Tuesday 30 July 2013

30th July: Impressive clearance of Pirri-pirri burs

With the help of Jo and volunteer Harry, this afternoon we collected two huge bags of Pirri-pirri bur seeds from the dunes of the Reserve. This is an invasive, non-native plant from New Zealand, which grows aggressively and pushes out native plants. The seeds have spines that stick to clothing and dog fur, meaning they are easily transported. Once we started collecting the seeds by hand, they stuck together and easily rolled up into big balls!

Harry and Jo with just some of their Pirri seed balls - impressive work!

This is part of ongoing work to clear the Pirri-pirri burs from the major paths among the Reserve. This means that when visitors walk along the main paths here there is less chance of them picking up burs on their clothing, so the risk of seeds being transported to other sites nearby is reduced. It also creates less nuisance for visitors.

Showing how difficult it is to remove the seeds once they get attached to clothing!

In addition to checking your clothing, please check your dog for the spiny burs after visiting the Reserve.
If you would like to join our team of volunteers to tackle the Pirri-pirri bur and help out on the Reserve, please contact the Reserve office on 01289 381470.



Wednesday 24 July 2013

24th July: This weekend's events

This Saturday 27th July, join Reserve warden Laura as she carries out a seawatch from the North Shore of the Island. This is part of ERIC North East and ORCA's Big Watch Weekend, recording whales, dolphins and porpoises across the entire North East coast - more information at ERIC's Big Watch Weekend page. Please feel free to come and join in!

Drop in anytime from 10am to 4pm at Emmanuel Head - when you reach Lindisfarne Castle, follow the path along the coast to the left until you reach the triangular beacon on the shore.

View of Emmanuel Point from Sandham Bay


On Sunday 28th July, our volunteer warden and local historian John will be leading his fantastic Lost Buildings of Lindisfarne walk from 1pm to 3pm. The last Lost Buildings walk was hugely successful and popular, with some attendees returning to hear more from John on his St Cuthbert's walk! You will learn so much about the history of the Island and the local cultures in days gone by, and learn the story of some often overlooked architectural features on the Island.

Places are limited and booking is essential for this event, details of how to book are on our Events page.

John's previous Lost Buildings of Lindisfarne walk

23rd July - Butterflies and Botany on Lindisfarne NNR

Summer has well and truly kicked in and the amazingly diverse plant species on Lindisfarne NNR are blooming, much to the delight of the Island's abundant butterflies and moths (and visitors!).

Butterflies are making the most of the floral spectacle - the Reserve's fantastic Dark Green Fritillaries can be seen among the dunes now, along with lots of Common Blue, Small Heath, Green-veined White, and good numbers of Ringlet. Graylings have also been seen recently, you will be lucky to spot one of these well-camouflaged butterflies.

The Dark Green Fritillary - Lindisfarne NNR is one of the best places in Northumberland to see this butterfly


Ringlet butterfly

The Reserve is a fantastic place for budding botanists to learn about coastal and duneland plant species, and for the more experienced there are plenty of beautiful species to see - the Reserve is one of the most important sites in the region for several orchid species, many of which can be seen in bloom now.

One of our most beautiful orchids is the Marsh Helleborine, flowering in their thousands during July. This species grows abundantly in the damp dune slacks and lower-lying areas of the dunes.


Many Marsh Helleborines in flower among the dunes


One beautiful Marsh Helleborine


Two 6-spot Burnet moths on Pyramidal orchids (with some Pirri-pirri bur in the background). Pyramidal orchids grow in many shades of pink, and occasionally white variants can occur.


Orchids may be our 'star' attractions, but other duneland plants are just as beautiful. This is the Seaside Centaury in bloom on the duneland of the Reserve - this species is rare in this county and is abundant on Lindisfarne this year. Its flowers can be seen from July - August.

It is important that we preserve the habitat for all these fantastic flowers - one way we are doing this is by controlling the spread of Pirri-pirri bur which competes with the native plants. Please keep dogs on short lead or at heel when visiting the Reserve, this will prevent flowers being trampled and also stop Pirri-pirri bur seeds being spread.

Monday 22 July 2013

16th July: John Muir Award group help out on the NNR

Last Tuesday, another gloriously sunny and hot day, we had an excellent group of students from Berwick Middle School visit the Reserve to get stuck into litter collection and invasive plant clearance. These activities counted towards the student’s John Muir Award, the educational initiative of the John Muir Trust. This is a fantastic way for young people to learn about conservation and how they can care for their natural environment.

