26th March: New National Nature Reserves Facebook page

Natural England's National Nature Reserves are now on Facebook! Go to the following link to read news stories and updates, view great pictures and post your own stories and photos from your visits:

https://www.facebook.com/englandsnnrs

A snapshot of the Facebook page

Log in and give us a 'Like'!

25th March: Updating our Nature Trail

We recently received new posts for the Lindisfarne NNR Nature Trail to replace the temporary posts that are there now.

The new posts are larger so are easier to spot and have beautiful carvings of the iconic wildlife you can see along the trail, such as grey seal, light-bellied brent goose and eider duck. We are looking to install these by Easter.

We have also updated our leaflets to accompany the new posts - these are out in the leaflet dispensers on the Reserve now, so please pick one up from the car parks, Window on Wild Lindisfarne, or Budle Bay next time you visit.

20th March:Light-bellied Brent update

Light-bellied Brent numbers peaked during November to around 3850 with approximately 200 birds still to start their northerly migration.  This seasons age assessments from both Lindisfarne NNR and the Danish wintering sites indicate a low of 5.5% juveniles in the 3800 birds surveyed, potential explanations for this include increased competition for optimal breeding grounds and egg and gosling predation by arctic fox and polar bear.

Light-bellied Brent geese in their Arctic breeding grounds

During April & May the entire population of East Atlantic Light-bellied Brent descend on key Danish sites before continuing to their breeding grounds in Svalbard, Eastern Greenland and Franz Josef Land, during this time counts are undertaken to ascertain a total population figure.

Some stunning photos of Light-bellied Brent taken at Lindisfarne NNR:

17th March: A "successful unsuccessful litter pick"

Reserve staff were recently contacted by a student at Cranmer Hall Theological College, Laura, who organised a litter pick on Holy Island to help remove tidal litter that is washed up on the Reserve's shores as part of a community outreach event. 

Laura has kindly written an article for us documenting this trip and the group's motivation for doing so:

When I say the words “trainee vicar” to you, what do you think of? A balding, middle-aged man in ill-fitting black robes, stuttering and stumbling over a poorly prepared sermon while a scattered congregation of nine or ten elderly folk struggle to stay awake? A group of over-enthusiastic hopefuls shoving flyers and tracts into the faces of unsuspecting pedestrians who are trying desperately to avoid eye-contact? Or maybe just an everyman wearing a dog-collar and an L-plate?

Would the words “litter-pick” cross your mind? I don’t mean just picking a crisp packet off the pavement on your way home from church – I’m talking about sturdy walking boots, big black sacks, fancy litter-picking gadgets and a whole coastline littered with…well, litter.  Well, when a group of 5 trainee vicars from Cranmer Hall, Durham, arranged a trip to Lindisfarne to get involved in the community, this is exactly what we planned to do (along with other activities which ranged from teaching at a school to blessing animals in the market square…but those are stories for another time).

Before I tell you about our trash-filled trek, I hope you don’t mind if I explain a bit more about our motivation for doing the litter-pick.

When we first spoke to Paul Collins, the vicar of St Mary’s Church on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne, about what he’d like us to do on our community outreach weekend in March, he told us he’d like us to do something that encouraged both locals and visitors to appreciate the natural beauty of the Island.  If you’ve ever been to Lindisfarne, you’ll understand what he means. The shell-strewn shores and patchwork farmlands are framed by a vast stretch of ocean and an endless sky. The lonely sand-dunes on the north of the Island seem, at a first glance, to be a desolate wilderness, but the long grasses are the hiding-place of a variety of flora and fauna. You can hear the eerie cries of the seals from their resting places around the Island, and a symphony of bird-calls from the avian visitors. Lindisfarne is, in its own desolate and wild way, an extremely beautiful and peaceful place.

Shoreline of Lindisfarne NNR (James Durrant)

Tidal borne litter is, however, a major hazard – both to the beauty of the Island and to the wildlife who make their homes there. While the wonderful folk of Lindisfarne NNR do a fantastic job of preserving the natural state of the Island, the daily drop-off of debris from the tides of the North Sea means that keeping the beaches clean is an endless task. One of the best ways to show your appreciation of nature is to help care for it – and that’s what one pair from the Cranmer crew decided to do. So, on the 8^th March 2014 at 10am, my partner-in-picking and I set off with the litter-picking gear that the NNR very kindly provided for us and went to find our team of volunteers.

