Exposé on the South East

Nests, eggs and chicks, by Colin Higgins, Public Affairs Co-ordinator

Colin — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:26:00 GMT

Despite the variable weather, we’re now well into spring and many birds will already have started raising their families.

Some early-nesting birds like robins may already have fully fledged chicks, while others like house sparrows could still be nest building or incubating eggs.

Once birds have started nesting, they are legally protected until the chicks fledge, so if you find a nest in the garden, just sit back and enjoy them for a few more weeks.

During the nesting season, it’s still important to keep feeding your garden birds. While the chicks will normally be fed on natural food like caterpillars, the adults will be very grateful for a reliable feeding station for themselves, meaning that they can spend more time with their brood. Make sure not to use whole peanuts unless they are securely in mesh feeders so that they can’t be a choking hazard for young birds.

If you find a young bird out of the nest, please resist the temptation to take it in to look after it. The parents will be looking for it and the youngster will be calling for them at the top of its voice. If you need to pick it up, to take it out of the road for instance, this is ok, but please put it back as near as you can to where you found it. Birds have a poor sense of smell, so handling a chick in this way will not cause its parents to abandon it.

For more information on baby birds see http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/helpingbirds/health/babybirds.aspx

If you’re interested in seeing how some of our bigger birds raise their chicks, why not have a look at the webcams for our Date with Nature projects.

The Chichester Cathedral Peregrines and the New Forest Goshawks are each raising a brood of 3 youngsters and you can keep up with all the action as the hungry chicks grow up into magnificent birds of prey.

So whether you’re watching thrushes in the garden or peregrines at the cathedral, this is a truly magical time for birds!

A foraging adventure and a wild sleep out. By Alice Jefferies, southeast community fundraiser

Sam Stokes — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:27:42 GMT

I was lucky enough to grow up in a small village in West Sussex which was surrounded by woods, fields and roaming horses.

I’d play outside with friends all day, experiencing wildlife first hand. We’d make rope swings, build dens and generally create a lot of extra washing for our mums; I’d play and explore all day until the call of my name across the fields would herald dinner time and I’d run home.

As an adult my love of wildlife and the natural world has only grown - you will still find me ‘playing’ outside of a weekend - swimming down the Ouse or hunting for mushrooms on the South Downs. Which is why I’m so excited about putting on an event which will celebrate everything outdoors and raise money for the RSPB too.

On the 25th of July the RSPB are teaming up with Hunter Gather Cook - a foraging school based in East Sussex. The event is taking place in Barcombe on a private nature reserve, which is locally renowned for its population of rare butterflies. Guests will be brought right back to nature - under the expert guidance of the HGC instructors, they will learn how to identify seasonal edibles from nature’s larder, cook a haunch of venison in a traditional underground oven to create a foraged feast for dinner, learn how to make a fire from scratch and enjoy some of the wild’s finest brews and cocktails at twilight. Finally guests will build shelters for a cosy night around the fire.

I realise not everyone had the chance to play in the great outdoors as a child like I did, but it’s never too late...

If you would like to learn the ways of the wild and be one of the party on the 25th of July, send me an email to find out more alice.jefferies@rspb.org.uk

Rainham Marshes - On the Edge! By Martin Holm, Visitor Services Manager

Sam Stokes — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:34:35 GMT

"We couldn’t be more on the edge, even if we tried"

These words come from Rainham Marshes' Information Officer Howard Vaughan in filmmaker Kieran Evans’ documentary Outer Edges. A seventy-minute film, which tracks a peripheral route from north Essex to the Thames. Rainham Marshes is part of a journey that follows the flow of the River Roding from its source to its conclusion at Barking Creek and along the Thames Gateway to Tilbury. Apart from Howard, long serving volunteer Sam Shippey talks about when he first visited the area long before it became a nature reserve.

Narrating the film is musician Karl Hyde who for many years lived in Romford, not far from the marshes. Part of legendary dance outfit Underworld, Karl is a firm fan of the Rainham Marshes and rumor has it, he has been visiting a few times. Underworld broke through to the mainstream with their Born Slippy/Nuxx track, which they penned for Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting movie from 1996. Danny and Karl (together with the other part of Underworld, Rick Smith) teamed up again for the London 2012 opening ceremony as Underworld did the intro music. So it’s a wee bit of stardom, that Rainham has had sprinkled over the marshes.

