News archive
March 2008
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Cliffe Pools Project Update
March 2008
This briefing covers the headline Cliffe Pools project activity, and associated work in the North Kent Marshes, for relevant RSPB staff, volunteers and key contacts. Information contained in this is not
confidential, but please contact Sally Jennings if you would like this sheet sent to any other party. This is not a replacement to On the Marshes, which is produced every six months for general release.
Please contact Sally if you would like to be removed from this email list,
Major Lottery grant achieved with SEEDA support Contact: Sarah Cooper We released news of the exciting £1.7M grant from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) on 20 Feb, generating widespread press coverage. The grant -
called a Stage 1 pass - allows the next stage of planning to progress. It will also help pump-prime further funding, which Sarah and a team of RSPB project fundraising staff are actively seeking. The South East
England Development Agency were instrumental in helping us secure the HLF grant, and is funding the Project Manager role for three years. Further SEEDA funding is also being made available for remediation and site infrastructure works, including the car park.
Car park permission hoped for within weeks: Contact Sarah Cooper
We are hoping for a decision from Medway Council by late March on our planning application for the car park. This is slightly later than anticipated as the council are now likely to ask that we also provide a
permissive path parallel to the reserve's access road to ensure pedestrian safety. Assuming that planning permission is granted, we now expect to have completed the car park by the end of summer 2008 provided
we can find funding for the new path. We will also be looking at raising the ground levels there in preparation for this and other visitor facilities to be developed in this area .
Access opportunities explored Contact: Sarah Cooper
RSPB Cliffe Pools is a large site, and we are keen to explore possible ways to accommodate different ways for people to enjoy the countryside and its wildlife. This might include limited cycle access or maintaining
access for horse-riders to certain segregated routes. We are currently exploring how these options might be incorporated within our core plans and within the tight legal constraints of an internationally-designated
wildlife site.
Site layout alterations Contact Sarah Cooper
An internal RSPB workshop on 15 Feb recommended slight alterations to the proposed layout of visitor infrastructure at Cliffe Pools. In particular, the Reception Building will be placed adjacent to the car
park and not on the edge of the Alpha Pool. This will give visitors a better welcome and orientation on arrival, and improve car park security. There will also be a slight shift to the orientation of the
Discovery Zone. We hope to make this revised site layout plan available soon.
Vital dredgings work takes priority Contact: Sarah Cooper
The restoration plan for Cliffe Pools that will allow it to fulfil its potential for wildlife requires hundreds of thousands of cubic metres of Thames dredgings to be pumped into the pools. Originally a long-term
plan, we are now hoping to receive dredgings from the forthcoming Thames Gateway port development at Shellhaven which will allow us to complete the work in a much shorter time. We have therefore had to prioritise this work, which requires massive planning and multiple consents. As a result, we have deferred development of reserve infrastructure slightly (by a matter of a few months), which will now start in 2010. This will not affect the construction of the car park this year.
Project Management Contact: Sarah Cooper
The Cliffe Pools project is one of the RSPB's largest and requires that we coordinate the involvement of government departments, local government, Thames Gateway, local stakeholders, key funders, site users,
external engineers, and consultants. Given the size of the project, we are also required to follow European procurement procedures, adding three months to each and every tendering process. This is a major
juggling exercise where we are not only as constrained as any other developer working elsewhere in the country, but we have to plan our work in the context of what is an internationally-important site for
wildlife. Given this context, the progress made so far is very encouraging indeed.
Cliffe Pools to get Assistant warden Contact: Paul Hyde
A new assistant warden, Sarah Cartlidge, who has previously worked at RSPB Fairburn Ings in Yorkshire, will start in April.
Fly-tipping remains a nuisance, but is definitely on the wane Contact:
Paul Hyde
While we are delighted that most antisocial activities at Cliffe Pools are vastly reduced, a few activities such as occasional fly-tipping continues to be a sad addition to our workload. We remain confident that
given the huge progress so far and a far greater on-site presence once the car park and Assistant Warden are in place, the issues will continue to wane.
Public engagement event at Cliffe village Contact Carol Donaldson
A meeting to discuss the Step One plans for Cliffe Pools attracted 70 people from local communities, RSPB local groups and regular visitors to the reserve. Participants had a chance to talk to reserve staff about
the plans and vote on aspects of the infrastructure. All attendees responded favourably to the plans to improve access, install bird hides, toilets and a car park at the reserve and discussion took place over
making the site accessible for horse riders and the route of trails leading across the pools.
Black Barn Pools contamination: Contact Paul Hyde
We had been hoping to deepen the Black Barn Pools so that they hold more water to attract more wildlife. Unfortunately, the analysis of what lies beneath the Black Barn Pools revealed a noxious mix of heavy metals and hydrocarbons, a legacy of dumping prior to modern waste disposal legislation. As a result, we need to avoid disturbing the bottom of these pools, so we will need to invent new possible solutions.