The day began with an introduction to the Reserve, then straight into a litter pick around the East shore of Budle Bay. The students saw why it is important to carry out regular litter picks in tidal areas, as we filled many bags with parts of glass bottles, pieces of plastic and old fishing nets – they also found some more ‘interesting’ rubbish such as half an old bell!


Students collecting litter at Budle Bay

After lunch, it was straight back to Budle Bay – this time to begin clearing an invasive species of cordgrass, Spartina anglica. This species, which is very vigorous and pushes out native saltmarsh communities, is a hybrid with our native cordgrass and an introduced species of cordgrass from America. The hybrid grows very quickly and takes over the mudflats, so removes habitat for geese and wading birds which use the Reserve to feed and roost.

Digging up the Spartina - very muddy business!

Thankfully, the sun had disappeared for the afternoon so it was cooler for digging! Spartina is quite difficult to clear, requiring digging underneath the deep, dense roots which need removed completely or the plant will continue to grow. The plants were collected in large bags which were dragged up to the lay-by, which the students enjoyed very much!

Pulling a large bag full of Spartina bag up the bank - hard work!!

This is the 9th year that students from Berwick Middle School have come to the Reserve to carry out activities towards their John Muir Award, and since then the extent of the Spartina has reduced. We’re so grateful to the school and students for coming to help us out, and we’re very happy to be able to offer activities like this to local groups.

If you work with school or volunteer groups and are interested in carrying out projects on Lindisfarne NNR, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – tel. 01289 381470 to speak to a member of Reserve staff.


Wednesday 17 July 2013

Successful Official Opening Event and Wild Education Day!

The Window on Wild Lindisfarne building was officially opened on Thursday 11th July in a ceremony where Lady Rose Crossman, the owner of the land on which the Window on Wild Lindisfarne is built, was invited to formally open the building. The ceremony was also presented by Richard Patterson, the chair of the Holy Island Development Trust, and Natural England's Director of Access and Engagement, Liz Newton. It was fantastic to see the building completed and open for everyone to visit, with a great turnout of locals and visitors to watch the ceremony.

Pupils and teachers from three local First Schools were also invited to the ceremony and to a special programme of fun activities, as the first formal event held in the Window on Wild Lindisfarne and in its sister building, the Lookout on Wild Lindisfarne. 

The building is open! From L-R: Dick Patterson, Lady Rose Crossman, and Liz Newton.

The purpose of the stunning Window on Wild Lindisfarne is to provide a hub for visitors to learn more about the amazing wildlife of Lindisfarne, not to mention a great viewing point from which to see birds and other wildlife in inclement weather! It is also a perfect place to hold events and educational activities for children and natural history groups from near and far.


What a turnout!

The Lindisfarne NNR team were joined by Natural England staff and volunteers from other Reserves, and our Events team who were fantastic in helping the day run smoothly.

After the opening ceremony, our Wild Education Day began! This was a great opportunity to teach local children about looking after the Reserve, to show them the fantastic animals and birds living here, and to make some craft seals and lobsters for them to take home! 

Staff from Castle Eden Dene NNR talking to the schoolchildren before investigating the rockpools

We hope the schoolchildren enjoyed the day and learned lots about why the Reserve is so important. It was great to work with such enthusiastic children who got stuck right in to all the fun activities - they especially enjoyed being shown the creatures in the rock pools, and were careful to put the animals back where they were found:

Fascinated by a brittle star

Thanks from the Lindisfarne NNR team to the children, teachers and helpers from Hugh Joicey, Scremerston, and Belford First Schools, to everyone who attended and to those who did a fantastic job of helping out. We think this is a great example of how local schools and groups can work with us on educational projects, and to help us look after the Reserve - here's to many more events in our Window on Wild Lindisfarne.

Monday 15 July 2013

14th July - St Cuthbert: Lindisfarne's first Nature Warden

Our volunteer warden and local historian John Woodhurst did the first of his three St Cuthbert walks and talks on Sunday. It was a glorious day and we certainly gained a different perspective on Lindisfarne's best loved saint.