Now, I’d love to tell you that we managed to build a huge network of support and had hundreds of people turning up on the day, fighting over the 6 litter-pickers and eager to save the planet.  As you may have gathered from the title of this blog, however, the turnout wasn’t exactly terrific – late advertising on our part and a high tide meant that the total number of volunteers was 2. Including us.

A happy litter picker! (James Durrant)

Unperturbed by this little setback and determined to go through with our plan, we wandered around the town in a brave attempt to build up a following of vistors who were inspired by our efforts and/or felt sorry for us. When we got to the edge of town the total number of volunteers remained at 2 (including us), so we set off for the beach near Emmanuel Head on the north shore of the Island and managed to fill almost 2 bags with plastic bags, drinks bottles, half an orange buoy, a few bags of dog waste and an assortment of unidentifiable objects.  It was only when the bags started to split and we had to use the spare ones to reinforce them that we decided to call it a day.

Now, I know that 2 bags of litter is a tiny drop in a huge ocean of trash, but I wouldn’t say the pick was entirely unsuccessful. For one, 2 bags is better than nothing! Every crisp packet you pick off the pavement is one less crisp packet on the pavement. We also had loads of fun – litter picking is hard work but it’s a great way to build up team spirit (even if it’s just a team of two people!) and you feel really satisfied afterwards. The plastic bag you took off the beach might have been a deathtrap for a curious gannet, so you’re making a lifetime of difference.

So, if you’re planning a litter-pick, go for it! It’s really easy to organise – just contact the environmental guys in the area you’re interested in as they’ll be super-keen for you to help out and give you loads of guidance. Make sure you get a group together in advance too. Then it’s just a case of turning up on the day and picking up as much litter as you can carry – but remember you have to carry it back too!  If trainee vicars from Durham can do it, then so can you!

Litter-laden at Emmanuel Head, Holy Island (James Durrant)

17th March: Brackenside Cows on Holy Island

We have another 'guest' writer for the blog: John, the farmer of Brackenside Farm, a few miles from Lindisfarne NNR and the farm which is home to the cattle we borrow each winter, has written a great post about this partnership and offers a unique insight into looking after the herd whilst they are on the Reserve:

So farmers are always moaning

BUT

If you keep your eyes open at Lindisfarne NNR, in the duneland of Holy Island in the late autumn you might just catch a glimpse of a pair of happy ones when they are checking their cows among the dunes, slacks, quarries and old kilns. Now it could be that you hit a bad day, maybe their beasts are hard to find, possibly one or two missing, a sick cow that must be taken off the island for treatment or maybe they’ve skipped down onto the beach, feasted on sea rocket, had a wander round by the Snook, even paid a visit to the school yard. Then you will get the real thing - moaning farmers. Mostly, though, the release from the daily routine of feeding and bedding, the change from seeing a few old hens scratching round in the yard to godwits and red shanks prising out their living on the shoreline will put a smile on the farmers’ faces. Savour the moment.

The cows are a diverse bunch. The little red with white and roans are all bred on the edge of the Solway by putting a Hereford bull with dairy shorthorn cows. The black with the white heads are out of Friesian cows, again with a Hereford bull. There are also few Simmental crosses. They are there to do a job to improve the biodiversity by grazing off the rough grasses, bovine lawnmowers shortening and opening the sward to let the stunning variety of orchids find enough space and light to thrive in the new growing season. They love their work – a return to their genetic roots roaming the savanna - a bovine overseas adventure holiday.

But it can’t last for ever. Come the new year, their job done the cows return back home to be housed at Brackenside Farm a few miles inland. The farmers go back to being grumbly old men feeding, bedding and mucking out. Calving starts in the middle of March and once the youngsters are on their feet, spring is in the air and the scent of fresh grass fills the pastures then the cows can enjoy the outdoor life once more. Happy cows, happy farmers once more.

WARNING – We are talking about North Northumberland here. Concepts such as spring being in the air, grass filling pastures and smiling farmers are not to be relied upon.

John Barber

14th March: Budle Bay Birdwatching event this Sunday

Come to Budle Bay this Sunday to see the last of Lindisfarne NNR's wintering wildfowl and waders before they return to their breeding grounds for the summer. We also may see some courting behaviour from birds such as shelduck, or even some spring migrants.

