Elmley Update: February 2014

Now is the time

• Winter is here and we are an exposed site. Please be prepared with suitable footwear and clothing. Due to the ‘damp’ conditions the trails are very muddy and sometimes under water
• Staggering numbers of birds across the whole reserve. A fantastic spectacle of wildfowl, waders and others. Around high tide is the best time to see them when many of the birds are pushed up from the mudflats.
• Starling numbers are good – some wonderful sights across the marsh skies when these flocks are being pursued by various birds of prey.
• The flocks of finches and buntings making good use of the wild bird seed mix
• Water levels are very high to the extent that we are trying to get some away to sea. Prolonged surface flooding can have a detrimental effect on soil flora/fauna.

Other reserve news 

• We have erected 6 new ‘perching posts’ alongside the track between Kingshill Farm and Spitend. We hope you find them useful.
• Due to storm damage the owl box in the Oak trees has been replaced – thanks to Mike Short for the box. No pressure Mike but the old one lasted 20 years………………..
• Some of the works in progress – a viewing area along the entrance track with improved scrapes (please remain inside your vehicles)/a viewing mound here at Kingshill /enlarging of the pond below the farmhouse. Two new hides are also planned along the Swale – the base mounds for which we prepared last year.
  • The wild bird seed mix has done well and includes Sunflower, Millet, Quinoa(the tall plant similar to Fat hen), Kale, Phacelia( the blue flower) , Buckwheat and Chicory. This provides food and cover for many birds over the winter. It will hopefully also help with our re-establishment of the Grey Partridge. As a further aide the blue feeders you can see along the edge of the cover crop provide winter food for the partridge and other birds.
  • We have also re-seeded another 1.1ha. One strip of autumn sown Wild Bird Seed Mix/One strip of Pollen and Nectar Mix for Bumblebee conservation.  Further information available atwww.kingscrops.co.uk
  • On the farming calendar: All the cattle have left the farm for calving and will start returning mid-March onwards with their new calves. The two flocks of Romney sheep have been pregnancy scanned with results of 185% and 175% which for this breed under extensive grazing conditions is very good. The proliferacy has been increased by introducing New Zealand ‘easy care’ bloodlines
  • The new Elmley NNR website is now open. We hope you like it and invite your comments and any ideas you may have on how it might be improved.
  • Parking Permits for Spitend. Permits are available for those unable to walk down to the hides
  • If you require any information regarding the management/history of the reserve etc please feel free to contact us.
  • To avoid inadvertent disturbance to roosting and feeding birds at Spitend please access the hides using the nature trails rather than crossing the new cattle grid