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North Kent Marshes - review of 2009-12-18
RSPB emblem bird flocks to Cliffe Pools in record numbers
New Field Trip Leader
Events Diary

North Kent Marshes - review of 2009-12-18

We have had another busy year on the North Kent Marshes and, with a glass of wine in hand and snow falling outside, I will try to give you a flavour of our successes and failures before I take my leave for Christmas.

A key area of work for us is educating children and enabling people to experience wildlife. There have been two significant gains this year. The first is that our education team was awarded the Quality Badge. This is a guarantee of quality that underlines what we already knew; that our field teachers are top class and that our reserves are an excellent outdoor classroom. I have seen them in action and their ability to communicate with children is something that I know I could never do.

The second achievement is the construction of a car park at Cliffe. We hope that this is the first major step on the road to making the reserve an enjoyable destination for birdwatchers. Cliffe is a difficult site to manage! It has a history of social problems and has a complex array of political, ecological and logistical problems. Although it may not appear so on the surface, there has been a lot of hard work and some significant progress this year. We have more development planned for the coming year, including some additional land, way markers and more patrols. The latter, in particular at weekends by volunteers, has made a big difference to the site, hopefully making visitors feel more welcome and safe.

In terms of protecting habitats and species, there has been good news and bad news. The latter relates to Cliffe Pools. The most significant habitat on the site is the saline lagoons. In a nutshell, this comprises most of the pools, which are too deep and lacking in islands to be at their best. The plan has always been to use river dredgings to reduce the depth and create a varied topography for the benefit of specialised invertebrates, wintering and passage waders and breeding avocets and terns. Unfortunately, the nature of the dredging industry seems to have changed. Rather than using land-based sites to deposit dredgings, operators are now using "fluming" techniques to throw the silts to either side of the channel. This means we will have to be patient and imaginative before Cliffe reaches it's potential.

Fortunately, the good news much outweighs the bad! Shorne Marshes is brilliant. It was a run down, badly managed and neglected farm but now looks and feels like a top-class wetland. On a visit to the site during the breeding season I had redshank flying from under my feet and lapwing displaying all over the place. Numbers of both species have more than double two years in a row. We are undertaking similar work to improve the grazing marsh at Cliffe and hope for the same upturn in fortunes for breeding waders. Seasalter is also responding to management improvements and lapwing populations have doubled since the previous year.

Gordon has been busy in the wood at Northward Hill and has restored the ride system with the help from several work parties. We are hoping that, in addition to helping woodland birds such as nightingale and turtle dove, we will see an improvement in the fortunes of the white-letter hairstreak butterfly - something of a speciality.

Gordon has also been busy erecting electric fences at Elmley. This large project aims to create predator free areas to give ground nesting birds a better chance of survival. We know that birds such as lapwing have suffered from nest predation to the extent that their populations are declining. Electric fences on other reserves have helped reverse this trend and, if we can replicate this at Elmley, it will be hugely significant for the species in the South East.

The big news is that we now have two new reserves on the Isle of Sheppey. Harty Marshes is only small, but, because of it's location, has the potential to host more than 20 pairs of breeding waders. This site is presently arable but is being reverted to wetland. Great Bells Farm is a different scale. It is grazing marsh. It is nearly 200ha. It is next door to some of the best wetlands in the South East. It has huge potential!! We will spend the next 3 years developing the site, improving the grazing and hydrology and improving access for birdwatchers. Watch this space!

There's lots more, but it's late and my glass is empty! One more thing; we are now part of the "Greater Thames Futurescape". A futurescape is a new RSPB concept that seeks to identify large areas that could be managed as whole eco-systems. Building on existing reserve networks, we will be talking to farmers, the Environment Agency, local authorities and many more, seeking to encourage landowners to create and improve habitats. It means that, rather than having a few good bits surrounded by rubbish, we could have landscape scale conservation; something that could answer the challenge set by a changing climate and habitat fragmentation. Reserves aren't enough any more. It's time to think big.