And the music doesn’t stop here as Outer Edges partners with Karl Hyde's solo album, Edgeland, which is just out as a lovely CD/DVD deluxe version. It’s probably the first time Rainham Marshes has been part of a record release. First single to be lifted from the Edgeland, The Boy With The Jigsaw Puzzle fingers, also features Rainham Marshes – see if you can recognize some of the scenes...

(Please visit the site to view this video)

You can watch a trailer for Outer Edges here.

Finally, you can always come to Rainham Marshes yourself and explore the “wild lives” of all those wonderful creatures living in the furthest reaches of London suburbia. On many levels, they couldn’t be more on the edge, even if they tried!

The best place for warblers, by Rolf Williams

Sam Stokes — Fri, 03 May 2013 16:32:00 GMT

“This has to be the best place in Britain for warblers,” said the celebrated and highly decorated environment journalist Michael McCarthy.

Michael McCarthy, by Rolf Williams

We were in the wooded sanctuary of RSPB Northward Hill surrounded by spring blossom and bluebells, our quiet conversation drowned-out by the song of two competing nightingales, willow warblers, chiffchaffs, whitethroats, lesser whitethroats, blackcaps, as well as song thrush, blackbird, a raucous wren, cuckoo, chuckling green woodpecker and drumming great-spotted, a thousand rooks, mewing Mediterranean gulls, croaking grey herons and warbling egrets; this was no dawn chorus, it was lunchtime!

Michael was visiting the Hoo Peninsula to capture his thoughts on film for a later television feature about the disastrous declines in migratory birds, most particularly the nightingale, 90% of which have gone within my relatively short lifetime.

We had spent the morning at Lodge Hill, arguably home to the densest population of nightingale in the country, at least 84 pairs. There we listened to the distinctive, hesitant yet punchy melody of the birds and contemplated the local authority’s plans to level the site (now designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest) in favour of 5,000 homes – homes that can go some-where else if they try.

“I have never heard so many nightingales in one place,” continued Michael - we were up to five already, an echo of the English countryside from times past. Most in Britain have never heard a nightingale, but one person in the film crew said, “I can’t tell what’s what, it’s just a load of birds.”

Actually, once you hear a nightingale you never forget or mistake it again, that is why the song has inspired writers and musicians for millennia. Michael described the national ‘indifference’ that has brought the nightingale to the brink of extinction in the UK, it’s last stand now in the south east, mainly in the ‘Garden of England’ – Kent.

That garden is not so healthy any more, with most farmland birds and many invertebrates sharing the fate of the nightingale. Sadly, for any guarantee of delighting in the experience of their song you will have to come to the RSPB’s reserves at Northward Hill, Cliffe Pools or Pulborough Brooks, and some special nightingale events are now posted on the reserve websites, please join us and the birds for a ‘performance’.

Nightingales do still occur in large numbers at Lodge Hill and in small numbers elsewhere, but unless we can protect these sites the singing of a nightingale you hear today may be its final curtain call and the silence that follows will not be peaceful but deathly.

(Please visit the site to view this video)

Two nightingales competing in song along the edge of abutting territories at RSPB Northward Hill, Hoo Peninsula, Kent

Short-tailed bumblebee Project, by Nikki Gammans, Project Officer for Hymettus

Sam Stokes — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:11:38 GMT

Some of you may have already heard about the short-haired bumblebee project but if you haven’t – here is a quick introduction, and an update from Nikki Gammans, the Project Officer for Hymettus Ltd - the premier source of advice on the conservation of bees, wasps and ants within Great Britain and Ireland.

The short-haired bumblebee, Bombus subterraneus, was once widespread across the south of England, occurring as far north as Humberside, but post-1950’s its population distribution became isolated and patchy. This bee was last recorded in the UK in 1988 near to Dungeness, Kent and officially declared extinct in 2000.

