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Martinmere Part Two Last month I gave you a tour of Martinmere on the wild side, showing you the feeding grounds of the wild birds that visit during the winter months. During the summer months there is very little to see on the mere but inside the reserve, amongst the bird collections, there is something to see all year round. Martinmere is one of nine centres around the UK that is owned by the Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust. (WWT) Conservation and education are amongst one of their most important objectives and as a result visitors leave with a greater love and understanding of nature in general and wildfowl in particular. Martinmere is the home to approximately 130 different species of ducks, geese, swans, flamingos and cranes. Specially created lagoons and lakes are the homes to species from all over the world and they are housed in geographically sectioned areas of the reserve. Everywhere you walk there is something of interest to see and with the passing of the seasons the reserve takes on a very different mood. In the summer the reserve takes on a purple hue. Buddlejia flowers dress the hedgerows and self heal creates a purple carpet that makes the most beautiful backdrop for any bird photograph. In the autumn the reserve becomes ablaze with its firey colours of red, yellow and orange. Spring is the most exciting time at Martinmere and I always look forward to seeing the first signs of nest building. The earliest birds to breed however are not one of the collections birds but a wild bird, the Moorhen. This is a native bird and is very shy and sulking in the wild. At Martinmere however they have become very tame and have bred so successfully that they can be seen in huge numbers. They also build their nests in the most unsuitable places, that at times are in danger of being trodden on by an unwary visitor. Another native wild bird to breed successfully here is the shelduck. Shelducks like to breed underground and have taken advantage of the many rabbit warrens that are here. Martinmere also has an extensive breeding program which fights to ensure the survival of many endangered species from all over the world, in the wild and in captivity. Sadly some species are still too vulnerable to be released back into the wild and so their continued survival is carried on at centres like Martinmere. The greatest success to date of the WWT was with the breeding and releasing back into the wild of the Hawaiian Goose or Ne ne. During the 1940s this goose faced extinction due largely to predation and hunting but efforts to breed them in captivity was very successful and today there are about 800 pairs once again breeding on the Hawaiian Islands. A lot of the ducklings at Martinmere are under very great threat from predation by gulls so just before eggs are due to hatch they are taken to the nursery where they are hatched out and reared in safety before being released back into the reserve. Goslings and cygnets do stay with their parents and on the whole do very well. This year the trumpeter swans bred for the very first time. Two eggs were laid but sadly only one hatched. Luckily, it was a strong cygnet and he grew into a very healthy bird watched over proudly by both of its parents. Seeing the young birds is always of great excitement to the children that visit and there is never a shortage of them to see. This year my children and I loved to watch the progress of five black necked swan cygnets who began their lives as little grey balls of fluff hiding under their mothers wings and grew into fine versions of their parents by the end of the summer. Another favourite with the children is feeding time. The birds all have special diets and specially made pellets are fed accordingly. Without need of any kind of watch the birds on swan lake (the main lake on the reserve) all know when it is feeding time and gather, waiting. Excitement amongst the ducks is rife and as soon as the warden appears with his barrow its every duck for itself making even the meanest looking rugby scrum appear tame. Children can also hand feed all the ducks and geese and this is a wonderful way of getting children to feel comfortable so close to nature For me Martinmere is a place of respite. Its changing scenery and mood continually inspires and heals me. It has been a wonderful place to bring my children to learn about the importance of nature and they never tire with coming with me. The WWT do an excellent job and the worlds wildfowl is in a healthier state because of the work they do. THE END Written by Psilo Part one