Best wishes,
Alan

RSPB emblem bird flocks to Cliffe Pools in record numbers
21 October 2009

The RSPB's emblem bird, the avocet, was recorded in record numbers in September at RSPB Cliffe Pools. Large populations of avocet are common at Cliffe Pools in winter, as the birds like to feed in the saline pools at high tide. However, local naturalist Trevor Hatton was very surprised when he spotted a flock of over 1300 avocet descending on the pools.

Trevor said: "It was incredible. I am used to seeing hundreds of avocet at Cliffe Pools, but nothing like this. I think something like three quarters of the entire Thames Estuary migrant population were together at Cliffe Pools at the same time."

It is thought that the very dry summer has led to lower water levels in the pools, which favours wading birds like the avocet. The RSPB believe that it may be a bumper winter at the site for other waders like dunlin, black tailed godwit and curlews.

The RSPB's Paul Hyde said: "Cliffe Pools is always fantastic for birdlife over the winter. In normal years you can expect flocks of around five thousand dunlin. With lower water levels this year, who know what we might expect. It's quite exciting."

The avocet is one of the UK's most celebrated conservation successes and was officially adopted by the RSPB as their logo in 1970. The avocet was declared extinct in the UK in 1842 and didn't start breeding again until 100 years later. Through the hard work of the RSPB and other conservation organisations there are now over 870 pairs of breeding avocet across the UK and nearly 4000 over-wintering.

New Field Trip Leader
After a period of several years without a Field Trip Leader your committee is very pleased to announce that Simon Ginnaw has agreed to take on this role. Simon has recently completed, amongst other things, a two-year Countryside Management course at Hadlow College and is now studying Ecology at Greenwich University to. In addition to his Bird watching skills, he has a passion for all Natural History subjects and he will undoubtedly bring a new dimension to our Field trip outings. Simon has planned a further series of events and walks to encompass a broad range of interests, see Outdoor Meetings for further details and please give him your support. If you require further information then go to Contacts.

Events Diary

13th March 2010 8:00pm	Wine and Wisdom Quiz		The Medway RSPB local group are having a Wine and Wisdom quiz night at the Memorial Hall, Holly Road, Wainscott, Rochester, ME2 4LG. We're looking for ten teams of 6 and the cost will be £3 per person. All proceeds will go to aid the RSPB. Tea and coffee facilities will be available, but bring your own wine, nibbles and wisdom. The hall will be open from 19:00 and the quiz will start at 20:00. For more information or an entry form, please contact David Saunders on either 07772221261 or 01634 251433 or email saunders303@hotmail.com
15th April 2010 7:30pm	Notification of the 2010 AGM Grove Green Community Hall There will be no attendance charge and the second half of each meeting will be as stated in the programme.		AGENDA Minutes of the previous AGM held 16th April 2009 Matters arising. Group Leader's Report. Treasurer's Report Outdoor Meeting Leader's Report Elections of Officers and Committee Members Review of Annual Subscriptions. Committee Proposals. Members' Propositions -- (to be received by your committee in writing prior to the meeting) Any Other Business -- (at Chairman's discretion).
16th - 18th April 2010	RSPB Members' Weekend. University of York.
May/June 2010	Springwatch (RSPB/BBC) A popular TV Series
11th July 2010 9:00am to 2:00pm	Hands on Conservation		Dungeness RSPB Reserve Details to be advised. Please support your group and enjoy a 'hands on' conservation day with the warden at this premier venue. If you can come along for a few hours please ring 01580 892 458
16th - 18th July 2010	The Kent County Show, Detling Help on RSPB stand
20th - 23rd August 2010	British Birdwatching Fair, Rutland Water Lots to see and experience
2nd October 2010	RSPB AGM at QEII Conference Centre Highly recommended
30th October 2010	Feed the Birds day Don’t forget to join in

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