The short-haired bumblebee project involves Hymettus working in partnership with Natural England, RSPB and Bumblebee Conservation Trust with the aim of reintroducing Bombus subterraneus back to the UK. In order for a successful reintroduction to take place suitable forage habitat must be in place around the planned initial release site of Dungeness and Romney Marsh.

To date the project has had enormous success with bumblebee habitat creation and improvement prior to the reintroduction of B. subterraneus. The project has created, advised and assisted in the management of flower rich habitat within the release site of Dungeness and Romney Marsh.

In spring 2012, up to 100 queen bees were collected from two areas of Skåne in southern Sweden where good numbers of Short-haired bumblebees were found in 2011.

The bees were then checked for mites and disease by a registered vet and honeybee inspector in Sweden prior to a heath certificate being signed which allows their transportation to the UK. After a period in quarantine at Royal Holloway, University of London, they were released at Dungeness nature reserve.

Short-tailed bumblebee, by Nikki Gammans

Now, with spring's arrival, the project is getting ready to go to Skane, Sweden to collect this year’s emerging short-haired bumblebee queens.

By the time you read this, myself and (initially) three volunteers will be travelling (at the end of April) over to revisit our field sites and monitor flowering of white dead nettle and other favourite food plants and wait for the queens emergence.

Once emerged another 6 volunteers will join us for queen collection. We hope to collect 100 queens during a five day period. The queens are then stored in our campervan fridge and brought back to the UK where they are kept in quarantine and the healthy queens are then released back to the UK at the RSPB Dungeness Nature Reserve.

Extensive work has taken place across the release zone of Dungeness and Romney Marsh in Kent and East Sussex to recreate flower rich habitat. Working with farmers, land owners and conservation groups has helped recreate over 850 hectares of flower rich habitat. This has helped increase the abundance of many of our rare bumblebee species and helps every other species which depends on this habitat.

I made a date with nature...

Sam Stokes — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:46:20 GMT

Yesterday I made a bid for freedom and escaped the office - and what a glorious day it was, I even managed to catch the sun a little (I have a slightly pink nose today!)

First stop was Hayling Island, where I was meeting Wez, our Langstone Harbour site manager. Wez, who only started in this role at the beginning of the month (something about in at the deep end springs to mind), was preparing to be interviewed for BBC Countryfile, along with Chris, who recently retired as warden for the site but still helps us out as a volunteer.

Countryfile wanted to find out more about our little tern project around Langstone Harbour and on the Hayling Island oysterbeds. Along with presenter Ellie Harrison, Wez, Chris and their volunteers spent the morning crushing cockle shells (little terns are apparently very fussy, only the smallest grade of shell will do!), clearing vegetation from the island, spreading the crushed shells and then also placing out 'decoy terns', which will hopefully help protect the real nesting terns when they arrive. As Ellie said - lets hope the little terns appreciate this work.

It was a busy morning, and I look forward to seeing the final piece when it is aired on Countryfile on Sunday 12 May.

Volunteers taking a quick break in between action shots!

Next stop (as it was on my way home) was the Chichester Cathedral peregrine Date with Nature project. Now in it's 13 year, the project is a great example of connecting to the nature right on our doorstep - or perhaps in this case, right above our heads!

Lauren, Harry and the volunteers had had a busy day - both with plenty of visitors to show & tell the peregrine's story - but also the wildlife itself. With the female peregrine chasing off several buzzards who strayed too close to 'her patch' and the male taking his turn incubating the four eggs (which are due to hatch any day next week) the team had plenty to talk about.

But in amongst the excitement, I managed to grab a few of them and persuaded them to share why they enjoy helping out at the project and with the RSPB...

(Please visit the site to view this video)

I can thoroughly recommend making a 'date' with both these places. The team at the Chichester Cathedral peregrine project will be there with their telescopes and live nest footage until 14 July. There is a 14 mile circular waterside walk where you can explore the fascinating history wildlife and character of Langstone Harbour - I only got to see a very small section yesterday, but I certainly plan to go back.

Or, perhaps you've already visited them, we'd love to hear what you thought...

