29th of March: Strong winds and heavy rain

This afternoon was far from a fair spring day. With strong winds and heavy showers sweeping across Blakeney Point. You could imagine the look-out tower blowing off the top of the Lifeboat House. Had the rotting wood not been replaced two years ago, then this may well have happened!

 Blakeney Point this afternoon

Although still a bit miserable, thankfully conditions weren’t so bad during yesterday’s beach clean. A big thank you to all who came along to help. It was nice to see some new faces. The litter on the beach was not as bad as it has been in previous years, but we still managed to collect 15 large bags full, 25 containers, 2 fish-boxes, a fishing rod and a flipper… and the obligatory tennis ball – there’s always a tennis ball! No pants this year, though!

A morning’s work

Blakeney Point is now nicely tidy, ready for the start of the season. However, unfortunately the toilets will not be ready. The leaking water pipe is going to take a little while to be replaced. For the time being, the toilets on the Point are closed. We will keep you updated with the progress of the pipe repairs.

Toilets closed until further notice

In the meantime, we have stocked up on bottled water for the Lifeboat House:

The water pipe was put in during the 1970s. Bob Pinchen, the original Watcher (from 1901-1931), tells of how they got water in the early days (from his 1935 book ‘Sea Swallows’):

“For a good many years fresh water was carried down to us in small tubs, jars or bottles, and with the coming of visitors came a difficult problem. I well remember that when students from the University College […] were visiting the Point that we had only one large tank for catching rain-water.

After a few years it was decided to build a laboratory on the Point, and Professor W. Oliver of London University suggested to me that we might endeavour to find a supply of water somewhere. I told him that would not be much trouble and that if he walked up Pinchen’s Creek on the hottest day in summer, at a certain place he could see water spouting up. It is very cold at this particular spot even when other parts of the Creek are quite warm. I advised him to have a try in Glaux Low close to where it was decided to build a laboratory. Several attempts to obtain water were made and the idea of sinking a pump was soon given up as this became choked. An empty tar-barrel was also tried, all to no purpose. I suggested that a carpenter should make a square wooden structure without a bottom so that one could get inside, dig down, and then let it drain. This was done and, after going down a matter of four to five feet, the water welled up and filled the inside.

Since then a plentiful supply of fresh water has been available, and what seemed an insuperable difficulty has been overcome.

Bob Pinchen in the 1920s

After this we used our handcart to convey water, in any form of vessel available, to the Lifeboat House some distance away. Talking the matter over with the Professor I suggested that, as water was to be had at one spot, they ought to be able to get a supply close to the House. He agreed, and the next day some of his young men were set to work. They drove in four posts and dug down a few feet. Finding water, they boarded up the sides and thus solved another problem, for an ample supply of water at this place also has been forthcoming. Four more wells close by have since been opened.

During the war soldiers were stationed on the Point, and they did not trouble to keep the sand clear, with the result that the wells filled up. After the war, Professor Oliver had two large drainpipes sunk one on top of the other, a cover being fitted to the top with a lifting lid, into which a pail could be inserted. I have seen water running over the surface of the ground by the well, and in the driest summers we had water for all requirements. The surface of the water rose and fell with the tide, but the taste of it was unaffected. […] The one small well gives supplies for all purposes, for residents and visitors alike at Blakeney Point – no mean advantage, considering the former haphazard method of getting water and the difficulties of carting it such a long way.”

So maybe we should dig another well?!

In this rough weather, it is perhaps not surprising that no Sandwich Terns have arrived on the Point yet. One was reported flying out at sea past Cley on the 20^th, but none have made it to the Point. This time in 2013 was far more extreme; our beach clean had to be cancelled due to strong winds and snow. That year, the first Sandwich Tern arrived on the 1^st of April. It could well be around that date this year too. But a few migrants have dropped into the bushes over the weekend; a Chiffchaff in the Tamarisk yesterday and three Chaffinches in the brambles this morning. During the beach clean, the over-wintering flock of Shorelarks put in an appearance at their usual favourite spot on Beach Way.

In other news, a juvenile Goshawk has been captured on camera on Blakeney Freshes this week. Goshawks are seldom seen on the reserve as they are largely found in woodlands. It was a delight to find that one of our trail cameras had captured this up-close footage:

 

-          Ajay (Coastal Ranger)

22nd of March: And so it begins...