A few of the birds we might see on Sunday:

Redshank

Barnacle goose - if they have not left for their breeding grounds!

Curlew

Little egret

Reserve Warden Laura will be at the Budle Bay lay-by, beside the white railings, from 11.30 - 13.00 on Sunday. Feel free to drop in anytime for as long as you wish.

10th March - David's volunteering diary

Last weekend our regular volunteer David spent the afternoons meeting visitors to the Reserve. Lindisfarne NNR has a dedicated group of volunteer wardens who act as guides, David is one of our guides who spends his time meeting visitors and highlighting the special wildlife of the Reserve - here is another post from David who paints an excellent picture of his time spent volunteering at the building.

David writes:

Fri 7th March

"Today I christened my new Natural England Volunteer fleece at the Window on Wild Lindisfarne and I haven't had it off since they were presented to us on Wednesday. It is a good thing that it dries so quickly. I couldn't get it off 'cos of my bad shoulder so had to keep it on in the shower... What the natives will make of Colin (another of our regular volunteers) in Eyemouth wandering round with Natural England on his chest goodness only knows.
Friday was sunny and very, very windy from the north west which continually poured water over the causeway - I have never seen so much water 4 hours after safe crossing began. Steady stream of people (no children). There was one redshank for about 20 minutes in the edge of the pond right by the window. On the scrape and the grass about 70 dark-bellied brent geese and and in the water 2 shelduck, 20 teal plus others in the grass. 3 curlew, 2 oystercatchers and 3 godwit. Some of the black headed gulls had black heads, approx total 20. Plus 100 herring gulls. Also lambs away to the east. A retired couple having just moved to Berwick (may join the bird club) confirmed my count!
Thus lots to see and talk about and people were very appreciative and said what a surprise it was to come into the building and to be shown the wildlife - more so than usual. It must be the new uniform.
I left with nearly 2 hours of safe crossing left (still sunny) but only 4 cars in the main car park! I am coming to the conclusion that people are very tide conscious and water on the causeway puts them off and that they mostly leave at 3pm anyway.

Female teal - one of the birds David writes about visiting the flooded scrape

Sun 9th March

Today was sunny and breezy to start with but more cloud and less breeze later. The causeway was clear of water and sand! The main car park was three quarters full.
On the scrape there were 5 herring gulls, about 10 black headed gulls (most with black heads) and about 5 teal. To the east of the main scrape there were 2 mute swans for most of the time, more teal and 1 lapwing. Starlings came and went. 12 oyster catchers flew in for about 30 minutes to the east of the main scrape. 1 shelduck flew in after one hour and stayed - this may be the same shelduck that has been around the scrape for a few weeks now.
The pond in front of the window had 1 redshank and 2 pied wagtails - looks like the pond is attracting more bird visitors as Spring approaches.
There were about 80 visitors per hour for 3 hours, mostly nice spacing. Talking to one couple the woman announced they came from Fairburn Ings (in Yorkshire) until I announced that my parents came from Castleford and the she admitted they came from Castleford too. Last Friday a similar thing happened when a couple announced they came from Thornton Cleveleys until I said I came from Blackpool then they admitted that they too lived in that infamous place! Are we getting a series of posh visitors, even up market?
At 2.30 it went very quiet and after 10 min I looked up and down the road and there were no people to be seen. I went home and the main car park was still about one quarter full."

Many thanks from the Reserve team to David and our other volunteer guides, for continuing to give their time to meet visitors to the Window on Wild Lindisfarne and point out the amazing wildlife of the Reserve to them.

7th March: Selected peak bird counts, February

Here are some selected peak bird counts from February's Wetland Bird Survey across Lindisfarne NNR:

Greylag goose 250
Barnacle goose 210
Light-bellied brent goose 904
Shelduck 756
Wigeon 552
Eider 409
Long-tailed duck 17
Golden plover 2500
Knot 1390
Dunlin 1037
Bar-tailed godwit 1179
Curlew 1400

Wintering birds can still be seen on the Reserve but in much smaller numbers now. Budle Bay and the hide at Fenham-Le-Moor are both excellent birdwatching sites where you may be lucky enough to see some remaining wintering wildfowl.