After making a small plea in my previous post to continue feeding our garden birds during this very wet breeding season, the RSPB have since reported on another issue regarding flooding on many of their reserves, with catastrophic impact to some of Britain’s already-threatened wildlife.
The information provided below is from the RSPB's latest news page.
The information provided below is from the RSPB's latest news page.
Several of the Society’s 211 nature reserves have suffered severe flooding, including the internationally-important Ouse Washes in East Anglia. The reserve, which is home to the largest concentration of nesting wading birds in lowland England, is now two metres under water. The rising flood waters have drowned the nests and breeding attempts of an estimated 600 wading birds, including 37 per cent of the lowland snipe population of England and Wales. Other waders affected include large numbers of redshank, lapwing and, most importantly of all, internationally-important black-tailed godwits.
Jon Reeves is the RSPB’s Ouse Washes site manager. He said: “Following centuries of land drainage across the UK, The Ouse Washes is now the most important stronghold for these birds, after they have been largely forced out of other sites. Literally, we have all our eggs in one basket and we’ve lost them. It’s devastating to watch the nests succumb to the rising waters without being able to do anything to prevent it.”
Taking the pressure off
The Ouse Washes is used by the Environment Agency as part of the flood relief system for the River Great Ouse, which flows from Northamptonshire, through Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Cambridgeshire to the sea, near Kings Lynn, in Norfolk. In summer, the Ouse Washes nature reserve is grazed by cattle to create the ideal conditions for ground-nesting birds. The RSPB manages the site to keep the water levels at an optimum height for wading birds to create damp grassland and wet features without flooding. However, the Environment Agency has to open sluices to allow water onto the washes to prevent flooding elsewhere in the 150 mile catchment of The Great River Ouse. Jon Reeves added: “The Environment Agency is working hard to identify replacement land for the birds to nest to take the pressure off the Ouse Washes. Until this replacement land is in place, the birds will continue to face an uncertain future.”It’s devastating to watch the nests succumb to the rising waters without being able to do anything to prevent it. Other reserves to have suffered flooding include Minsmere, on the Suffolk coast, where avocet and black-headed gull nests have been washed away. Fairburn Ings, near Leeds, and Pulborough Brooks, in West Sussex, have also been affected. Waterbird nests, including waders, such as lapwing, have been destroyed at these two sites.
Some RSPB nature reserves are reporting better news as the heavy rainfall is helping providing much-needed water to those sites striving to combat the ongoing drought.
How you can help
Nature is in trouble – so millions of people are stepping up to help. Our wildlife has been disappearing at an alarming rate. But small steps make a big difference. If we all act together and get stuck in, we can save our wildlife - Link below to the RSPB stepping up for nature campaignhttp://www.rspb.org.uk/steppingup/
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