News from Ouse Washes March 2008

Throughout the winter months, the water levels have fluctuated between 1.6 m – 3.6 m . Normally the lower the water level the greater the count of dabbling ducks, but that is not so evident this year due to the effects of the continual summer flooding, resulting in large swathes of tall, rank vegetation (areas that were never grazed), which is great for the ducks but makes counting them, with any degree of accuracy, almost impossible. On the positive side, the rafts of floating vegetation are providing good sites for large flocks of lapwing and golden plover.

Peak counts of wildfowl through out the winter period include wigeon 19800, gadwall 970, teal 2193, mallard 2159, pintail 1713, shoveler 1064, pochard 2987, tufted duck 3328, coot 6229, golden plover 2000, lapwing 11222, dunlin 195, black-tailed godwit 502 and ruff 56. Other birds of note included water pipits 7,marsh harriers, peregrines and merlins, while the feeding station has attracted yellowhammers 10, along with the occasional brambling.

The dawn count of the wild swan roost resulted in peak counts of whooper swans 5470; these numbers have also been recorded on arable surveys. This number is over 1000 more that the previous highest count ever recorded. It appears that this winter there are lot of juveniles and these may be part of the cause in the increase in numbers.  From the counts, Bewick’s swans were only recorded at just over 3,000 and appear to have had a poor breeding year with few young present. Those families that are present often only have one to two young compare to the whooper’s that have had families of up to 6 young.

There have been some unusual records for the reserve this winter. These include a little auk (11 Nov) and a juvenile barred warbler that was photographed on 7 Dec. This bird showed well to the photographers but was never seen again – much to everyone’s annoyance.  The great egret was first noted on the 2 January and is still around. It is roosting on the reserve in some osiers just north of Steven’s hide, but has spent most of the time feeding in ditches on the surrounding arable near Pymoor.

At this time of year, work on the reserve is limited but it is a good time to catch up on all the maintenance work for the hides and boardwalk.  However, we have been working just off the main reserve!

Outside of the Ouse Washes reserve, six arable fields (45 hectares and best viewed from the back of Cottier and Steven’s hide) are in the seventh year of being converted to wet grassland, known as the Pilot Project. The objective is to provide alternative habitat for breeding waders, when the Ouse Washes is in unsuitable condition due to prolonged winter and spring flooding. 2007 resulted in lapwing 9 pairs, redshank 7 pairs and snipe 7 pairs with possible second broods of 4 snipe. In the last year, we have taken on the management of another four fields, 31 hectares adjoining Pilot Project and extending all the way to the railway, collectively called Carroll’s Ground. The fields were sown with a grass mix in autumn 2006 allowing grass to establish during summer 2007. Now that has happened work began in earnest this winter, a rotary ditcher arrived to sculpt foot drains to create scrapes. Pipes, dams and an impermeable membrane have been installed to control water levels on the fields and to stop the precious water leaking into neighbouring ditches. Posts have been knocked into the ground and gates have been hung to aid grazing after the breeding season.

This winter has flown by and it seems that spring is just around the corner. We wait with baited breaths to see what this year will bring. We are all hoping for a dry year and a better breeding season