Wallasea

My eyes are streaming from the wind and the scope wants to take off, just like my coffee flask did a moment ago. I glance over and see it lying in the mud. When I squint the wind's tears away the dazzling light takes over, masking the flooded field in front of me. A huge number of Lapwing are gathered on it but they are little more than softly squeaking silhouettes from my vantage point. Pulling my cap down further to give my eyes some respite, I can make out smaller waders at their feet, the pale forms of Dunlin, heads down and busy feeding in the shallow pool. Then all of a sudden, the shapes merge and rise into the air, into the wintry sunlight, into a vast open sky.

This is Wallasea Island, a spectacular wetland regeneration 'project' on the south east coast of Essex, sandwiched somewhere between the River Crouch and the old school slot machines in Southend on Sea. Epic in size and ambition, it's a fitting place to consider and celebrate World Wetlands Day today.

Wallasea Island, Essex, 1/2/14

World Wetlands Day marks the signing of the Ramsar Convention in Iran in 1971, a treaty that recognises the global importance of wetlands and seeks to maintain their conservation measures and promote sustainable use. In 2014, the theme is 'Wetlands and Agriculture' - two themes clearly on display at Wallasea Island. The intertidal mud flats, lagoons, salt marsh and fields here are part of a huge engineering scheme designed to recreate important habitats lost elsewhere in Britain as well as being an example of what can be achieved through sustainable farming practices and endless determination in the modern mitigation process.

Throughout our visit, a conveyor belt is transporting the spoils of Crossrail off a ship and straight onto the site, where large trucks are rolling it out. Mounds of earth flank new ditches that have been recently excavated. But none of this detracts from the landscape and the wildlife. During the day I thought about the fact that I seem to spend a great deal of time exploring places like this, more than woodlands for example - "traipsing round a marsh" as my girlfriend calls it. But I guess this is where I find myself drawn to the most, wetlands to me are fascinating...and full of birds. Even on a day when strong winds mean anything daring enough to raise a wing would likely end up in Belgium, there was plenty to see. A small flock of Golden plover huddled in a field on the drive in and skylarks frequently catapulted out of the grass as we passed along the sea wall. Large flocks of Brent geese, Shelduck and Teal occupied the mudflats while the quickly rising tide bought a smart Red-throated diver in for good views.

While today there is some basic infrastructure in place for visitors, it will be fascinating to see the site in 2019, when it is scheduled to be completed. In a sense though, it will never be completed because wetlands like this are always changing and they need to be given room to do that.

Kestrel in the grass

Emily in the grass

The BTO Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) is a great way to discover the species using these important areas and how populations change over time. Check out the new online webs reports here.

World Wetlands Day

Water Street, East Lambrook, Somerset, Jan 2013 (Photo by M Werkmeister)

This photo was sent to me by a family friend recently, apparently the road is called 'Water Street'...I know!

So today is World Wetlands Day - a virtual hands up who knew that? Ah maybe you did, maybe you didn't...the main thing is you do now. It marks the day in 1971 when the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance was signed in the city of Ramsar in Iran. What we now know as the Ramsar Convention has since taken massive strides in highlighting the importance of wetlands and shaping how they are conserved around the world. This year the theme is water management.

Writing this now from a hilly and residential South London suburb, wetlands seem far removed from everyday life. But those marshes and mudflats at the mouth of the Thames and those rivers and reservoirs threading through the wider landscape, allow us to live much as we do. They are alternately a sponge, soaking up the power of the high-energy waves and the vagaries of inclement weather; they are a fundamental and free-flowing source of hygiene and survival, they are simultaneously a natural drainage and storage system. They are many other things too.

As well as our reliance on them, wetlands are also unique and fantastically biodiverse habitats, home to a bewildering number of flora and fauna species and used by many more. I spent today doing my best to share the joys of one such place in West London, or at least, giving the punters what they wanted and showing off some pretty birds.

Kempton Nature Reserve is a relatively new reserve, created in the last decade of so by Thames Water. As a former working reservoir, water is the influencing force here and through time and careful management, a charming, rich mosaic of habitats has formed. Today we saw Reed Buntings flitting over a reedbed and a handsome Gadwall bobbing like a cork as it dabbled in the velvety blue pools. A Snipe did nothing save cast a shadow as it froze on an island to avoid detection. A Kestrel flew in and began hovering over one of the muddy banks, keen eyes looking for invisible trails or the twitch of a mousy tail. At one point the hide was full of kids and I asked them what they could see, "SWANS!!", "FISH!", "DUCKS!" were the answers yelled back at me. It was cold and overcast and February, but the place was still full of life...and I guess that's ultimately what World Wetlands Day is about. As photos like that at the top and recent news articles show, it is vital that sensitive wetland management is taken seriously by politicians - so much depends on it.

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) North London, Jan 2013