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Saturday, 4 February 2012

Visit to Berney Marshes

The first WEX meeting of 2012 was to RSPB Berney Marshes and for most of us it would be our first visit. It is a very special reserve because it is so difficult to get to. There are only three ways you can get there: on foot, by train or by boat. We were going by boat but the tide has to be just right and because of this our January meeting took place in February.

There had been a dusting of snow overnight and was a very cold morning but as we met at the boatyard in Burgh Castle everyone was well wrapped up and ready for our adventure. It was such a popular evet that we had two boat loads of members going, arriving an hour apart. Very carefully we climbed into the little boat called The John and Betty Neale. As we made our way along Breydon Water many birds could be seen feeding on the exposed mud. There were gadwall, mallards, dunlin, redshank, and a curlew before we had gone very far. As we arrived at Berney Marshes, the reserve warden, Mark Smart was there to meet us along with the first group of WEX members who were ready to make their journey back. As we waved them off Mark explained that Berney Marshes was the most remote reserve the RSPB managed. It seemed hard to believe until we stood on the marshes and looked at the big areas of open marshland stretching as far as the eye could see. Mark talked about how important the management of an area like this is and that the reserve has some of the largest groups of water birds in the country visiting. Mark also talked about how the beautiful mill that towered over us was no longer in use but was once a water mill and in the distance we could see the train station, the smallest in the UK. There weren't many birds for us to see because it was so cold making the ground very hard and had little food for the birds to eat. But a group of pink footed geese flew over us and we disturbed a single snipe that flew away. There was also a marsh harrier hunting low over the reeds. Before we knew it our boat could be seen coming down the river and it was time to leave. We climbed back into the boat and thanked Mark as we set off. On our way back we saw many more birds feeding in the mud: black tailed and bar tailed godwit, little grebe, a large group of wigeon and a little egret. As we arrived back at Burgh Castle most of us had only one thing on our minds - where could we get a warming cup of hot chocolate! We were all cold but had really enjoyed our trip and we must say a huge thank you to Mark for taking the time to show us round this wonderful reserve and to our skipper Ralf without whom our our trip wouldn't have been possible.