We're delighted to have received £270,000 so far in donations from people like you. That means we're getting close to our target of £300,000 to help save wild places.

My colleague, Andre Farrar, has seen the effect of these donations first-hand. I asked him to write a special update so that you can see how we're using this money - you can read about our work and the issues we're facing here.

As Andre explains, we've got lots of work ahead of us - work that is vital for birds and other wildlife. There is still time to donate to this appeal if you can - you can choose to donate as much or as little as you like. Every donation is greatly appreciated by our casework team.

However, we realise that this is a difficult time for many people to donate to charity. If you cannot donate but would like to keep up to date with our work to save wildlife havens, you can find out the latest on our 'saving special places' blog.

If you know someone who is passionate about protecting wild places, please do forward them this e-mail to let them know about our campaign.

We know we're going to be fighting to save precious wild places for years to come. Thanks to the support of people like you, we've got a much better chance of winning for wildlife.

Best wishes,

Brian Cleary
                         Head of Casework