A spring bouquet - By Colin Higgins, Public Affairs Co-ordinator

Colin — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:59:00 GMT

It doesn’t seem possible that just a few weeks ago, we were walking through deep white snow. Now the first spring flowers are starting to peek out.

If you’re lucky enough to live near ancient woodland, you may be in for a treat – with bluebells, wood anemones and lesser celandine producing a colourful carpet across the floor. There is also a good chance of ramsons (wild garlic) – you’ll smell it before you see it.

Why not visit an RSPB Reserve with a bluebell wood – how about Pulborough Brooks or Northw ard Hill?

Butterflies are emerging, and amongst the first to be seen are usually brimstones, orange tips and peacocks. Look along hedgerows and in gardens for them as they flit along.

And of course, keep your eyes and ears open for returning birds. When will you hear the first chiffchaff speak his name? Swallows and house martins have once again begun to fill our skies after making their amazing migration from Africa. Surely summer can’t be far away...

What are your favourite signs of spring?

Birds in a Cage - How wildlife frees the spirit and why it still needs protection. By Nichola Willett, Senior Community Fundraiser

Colin — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 09:45:00 GMT

Since I last wrote a blog article, I have been researching the house on the Dungeness estate that I mentioned earlier in the year. I googled ‘black rubber house’ and found a link to Simon Conder, the architect who designed it so asked Simon if I could add a link from their website to my blog which is Here. I would LOVE one of Simons houses! When Simon, got back to me he told me that his uncle was the first chief executive of the RSPB, which was a big suprise. And when I researched Peter Conder on the RSPB Intranet I found that a current member of RSPB staff, Derek Niemann, has written a book about Peter’s amazing story. Derek Niemans book ¹“'Birds in a Cage,' follows four men who overcame hunger, hardship, fear and boredom to bring purpose to their lives behind barbed wire” (in a POW camp) “through natural history and birds.” “Despite five years of their young lives in imprisonment, they all returned home determined to make something of themselves. Peter Conder became our director, transforming the Society from a tiny amateurish club into an enduring force for nature conservation.”

We are still a force but it is you that makes us that force. Crazy decisions are being made in the name of progress; the development of the airport at Lydd, right next to the Dungeness reserve, being one. Please sign up for our sponsored walk and flower and bumblebee event on Sunday 30 June. It will, I guarantee be a fun and interesting day but sadly maybe one of the last chances you have to enjoy its quiet rugged remoteness before the big planes arrive. Email me at nic.willett@rspb.org.uk

¹Source and image: Derek Niemann, Youth Editor, RSPBUK Headquarters

The Famous Chichester Cathedral Peregrines are back! by Lauren Terry

Colin — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:16:00 GMT

The peregrines are back, four eggs have been laid, the webcam is live and the marquee is in place as this Friday sees the Chichester Cathedral Peregrines Date with Nature open for visitors.

For the 13^th year Chichester Cathedrals south east turret is once again the nesting site for a pair of Peregrine Falcons a location that gives a rare opportunity to view family life. The Cathedral is believed to be the most successful monitored nest in the UK, in the last 12 years 42 chicks have been raised and successfully fledged.

Currently the female is spending the majority of her time incubating the eggs, the last of which was laid on Easter Monday evening. The Male is spending his time bringing food to the female and taking over incubation for a couple hours a day, which gives the female a much deserved break and chance to stretch her wings.

We expect the eggs to begin hatching around the 29^th of April, this will see activity increase around the Cathedral as the chicks demand more food and the parents become even more protective seeing off any other birds that get to close.

To help visitors get the best view of the peregrines we will have scopes and binoculars which are free to use, and volunteers on hand to give more information about the peregrines and tell the latest news of what’s been happening.

The Date with Nature will take place daily in the garden of Cloisters Café from 10am – 5pm (4pm on Sundays), until the second week of June when we will move to the front lawn until July 14^th to watch the chicks take their first flights, and develop their flight skills.

