NEWS FROM SNETTISHAM - SPRING 2010

The colder winter than usual did not appear to have too much of an effect on the birdlife of the reserve.  Patrols looking for dead birds did not produce more than in a normal winter.  I think, however, had the weather persisted for another week or so, it may have been a   different story.  The only notable change to bird numbers was the huge increase in gadwall numbers – a reserve record count of 233 –the normal winter peak is around 100 or so.

Work this winter has included the re-instatement of an old sea defence bank.  The boardwalk to the southern hides used to cut through a low shingle bank, which unknown to RSPB or even the local Environment Agency (EA) staff, was still classified as a sea defence. The original work to cut through the bank was undertaken in 1999, but only noticed by national EA staff recently.  The bank has now been re-instated, and the boardwalk re-laid over the top.  An increase to the height of adjacent screening was required to ensure disturbance by sky-lining would not be an issue.

Organising additional cattle access points on the saltmarsh has taken place.  This has become necessary as an additional area of saltmarsh is now being grazed. Access for cattle has been problematical, with our grazier losing several animals last summer, stuck in ditches.  Hopefully, work should be completed in early April.

The annual EA beach recharge took place in February, and thankfully, very high tides in early March did not cause material to be stripped out requiring work to be re-done. Discussions with Natural England (NE) and EA took place regarding water quality issues with the lagoons.  Sampling work will be  undertaken this year from April to October to increase our knowledge of water quality  issues in the lagoons.

The usual programme of survey work, estate maintenance, guided walks etc went ahead as normal, only occasionally disrupted by the snow!

With avocets and Mediterranean gulls back in the pits, spring has certainly started to arrive at last.

November:     Peak wildfowl and wader counts included 37,900 pink-footed geese, 1,230, 870 shelduck, 1,230 mallard, 32 gadwall, 1,605 wigeon, 990 teal, 114 pintail, 19 goldeneye, 3,733 oystercatcher, 1,200 golden plover, 1,050 grey plover, 690 lapwing, 70,000 knot, 4,000 dunlin, 82 sanderling, 2,462 bar-tailed godwit, 15 black-tailed godwit, 840 curlew, 1,028 redshank, and 74 turnstone.  Additionally, single red-throated diver, 70 cormorant, 11 little egret, two Bewick’s swan, two scaup, two smew, occasional single marsh harriers,  regular peregrine, up to two merlin, single water rail, single avocet, purple sandpiper, spotted redshank, and greenshank, several single green sandpipers, single kingfisher, single shorelark from 17th to the end of the month, and up to 15 snow bunting

December:   Wildfowl and wader peaks counts –28,700 pink-footed geese, 150 brent geese, 588 shelduck, 1,347 mallard, 85  gadwall, 2,690 wigeon, 1,555 teal, 27 shoveler, 300 pintail, 76 tufted duck, 36 goldeneye, five red-breasted merganser, 1,896 oystercatcher, 2,400 golden plover, 450 grey plover, 970 lapwing, 13,850 knot, 2,105 dunlin, 120 sanderling, 2,024 bar-tailed godwit, 1,000 curlew, and 153 redshank.  Other sightings of note included up to seven little egret, two whooper swan, single snow goose roosting with the pink-feet on at least the 9th, and 12th, single scaup, female furruginous duck, hen harrier, and peregrine, up to three marsh harrier, single purple sandpiper, and short-eared owl, regular kingfisher, two shorelark, several hundred redwing and fieldfare south on the 27th, and up to 82 snow bunting.

January:      Peak wildfowl and wader counts comprised 26,780 pink-footed geese, 150 brent geese, 1,055 mallard, 233 gadwall, 964 wigeon, 580 teal, 84 tufted duck, five scaup, 41 goldeneye, four red-breasted merganser, 4,836 oystercatcher, 238 grey plover, 24,000 knot, 5,135 dunlin, 1,800 bar-tailed godwit, 850 curlew, and 162 redshank.  Also of interest were single red-throated diver, and Slavonian grebe, single hen harriers, up to two peregrine, single merlin, water rail, and purple sandpiper, two avocet, single great skua on the 4th and 20th, two shorelark, and up to 115 snow bunting.

February:    Wildfowl and wader peak counts included 16,000 pink-footed geese, 130 brent geese, 1,371 shelduck, 1,650 wigeon, 172    gadwall, 595 teal, 120 pintail, 91 tufted duck, 41 goldeneye, 63 avocet, 5,169 oystercatcher, 18,800 knot, 2,170 dunlin, 120 sanderling, 657 bar-tailed godwit, and 421 redshank.  Additionally, up to three little egret, single female goshawk on the 4th (being mobbed by a female marsh harrier), up to two hen harriers, up to four marsh harriers, up to three buzzards, regular peregrine and merlin, single purple     sandpiper, single short-eared owl, up to two shorelark, single corn bunting, and up to 30 snow bunting.

Jim Scott - Site Manager