1. NIA blow for Estuary Airport?
Having spent much of yesterday in the unlikley company of Gok Wan and many others at Newbury Racecourse in Berkshire, I missed the news that the government had finally announced the12 'winners' of its Nature Improvement Areas (NIA) scheme. The advent of NIAs came about from John Lawton's 'Making Space for Nature' report in 2010, which highlighted the importance of 'joined-up' thinking when considering nature conservation in the UK. It advocated a more sustainable, landscape-scale approach; extending areas currently protected, establishing new ones nearby and linking them together. It's an exciting idea, evolving from the knowledge that wild flora/fauna populations need new areas to naturally migrate into. The government invited submissions and picked 12 from the 76 bids put in. With the environment seemingly being hammered by the coalition at any opportunity this last year, it feels like a pretty positive step.
Each of the 12 new areas has something special to offer, with a wide range of habitats covered and countless numbers of species living among them. However, I was particularly pleased with the 4th designated NIA. With the Thames Estuary Airport proposals dominating much of my mind/work/blogging space these last few months, seeing the Greater Thames Marshes given NIA status feels, at last, like some deservedly overdue recognition for this incredible area. Surely it makes what'll likely be an expensive aviation consultation in the South East relatively pointless now? At the least, it will make their job so much harder. It also suggest a divide on the issue in the government, bar the more obvious ones.
Anyway, it's good to see DEFRA flexing some muscle, but no breaking out the champagne yet right? While it is a positive step, the airport issue still remains. Nationally, it's not going to fix the problem of biodiversity loss or habitat degradation either. The £7.5million designated to help improve, create and maintain all these areas is not insubstantial (though it is when you consider other sums they chuck about) but when it's broken down to just over 600k for each area, it's going to have to be very carefully managed, with a long-term view in mind. Incidentally, I wonder what happens to those areas that weren't selected? I'm sure the bid packages aren't cheap, do they get reimbursed? Or is just calculated risk? Anyway, I look forward to seeing how it develops.
2. Northward Hill OwlFest
There have been some great birds around the reserve of late. I missed the pair of White Storks that reportedly flew over on Sunday - I was out celebrating the oh so sweet demolition of Spurs. To be fair I think I'd always choose the latter, but it would've been a great bird to see here. Plenty about otherwise though.
Last monday, Simon and I had an unexpected but memorable encounter with a pair of Long-eared Owls. After checking the heronry roost at dusk (20+ birds, increasingly weekly) we stopped to admire the large number of Rooks and Jackdaws swirling over the marsh (c2500 at the moment). It was at this point that a pair of owls ‘flushed’ from trees along the edge of the wood. In the fading light, the distinct ‘ear tufts’ were visible, thus avoiding confusion with other owl species. What was more remarkable was that the male bird gave distinct ‘wing claps’ before alighting on the ground 30m from us. Long-eared owls are occasionally recorded on the reserve (and in the vicinity) but rarely seen so well. It was actually first for me too. I was surprised by their overall size, especially the long, broad wings. Amazingly, whilst watching the pair, a Tawny owl began calling in the distance and a Little owl was active near the barns. With a Barn Owl hunting on the reserve daily and a Short-eared Owl reported sporadically at Cliffe Pools, all we need now is a Snowy.
A Treecreeper has been heard up in the wood regularly since the beginning of the month. This is a good record for the site and the area in general; there are very few sizeable patches of deciduous woodland on the peninsula (and there'll be less if Lodge Hill goes ahead). After struggling to turn up a Woodcock last year, I'm now literally tripping over them on a daily basis. Had 2 today in the orchard and 15 were recorded last Tuesday, leaving the wood at dusk to feed on the marsh. Elsewhere it's mostly the ususals; and I never thought I'd be able to say that my 'usuals' included Marsh Harriers, Buzzards and Peregrines.
3. Crikey
This bird has definitley not been seen on the reserve but what a corker! Thanks to Cathy for sending me this pic, taken in Canberra's Botanical Gardens, from her travels in Australia last year. I really like parrots.
4. Thoreau #2
"Every part of nature teaches that the passing away of one life is the making of room for another. The oak dies down to the ground, leaving within its rind a virgin mould, which will impart a vigourous life to an infant forest"
End Note> I really love my friends (you know who you are) My family too x
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