John explaining the Anglo-Saxon roots of St. Mary's church and the inspiration for the 12th Century Lindisfarne Priory

John writes:

"I always enjoy talking to people about Cuthbert and making them realise that far from being just another saint with a halo to unpack, there's a real man behind all the miracle stories. Not only that but a genuinely likable man of many talents - at home both with kings and princesses and bishops and abbesses, AND with ordinary folk in the "mountainy villages" he might be out travelling in for weeks at a time. Dangerous places to be in those days with wild boar, wolves etc wandering about - no dragons though! Cuthbert was also a man who sailed with other monks often in severe weather and in primitive craft, not just (!) to the Farnes but as far afield as St Abbs, Coquet Island and even Pictland! When he became a hermit on the Farnes he insisted on building his own dwellings, and growing his own crops. So a very practical and strong man still best known for his love of the natural world and interaction with the animal kingdom. I gave as many examples of animal-related stories as possible - domestic animals (horses, sheep and cattle), wild animals (otters, eagles and salmon), and a range of birds (ravens, geese, the famous Cuddy's duck and cormorants) to show that in many ways Cuthbert was truly Lindisfarne's first Nature Reserve Warden. By the end of our walk I think everyone agreed I'd made a good case for this, and they went away feeling they'd got much closer to Cuthbert as a person and friend rather than a distant saint. I look forward to telling the tale again so if you missed this check our Events for other dates - hope to see you then."

Hearing about the history of St Cuthbert's Island, Cuthbert's famous bolthole just off Holy Island

John's walk was so informative, revealing a side to Cuthbert that is perhaps not as widely 'preached' as it should be! It was fascinating to hear the many stories of his encounters with wildlife, and how these stories may have originated and developed through time. It's inspiring to think that Cuthbert, not only one of the most well-known and loved saints in the area, laid down the first rules to protect Lindisfarne's beautiful landscape and wildlife, making it all the more important that we continue what Cuthbert began.

Please make sure you don't miss the next one, on Sunday 28th July - more details here (link)

Hearing about the Anglo-Saxon discoveries on the Heugh, near where the Lookout building sits today

9th July: Pirri-pirri bur bashing

Reserve staff and volunteers have begun the removal of Pirri-pirri bur from the sand dunes at Cocklawburn and Cheswick, part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) adjacent to the Reserve. We have been tackling it using garden forks and hand-pulling, which is effective at removing most of the vegetation but is very hard work!

Our volunteer warden showing how easily the burs attach themselves to your clothing!

Reserve staff have been working with Berwick Wildlife Group to map the extent of Pirri-Pirri bur at the Northern edge of the Reserve. Large patches have been found among Cheswick dunes, part of the SSSI that we have a responsibility to manage as it is next to the Lindisfarne NNR - the Reserve reaches the mean high tide mark here.

The grid reference of each patch of Pirri-pirri has been recorded in order to create a map of it's invasion. Reserve staff and volunteers will then remove the Pirri-pirri at each reference point, then next year repeat this to see how effective removal has been (hopefully very much so!). Berwick Wildlife Group have been great in organising these surveys and raising awareness about problems with Pirri-pirri in the local area.

The prickly fruiting bodies of the Pirri-pirri bur - these break down on contact, allowing the seeds to spread further

In addition to the seeds being spread by the prickly burs, the plant also spreads by stolons that grow underground - this can make it hard to remove completely. Pirri-pirri causes artificial dune stabilisation, competes with native sand dune species, invades the botanically rich areas of the dunes in dry seasons, and burs can get tangled in fledgling bird's feathers preventing them from flying.

In addition to hand-pulling the plants, Reserve staff and volunteers are collecting the seeds on the main paths among the dunes of Holy Island to prevent them being spread further into the dunes. You can help us by staying on the paths when visiting the Reserve, and by checking your shoes, clothing and dogs for the burs before leaving.




Tuesday 9 July 2013

5th July - A special post from our placement student this week

We were very happy to have Molly, a student attending High School in Alnwick, help us out on the Reserve as part of her work experience last week.

Molly writes:

"Hi! I'm Molly, a student in sixth form at Duchess's Community High School in Alnwick and I'm just coming to the end of a week's work experience placement with Natural England at the Lindisfarne National Nature Reserve. So I'm doing a one-time-only blog entry to let you know all about everything I've experienced and learnt whilst I've been here...