You can follow live action from the nest at http://www.rspb.org.uk/datewithnature/146937-chichester-cathedral-peregrines)

Leeds castle hosts a 'Date with Nature' by Laura Stanford-Beale

Sam Stokes — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:55:22 GMT

Well what a change in weather this past weekend has brought us! With the emerging sunshine over Leeds Castle we have also seen an incredible increase in visitors! What really is remarkable is the correlation between beautiful sunshine and the variety of wildlife that has been spotted at our date with nature event. With the ever stunning Castle in the background and the scenic lake to admire, watching for birds and other wildlife has never been so idyllic.

With spring finally in the air, Leeds castle visitors have had the chance to view a wide array of animals and plants spanning the beautiful grounds of the castle. The date with nature project gives visitors the opportunity to get close to wildlife and discuss what they’ve seen and their love of the outdoors.

The RSPB have provided binoculars and telescopes to get a closer look of the assortment of birds and wildlife across the picturesque lake and grounds. Sightings have included black, whooper and mute swans, geese, ducks, blue and great tits and buzzards.

Buzzards regularly soar high above the woodland and fields, their wings outstretched, using thermal currents to circle far above the ground. On one occasion this week two buzzards were observed close to the RSPB stand partaking in their spectacular aeriel display, circling high in the sky before tumbling down towards the ground.

We’ve also had bug searching activities available for all the family to get involved in. Trays filled with rotten tree and leaf litter have been at hand for visitors to have a rummage and see what can be found. Some of the highlights of the past week have been both the stag beetle larvae and adults, which have captivated all ages with their fascinating looks. The kids have loved finding plenty of woodlice and the speedy centipedes which have been been discovered while searching for bugs.

With another week left of the Easter holidays let's hope the sun sticks around for us to observe many more species of birds and wildlife.

Why not come down to Leeds castle and see what you can see!

Whooper swans, by Ben Hall (rspb-images.com)

A day in the life of Mark Underhill: RSPB Reserves Manager Southeast England

Sam Stokes — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:17:12 GMT

I had to authorise the purchase of a magnetometer this week. For those of you who are as clueless as I was (I had to ask) it is a metal detector. So, why you might ask (indeed I did ask) did we need a metal detector to manage nature reserves? Were my team hoping to find some buried treasure to help supplement our budgets!

Well the truth was a little more mundane. They were actually using this bit of kit to check for unexploded ordinance, prior to routine fencing work, on one of our nature reserves (with suitable training in detection and what to do if they found a bomb, I hasten to add)!

This metal detector was going to be used on a number of reserves, which got me thinking about the human history of our nature reserves. Almost all of the new reserves we have bought recently have had some archaeological finds. I don’t think this is because our reserves are necessarily richer in human history; but it is often more evident, thanks to the lack of development over a long period. At a basic level, (I’m an ecologist not an archaeologist), the same characteristics that make a great wildlife site (a long-history of continuous low intensity management, with minimal development) also make great potential for archaeology.

This is not a trait restricted to the southeast, and RSPB now has a resident archaeologist (Robin) who is part of the team who assess the attributes of any land we are considering for purchase. Robin then helps us to decide how to manage and interpret these other facets of our sites. It’s fascinating stuff; and exemplifies the huge variety in any one of my “days”; a trait that makes my job very special to me.

Anyway, back to the history of our nature reserves. Sometimes this history is quite subtle, such as the boundary banks in our woodlands; or the “dummy trenches” on Wiggonholt Heath at Pulborough Brooks. Often it is quite inaccessible such as the long-boat that was excavated from within the mud of Langstone Harbour; or the salt mounds in the middle of the grasslands at Seasalter Levels. Nevertheless, we do have some quite spectacular artefacts on our reserves that anyone can come and see.

I can think of at least one reserve (Broadwater Warren near Tunbridge Wells) that has a recognisable tank wreck left over from D-Day preparations. Our Rainham Marshes Reserve and the neighbouring village of Purfleet that lies alongside the Thames in Essex, has a rich military history which you can be explore through our visitor centre and the Purfleet Heritage Centre. I have been told that that prior to the “Battle of Trafalgar” Nelson loaded his cannon-balls from the magazines in Purfleet. However, what I am most taken by at Rainham is the submarine lookout, a small circular tower built just behind the wall of the River Thames (picture below, by Andy Hay), used (as the name suggests) to spot submarines that were hoping to sneak up the Thames during WWII. It now sits just below the new Thames river wall: A demonstrable effect of sea-level rise!

