The Environment Agency create a potential Sand martin nesting site (1 Viewer)

[trw]

Intrigued by two diggers working on a local river bank, it turned out they've been creating a potential new site for Sand Martins.
For years a pile of sandy soil has been left on the side of the river following flood defence work.
A local birdwatcher asked if they could flatten it out and leave a bank on the side of the river for Sand Martins as a nesting site.
They've obliged and done a good job of it too.
You can only ask!

 

[delia todd]

What great news that is!

Many thanks for letting us know Pratincol.... any chance of a picture, or is it not in your area?

 

[trw]

What great news that is!

Many thanks for letting us know Pratincol.... any chance of a picture, or is it not in your area?

Good news indeed!
Don't have a camera, nor mobile phone, but I will see if I can get a photo.
I was there this morning and the diggers had gone, maybe just in time for the Sand Martins to nest.
Makes a change from tales about habitats being destroyed.
I didn't have a clue what was going on till I spoke to the birdwatcher, this morning, who'd made the request.

Meanwhile the extensive tree planting in Cumbria continues apace.
In response to Storm Desmond, acres of hillsides have been planted with deciduous trees to help slow down, or reduce water flow. They are fenced off so scrub and a range of plants will also grow, ungrazed by sheep or deer.
Hopefully, it will create new habitats for a different range of birds and wildlife, hitherto not generally seen on the bare, sheep-grazed slopes of Cumbria.
On Sunday I found three new plantations near Killington, where the slopes drop steeply to the Lune Valley.
These are the latest I've seen, the others are in Bannisdale, Borrowdale near Tebay and the Howgills near Tebay.

 

[Kits]

What a great story.

 

[trw]

What a great story.

Makes a change!
As I've said before we are actually seeing some gains to counteract the losses. Since some most are within National Park boundaries, there's more protection against them being surrounded by creeping, built- up developments.
Apart from the new tree planting initiatives local changes include: The National Trust creating a large-scale wetland site, Natural England have creating a raised bog, The Forestry Commission have chopped down a dense pine forest and replanted it with less densley spaced deciduous trees, a local caravan park has established a wetland site with hides, Foulshaw Moss, thanks to the Cumbria Wildlife Trust has developed as a raised bog which has seen returning Ospreys breeding for the past 7 years, and another improved raised bog reserve saw Cetti's Warbler for the first time, last year, as well as a pair of Osprey.

 

[delia todd]

Gosh!!! Things really sound as if they're on the up in your area Pratincol.

Many thanks for all that info lad.

 

[stuartvine]

Great to hear some good conservation news for a change. :t:

 

[Dortmundbirder]

This worked very well in my city too.
During construction of a new retention basin we saw some Sand Martins investigating a pile of Soil which were left in the middle of the basin.
Godd conversations with the company behind the whole network of basins immediately stopped the construction at this pile and even after finishing they left it. Now we have the 3rd consecutive year with 30+ breeding pairs of Sand Martins after 40 years ob absence of this Species in Dortmund.

Most people are happy to help for conservation if it is possible I guess.
Happy that it worked out in your area as well.

 

[trw]

This worked very well in my city too.
During construction of a new retention basin we saw some Sand Martins investigating a pile of Soil which were left in the middle of the basin.
Godd conversations with the company behind the whole network of basins immediately stopped the construction at this pile and even after finishing they left it. Now we have the 3rd consecutive year with 30+ breeding pairs of Sand Martins after 40 years ob absence of this Species in Dortmund.

Most people are happy to help for conservation if it is possible I guess.
Happy that it worked out in your area as well.

Brilliant!
After an abscence of 40 years too.

 

[trw]

At least Four Lapwing chicks now at one of the sites mentioneed above.
There'll be more on the way hopefully, too.
Prior to it's creation, it was poor looking grazing land and I've no record of Lapwings ever breeding there.