Day 1 - MONDAY: I arrived in the morning and, after having a volunteer induction, was given my schedule from the week. It looked great with something new to look forward to every day! I already knew I was not going to have a bored moment here.
In the afternoon after settling into the office at Beal, it was straight out onto site with Reserve Warden Laura for a butterfly survey around the Snook on the Island. As we walked, Laura explained to me that she does the survey once a week so that the results she collects each time can be collated and then analysed for trends etc. I also learned that there is so much that can affect whether these butterflies will be spotted flying around including amount of sunlight and wind speed and direction.
The rain held off but because it was quite windy, Laura didn't expect we would see too many species fluttering by - however there were actually more than I expected. We even spotted a common blue - the first time Laura had seen one this year! 
After this we got back to the office and Jo, Lead Advisor for the NNR North team, explained to me about an event on the Island next week where 75 first school students will be arriving on the Island for the official opening of the new Window on Wild Lindisfarne building so I began helping to prepare for that creating some activity sheets for the children.
All in all, a full day and a great start to the week!

Dark Green Fritillary - many of these were seen on the butterfly transect this week

Day 2 - TUESDAY: I was barely in the office half an hour before I was off out with Laura again. This time we went to the Cheswick part of the nature reserve (until this week, I didn't realise that the island only makes up quite a small portion of the Reserve) to show me how to carry out a Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) and to look at the different species of birds we could see along the coast. This is something that is done once a month and basically, you look for all the different species of wetland birds you see and record them.
On this occasion, we mainly saw herring gulls. In fact, there was a large group of about 193 of them - I have no idea how Laura didn't lose count; imagine what it must be like in the winter when the Reserve plays home to several thousand waterfowl, including thousands of light-bellied Brent geese, at one time on Lindisfarne!
We came back for lunch but it was straight out again; this time with Jo.She took me to the island and showed me round the two new buildings. The newest building (Window on Wild Lindisfarne) on the way to the castle is a true architectural triumph with each tiny environmental detail considered. From the turf roof to the way the grouting is set way back (allowing cover for bees) and gaps within the walls that have been specifically left for birds to nest, everything has been covered. It is a place which will surely become a birdwatcher's paradise in the winter months when the thousands of geese come to rest on the field directly behind it. Next, to the Lookout tower. Again, I thought this was a great building providing spectacular views of the entire Island. I particularly liked looking out to see the many heads of seals bobbing up and down in the water!
Finally, to finish off the day, we went down to the beach for a spot of rock-pooling, carefully looking around to make sure there would be something there for the children to find when they're here next week. We weren't disappointed with shore crabs, a few shrimp and plenty of common periwinkles. But I hope you find some starfish next week too guys!

On Lindisfarne NNR, looking North towards Berwick-Upon-Tweed

Day 3 - WEDENESDAY: In the morning, I had barely finished off the activity sheets before it was back onto the Reserve straight away with Jo again. On the Island, we met up with Julie from Newcastle University who is part of the Northumbrian exchange project. She told me how she is currently conducting a project which focuses on presenting Holy Island from the perspective of the Islanders themselves. She really wants the community to take part and is using a variety of workshops from photography and art to dance and sounds which everyone can get involved in.
It was really interesting for me to get an insight into this side of Natural England; before this placement I only considered the science side of things but this has given me the opportunity to see the connections with the arts it also has. It seems lovely that so many different organisations (including the Holy Island Partnership too) on Lindisfarne seem to have the same end goal: maintaining it as the beautiful place it is.

The stunning view from the Lookout on Wild Lindisfarne

Day 4 - THURSDAY: In the morning, Laura and I went straight out onto site once more to collect in the Little Tern decoys. Laura told me that unfortunately, they do not seem to have encouraged Little Terns to nest in this trialled decoy area yet but it is something that has worked in the past in other areas so... hopefully next year! It was ideal to get a little bit of an insight into this in the morning because after a quick litter-pick on the way back to the car, it was back to the office but then in the afternoon we went with Andrew, Senior Reserve Manager, to Long Nanny to visit the Little Terns and Arctic Terns at this National Trust site. The Tern colony there was a wonder to see and that is no surprise being that it is the biggest mainland Arctic Tern colony in the UK. I really hope one day we will see that kind of sight on Lindisfarne.

Day 5 - FRIDAY: Today is my last day with Natural England, back to school next week. Already this morning we have gone out to the Reserve again. This time, it was to see a Lindisfarne Helleborine which was great as Andrew explained to me that this orchid is only found on Lindisfarne and nowhere else in the world. Then this afternoon we are planning to go out again and pull up as much as possible of the invasive species, the Pirri-pirri bur. I have been warned this is not always an easy task as sometimes their root systems can be extensive! But whatever difference we can make will be a good one. 
  