My personal favourites, though, are the bronze age round barrows, on top of Rackham plantation on our Pulborough Brooks reserve. They provide fantastic views over the Amberley Wildbrooks (picture below), and it is easy to imagine why they were built in the locations they were. After taking advice from English Heritage, we have cleared the scrub off these in recent years to return them to their landscape context.

So, as I wondered what to write about in my blog, I thought I would ask you if you visit our reserves? And if you do, perhaps you will now look with a different eye. Is that mound in the middle of the salt-marsh a glacial feature; a medieval salt pan; or simply a convenient place to store compost!

We are starting to catalogue and interpret some of the more significant features; and if you visit one of our reserves with a visitor centre like Rainham Marshes or Pulborough Brooks there will be some information or someone who can help you to find out more.

But I would love to hear from you: What about the more recent history of our reserves; perhaps you or someone from your family worked close by or knew one of our sites before they were nature reserves? We would love to hear your story.

Bee and Bee. By Nichola Willett, Senior Community Fundraiser

Colin — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:48:03 GMT

I am hoping that my blog inspires people to go and visit Dungeness – the RSPB reserve and the estate itself, which is about half a mile up the road.

I went to visit one of our volunteers who owns a lovely B&B on the estate itself and on the way the Britannia pub for lunch we stopped at one of the artists huts. You can go in and admire people’s artwork then if you like it enough to buy, go to their house and knock on their door.

If you need an excuse to make the trip to the Romney Marsh, I can give you one really good reason - our family event at Dungeness reserve on Sunday 30 June. The theme is going to be bumblebees and flowers and there are going to be all sorts of activities: a fancy dress competition, things for kids to make and do, plus a sponsored walk to raise money for local RSPB projects and the Bumblebee Reintroduction happening at the reserve.

If you take part in the walk (distance starts at 1m) Nikki Gammans and her volunteers will show you bees and other insects and you could win a bee-related treasure in our treasure hunt. There will also be cake and biscuits and lots of honey-based goodies for you to try. I’m really excited that we are starting to organise more events and will share more news about how you can get involved over the weeks. In the meantime, we have had a few people get in touch about helping at this event – perhaps you could get involved in one too?

Back the Brighton Biosphere Bid, by Alison Giacomelli, conservation officer

Sam Stokes — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:50:00 GMT

What do the Central Amazon, Yellowstone National Park and Brighton have in common?

They are all (or want to become) Biosphere Reserves.

Biosphere Reserves are designated by UNESCO, are centred around internationally important wildlife, and aim to bring people and that wildlife together. Whilst the Amazon and Brighton seem as far apart in terms of nature conservation as you can get, the chalk grassland habitats on the Downs between Brighton and Lewes support a fantastically diverse range of plants and invertebrates.

The RSPB is really pleased to be involved in the partnership of organisations proposing that the Brighton & Hove and Lewes Downs is recognised by the United Nations as a Biosphere Reserve. The bid area covers chalk downland, urban areas and the sea, and the overall aim is ‘to create a world-class environment, that is economically successful and enjoyed by all – forever’.

This partnership has put together a management strategy with the actions we’d like to see in the Biosphere area, but we need your views on what are the priorities. You can have your say by filling in the online questionnaire, which is very quick and easy to do – it simply asks what you most value about the Biosphere area and what environmental improvements you would like to see.

Greater Thames Futurescape, by Jo Sampson, project manager

Sam Stokes — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 16:20:23 GMT

I believe that the Greater Thames should be an amazing place to live, work and play. The Greater Thames Futurescape represents the RSPB’s contribution to putting together the pieces of the landscape.

Our vision includes the phrases “economic powerhouse”, “thriving nature”, “urban regeneration” and “vibrant communities” in recognition of the fact that without any one of these individual components (like gin without tonic, or strawberries without cream) the Greater Thames will never be able to reach its full potential.

Fortunately it’s not just the RSPB who care about the Greater Thames. Over a hundred individuals, representing interests from across business, communities, local government, conservation and funders, came together at the Space for Nature; Land for Life Conference on 28th February to celebrate our previous successes and identify ways of capitalising on these as we look to the future.

