World Clock
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Martinmere Part one Living in the northwest of the UK I am very lucky to be living close to a site of great conservation importance. Birds are one of my great passions and the WWT reserve at Martinmere is a place that I find both exciting and theraputic. The Wetlands and Wildfowl Trust (WWT) was founded in 1946 by the artist and naturalist Sir Peter Scott down at the first site in Slimbridge, Gloucester. Since then nine centres have been developed around the UK, their main purpose being to educate people for the need for conservation of wildfowl species around the world. Conservation at Martinmere covers not just the global collection of birds (see next months part 2) but also the ongoing conservation of wintering birds to the mere. It is this aspect that I would like to share with you now.    At Martinmere there is a diverse range of wetland habitat. As you look out there is a huge mere (large lake) which has a series of small islands in it, surrounded by extensive grassland and reedbeds. Swans, Geese and ducks can be seen foraging in the water and at the waters edge and all is peaceful and quiet. It is a bright early winters morning and the skies are so blue. Suddenly from a distance your ears pick up a noise that has, over the last few weeks become so familiar and beautiful. It is the honking of many geese. In unison they call to each other and like the red arrows in formation they appear in a huge skein, a huge tight v shape. Then like a jumbo jet they circle and turn and begin to drop lower as they make their descent. Half way down the ranks are suddenly broken and it is every goose for themselves as they make their landings on the waters below. Sometimes skeins can be small, just a few birds but at other times there can be dozens of birds. This is a scene that can be witnessed again and again all through winter and I think that there is no more beautiful sight. As a result it has become a site of great international importance for thousands of migrating whooper Swans, ducks and Geese, many whom have migrated thousands of miles from their breeding grounds near the Arctic circle.    The first of the birds usually to arrive back at the end of September are the Greylag and Pink footed geese. The majority of them spend their time grazing in the surrounding fields and reach totals of over 16,000 birds. The birds that most people come to see are the Whooper swans. The swans that mainly visit here are from Iceland and they come in their hundreds. By the end of November numbers reach well in excess of 1700 birds. Add their whooping call to the honking of several thousand geese and the noise at times can be quite something! Every day throughout November the skies are alive with the sounds and sights of swans, geese and ducks flying in and also flying out. From the mere sometimes the skies are black with flocks of birds swirling around, thousands strong.    Ducks also winter here in very large numbers. These include Green winged Teal, Northern Pintail, European wigeon, Pochard, Tufted Duck, Shelduck and coot. Cormorants can also be seen in large numbers as well as Lapwings forming flocks of several hundred strong and waders such as ruff and redshank also regularly being seen. Martinmere attracts both the serious birdwatcher with their power telescopes and camera and the interested public, often with their young children alike. With its strategic hides and heated observatories it caters for all levels of interests and skills.    Martinmere does a wonderful job in continuing the successful conservation of thousands of our wintering birds. I always look forward to winter as it brings with it such wonderful spectacles that cannot be seen at any other time of the year. I love to talk with the serious birder who comes to see the latest rarity but I also love to talk to those who just come to marvel at the spectacle. The children love it here too and it is with them that the future success of places like Martinmere depends. Hopefully those images will mould their attitudes towards future conservation thus ensuring the continuing success of these birds. For now though, just like me, I hope that they can just sit there, watch, and thoroughly enjoy it. Written by Psilo