Spring has officially arrived and is evident on the Point. A Mallard is incubating her eggs in a nest underneath a Suaeda bush on Far Point. It is in more-or-less the same location that a Mallard's nest turned up last March, also the first nest of the year we stumbled upon. The 2014 nest was shared by two females, but was abandoned before hatching. We will be carefully watching this year to see if this is also a shared nest, and to see if they have a bit more luck this year. Nesting so near a Black-headed Gull colony is a big risk.

Mallard nest on Far Point

Interestingly, the last nest of 2014 can still be found on the Point. The dead eggs of a Wood Pigeon, that nested in the Tamarisk in September, can still be seen behind the Lab. So six months after the last nest of 2014, the 2015 nesting season begins.

Wood Pigeon eggs laid in September 2014

There are still signs of winter around. About half a dozen juvenile Grey Seals are still being seen on Far Point. The latest low tide seal count recorded a total of 109 Grey Seals and two Common Seals.

Juvenile Grey Seal on Far Point

Before the nesting season really gets underway, we are conducting our annual beach clean (details below - please click to enlarge). If you are free on Saturday, please do come and lend a hand, and help keep the beach safe and tidy. Your help is always much appreciated.

- Ajay (Coastal Ranger)

15th of March: Fiery Hills

March is a month of avian anticipation at Blakeney. With some sunny days early in the month, there is a strong feeling that the breeding season and spring migration are about to begin. But patience is needed as things don't just happen overnight. We have been keeping busy as there is lots to prepare before April. An extra thing keeping us busy this week has been clearing up Friary Hills after a fire, which happened last Saturday.

It is believed that somebody deliberately set fire to two areas of gorse. The fire service had to be called to put out the blaze. Two blackened areas were left, which we have now cut and removed. Luckily, part of our management of Friary Hills involves removing gorse anyway, and fortunately no birds had begun nesting in the areas that were burned. A number of birds will be nesting here very soon, including Linnets and Long-tailed Tits.

These photographs were taken the day after the fire:

 Above and below: The eastern end

The western end

This week over on the Point, signs of spring have brought smiles to our faces. On Tuesday, a few hundred Black-headed Gulls returned to their breeding grounds amongst the Suaeda on the tip of Far Point. The return of these chocolate-headed birds signifies the beginning of the breeding seabird season at Blakeney.

Far Point, access is restricted to prevent disturbance

With the Black-headed Gulls back, we eagerly await the first Sandwich Tern, which shouldn't be too long. The first sighting last year was on the 23rd of March. Yesterday, two Mediterranean Gulls were heard amongst the 'Black-heads'. These splendid birds are a pleasure to see, but also have a taste for Sandwich Tern eggs, highlighting that nature is full of conflicts no matter how beautiful the species!

Four pairs of Ringed Plovers have been observed on the shingle ridge.

Male displaying (Richard Porter)

The over-wintering flock of Shorelarks continues to delight those lucky enough to stumble upon them in the Beach Way area...

One of the flock of eight seen regularly (Richard Porter)

Beach Way also hosted the first Wheatears of the spring; two on Friday. Saturday produced a delightfully chirpy Chiffchaff in the Plantation. A quick low tide count of Far Point and the West Sands recorded 32 Grey Seals (approximately 8 bulls and 24 cows).

It won't be too long until myself and the Seasonal Rangers move into the Lifeboat House. But first, we need to fix a leak in the water pipe that runs under the harbour from Morston to the Point. Not only does it supply our drinking water, but also the public toilets. It is not an overstatement to say that repairing a water pipe in Blakeney Harbour is a challenge!

Locating the pipe at Morston

George and I were out on Blakeney Freshes at 5:30am on Thursday to listen for booming Bitterns. Unfortunately none were present, but we were able to watch the Marsh Harriers leaving their roost at Cley/Salthouse and a pair of hunting Barn Owls that seemed to be showing an interest in the owl box where nesting occurs most years.

Looking east at dawn

We will keep you up to date with more wildlife news as the season unfolds.

- Ajay (Coastal Ranger)