So that's me. I have had a great time this week and I feel like I have learnt so much; it has given me such a better understanding of what goes into the management of an NNR. This week has really opened my eyes to not only how much work goes into keeping something as nature intended but also how rewarding a career type this would be. After just a week I feel like I have become quite invested in the site and want to help in the conservation of the many species its dynamic habitats play home to.

I think I definitely want to come back here and do some more volunteering if I can!

Thank you Natural England with particular thanks to Jo, Laura and Andrew for this brilliant opportunity and experience."

Reserve staff are very grateful to Molly for all her hard work last week, we really hope she enjoyed it and keeps in touch! We all wish you the very best of luck in pursuing your future studies and career in conservation. Special thanks to Duchess's Community High School for the opportunity to provide a placement for Molly.


Thursday 4 July 2013

Upcoming Guided Walk at Lindisfarne NNR

On Sunday 14th July from 1pm - 3.30pm, volunteer Natural England warden and local historian John Woodhurst will be leading a free guided walk around the Reserve. This walk, titled "St Cuthbert, Lindisfarne's First Nature Warden", will focus on the links between St Cuthbert and the natural history of Holy Island and the surrounding area.

John's last walk - The Lost Buildings of Lindisfarne - was a great success, with some of the same visitors returning next week to hear more!

Visitors enjoying John's previous walk on Lindisfarne, 16th June - let's hope for similar weather

This time the walk will begin from the new Window on Wild Lindisfarne building, on the Harbour Road on the way to the Castle, so this is a great chance to attend the walk and stop by the new building if you've not been yet.

Booking is essential for this event - places are limited. More information, how to book, and the rest of our 2013 event program can be found on our Events page.

Tuesday 2 July 2013

29th June: ERIC group visit

On Saturday, Reserve staff led a visit to Lindisfarne NNR arranged by the Environmental Records Information Centre for the North East (ERIC North East). We had a short walk along the North Shore and part of the Snook to see the abundant orchids that are blooming just now, and even saw a few Small Heath and Common Blue butterflies, and Burnet moths too! These day-flying moths seemed to especially enjoy the Viper's Bugloss - a large hairy plant with beautiful violet blue flowers - look out for them if you are on the Reserve.

Afterwards we stopped off at the village to visit the new Window on Wild Lindisfarne and Lookout buildings - these proved very popular. Our visitors were especially interested in viewing the seals from the Lookout tower, which is a great place to set up a spotting scope to view the seals and wildfowl all around the Reserve at low tide.

Part of the ERIC North East group viewing wildlife from the new Window on Wild Lindisfarne

We chatted to the group members about our problems with the invasive plant, Pirri pirri bur, on the Reserve and the importance of preventing it from being spread further. They were very careful to check their clothing and shoes for any seeds before leaving the Reserve, as the seeds are now at the stage where they will cling to any fabric or fur. The group were also excellent at sticking to the desire lines and paths among the dunes when we explained how this is important in preventing damage to our fragile plants.

To find out more about the ERIC project in the North East, please visit their website.

Monday 1 July 2013

23rd June: Damage caused by off-road driving

During our monthly Wetland Bird Survey at the weekend, dirt bikes were seen driving among the dunes and along the sands at Goswick. The alarm was raised immediately, as this is against the law and can cause high disturbance to the breeding shorebirds not to mention huge damage to the fragile dune systems. We have a responsibility to prevent and report activities like these on our Reserve and the adjacent SSSIs, of which the dunes here are part.

Skylarks, meadow pipits and other birds are all busy raising chicks among the dunes right now - as you can imagine, nests and chicks are easily disturbed by nearby dirt bikes. On the shore and sands, this disturbs roosting and feeding birds and is also a nuisance through noise pollution and degrading the landscape's beauty. Responsible visitors come to the Reserve to enjoy the peace and quiet and don't tend to appreciate motorbikes roaring past! This can also be a public safety issue especially for children and dogs.


Damage to the dunes at Goswick

Although the dunes at Goswick, whilst a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), are not part of the Reserve itself, Natural England has a responsibility under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to ensure features of SSSIs are protected and managed.

This incident has been reported to local Police - luckily, this activity was witnessed but a lot of similar incidents are not. Please call the Natural England Lindisfarne NNR office on 01289 381470 if you see any incidents like off-road driving, or any other suspicious activity, on the Reserve and adjacent protected land.