Improvements for breeding terns: Contact Carol Donaldson
We have been undertaking various projects to improve the chance of Common Terns returning to breed at Cliffe Pools. Several volunteer work parties have cleared vegetation from the tops of islands in the pools,
and the Northward Hill Thursday volunteer team have built and floated a tern breeding raft onto Elf Pool, and are planning more.
Naughty Nuns and Nightingales walking guide Contact: Carol Donaldson
The RSPB has produced a new walking leaflet for the Cliffe area, the latest one in a series, that takes in not only traditional sites where nightingales sing in spring, but passes through the village of Higham, scene of a scandal involving a vicar and some Benedictine nuns some 500-years ago. Contact Carol for copies of the guide
Aren't birds brilliant! on Medway Estuary Contact David James
With the huge help from volunteers from Medway, Gravesham. Maidstone and Canterbury RSPB Local Groups, we ran a very successful Aren't birds brilliant! event during half-term week at Riverside Country Park (Gillingham), where we showed over 1000 people birdwatching delights such as huge flocks of Dunlin, plenty of Brent Geese and even a Red-throated Diver. We expect work such as this to continue, even once
Cliffe Pools is established, as part of a North Kent Marshes-wide programme of people engagement with the wonderful wildlife throughout the area.
Preparing for formal education at Cliffe Pools Contact: David James
We have been building a successful and developing field-teaching and outreach education scheme based at Northward Hill for several years now, in readiness for a fully-fledged scheme at Cliffe Pools. We are
currently developing the various programmes/packages in order to hit the ground running once facilities are established at Cliffe Pools, and are setting up training programmes for field teachers to investigate the
habitats and wildlife at Cliffe Pools.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS Contact Carol Donaldson/ David James A full events programme is online at www.rspb.org.uk/events, or call the reserve for a free leaflet. Headline events include:
12 April - Guided walk: Creating a flagship reserve. Hear more about the plans to develop RSPB Cliffe Pools as a flagship reserve. Booking essential (01634 222480). Free
17 May - Cliffe Creek clean up. Volunteer work party to remove litter from the historic waterway.
18 May - Poetry-writing workshop. Join Medway poet Katherine May at Cliffe Pools and discover your creative side!
25 May - RSPB Cliffe Pools Open Day. Drop in at Salt Lane any time between 11am and 4pm
Contact details:
Based at RSPB South East Regional Office: 01273 775333
Sarah Cooper, Project Manager sarah.cooper@rspb.org.uk
Based at RSPB North Kent Marshes Office: 01634 222480
Alan Johnson, North Kent Marshes Area Manager alan.johnson@rspb.org.uk
Paul Hyde, Cliffe Pools Warden paul.hyde@rspb.org.uk
Carol Donaldson, North Kent Marshes Community Officer carol.donaldson@rspb.org.uk
David James, Assistant People Engagement Officer/ Lead Field Teacher david.james@rspb.org.uk
Sally Jennings, Administrator sally.jennings@rspb.org.uk
For more information on Cliffe pools follow the link to the RSPB website below:
Saturday, 15 March 2008
Aren't Birds Brilliant at Bewl!
Monday, 10 March 2008
Recent Sightings - Jan/Feb 08
At Haysden in January, Little Egret were present on Longfield lake. On the 3rd 8 Goosander including 4 males were present and 2 Water Rail were at Barden end. Also at Barden were Meadow Pipit as well as Siskin. Kingfishers were also present and both Sparrowhawk and Buzzard were in the area. A Barn Owl was also recorded.
In February the Goosander were still present as well as large numbers of Widgeon. Large flocks of Fieldfare were present this month as well as the continued presence of Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Barn Owl. A Peregrine was recorded on the 26th and a Woodcock was also in the area.
Bough Beech Reservoir recorded large numbers of winter finches in January including Brambling and Redpoll. There were also Goosander, Mandarin and Shelduck throughout the month. White-fronted geese were also recorded as well as Ruddy Duck and Pintail. Snipe were seen regularly and raptors recorded around the reservoir included Sparrowhawk and Peregrine. Over wintering Chiffcahff and Backcap were also spotted.
February produced a similar list as the above with the addition of Mediterranean Gull on the 3rd and 8 Brent Geese on the 13th. A Common Scoter, (male) was about on the 16th as well as a Red-necked Grebe on the 18th and 23rd. A Caspian Gull was recorded on the 25th and on the 26th there was a Great White Egret on the north lake.
For more information about the above click on the link below or go to the Places to see birds section of this site.
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