Some highlights from the event:

• It was fantastic to hear Eric Pickles (Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government) highlight this as a place to for both “progress and preservation” ensuring we hand the Greater Thames to next generation in a better condition than which we found it. I hope he will be wearing his JeThames pin-badge with pride at the next Cabinet meeting!

• Professor John Lawton passionately and eloquently outlined the key findings of his influential report ‘Making Space for Nature’ – highlighting the need for action to restore, adapt and enhance existing habitats and create new ones, to halt the decline of important wildlife in the Greater Thames

• DP World and Veolia outlined some excellent case studies of how industry can not only comply with key regulations, but make a genuine contribution to improving the natural environment – did you know that a recent CBI report suggested that the green economy contributed 1/3 of all UK’s growth in 2011/12?

• Attendees brought fresh thinking to a series of thought-provoking seminars looking at barriers and opportunities to help connect people to nature and build stronger links between nature and economic growth.

Our task now is to take forward the actions and ideas identified to begin to deliver positive change in the Thames for local wildlife, communities and businesses.

It’s clear there is a lot of work to be done, but if we can use Futurescapes to harness the expertise and enthusiasm demonstrated last week, then together, we have a real chance to make the Greater Thames a place to be proud of.

Join in the discussion on twitter with #JeThames or visit the website for updates via our blog at: www.rspb.org.uk/futurescapes/greaterthames.

Lapwings in Flight at Cliff Pools, RSPB

WeBS, waders and a lot of water! By Richard Black, Conservation Officer

Sam Stokes — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 14:11:08 GMT

RSPB employees spending their day doing a voluntary bird survey might seem like something of a busman’s holiday. However for many of us our day to day work is conducted mainly within four walls and it’s good to get out from time to time and actually see some birds. Apart from anything else it reminds you how important it is to conserve them and by helping with a national survey you know the data you gather will be helping to do just that.

On this occasion the survey was the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). The survey is a partnership effort between the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), the RSPB and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) with the actual work done by a nationwide team of dedicated volunteers. It monitors waterbirds that overwinter in the UK. Many sites around the UK Coast, including large sections of the South Coast, are very important wintering grounds for both waders and wildfowl. Numbers and species vary depending on conditions both here and in other parts of Europe so it important to keep track of the trends.

The survey is highly co-ordinated with volunteer surveyors visiting different count sections on the same day at the same high tide. At high tide the birds roost above the tide line and by counting them simultaneously at this inactive time we avoid the problem of double counting.

The trouble with a national survey on a set date however is that if you wake up in the morning to a howling gale and driving rain, as happened on this occasion, you can’t just roll over and go back to sleep. You have to struggle out of bed wrap yourself in as many warm and waterproof garments as you can find and head out into the cold and the wet.

This time the count section covered by Richard, Steve and Chloe was at Bosham in Chichester Harbour. Our problems started straight away as the high tide was even higher than we expected and the place we had been hoping to park was already underwater. We had to leave the car some distance away and consequently we were a rather damp group by the time we arrived at our starting point. The tide was already beginning to cover the coastal path but the first part of the walk was along the sea wall so we were dry below if not from above.

By the time we reached the second part however we were glad of our wellingtons. Eventually we found a dry vantage point and began to count. It may have been nice weather for ducks but it wasn’t helpful weather for counting them, perhaps they should have windscreen wipers for binoculars. We eventually managed to count nearly 200 brent geese (about 33% of the world population of this species winters in South and East England). We added a good number of waders and ducks including a red-breasted merganser, a duck with a long saw-edged bill for catching fish.

By the time we reached the third part of the survey the rising tide was threatening to overtop our boots from below while torrents of rainwater filled them from above. Eventually it just became too deep and we had to turn back but not before we had added a few more waders to our count.

Pausing briefly at a nearby creek to add a snipe and some gadwall to the list we headed home to dry off. We had been anticipating counting waders but we hadn’t really expected to become waders ourselves. You might argue we’d have done better with WeBS on our feet!

(Photos by Richard Black)