On Blakeney Freshes, we completed our annual ditching works at the end of January. This involves contracting a digger to clear out some of the ditches, preventing them from becoming too clogged up with vegetation, to allow better flow of water around the Freshes and enable a greater diversity of wildlife. This work is done on a rotation. The same applies for reed cutting, which we will be completing in February. This stops woodier species from taking over the reedbed and drying it out, thus conserving the reedbed habitat for nesting Marsh Harriers, Bearded Tits and - in some years - Bitterns, as well as invertebrates that live in the reed stems.
Blakeney Freshes (Ajay Tegala)
Recent wildlife sightings on Blakeney Freshes include a male Hen Harrier, two Stonechat pairs, 7+ Bearded Tits, Snipe and also two Scaup in Blakeney Harbour on 31 January. On the same date, 872 Wigeon and 93 Teal were counted on the Freshes.
On 21 January, we took part in a coordinated Brent Goose roost count across the coast. Approximately 1,600 roosted at Stiffkey, which is over 1,300 more than last year's count. Numbers roosting in Blakeney Harbour were similar to last year, with 1,135 counted. It won't be too long before the Brent Geese begin migrating to their breeding grounds in the Arctic Circle, where their breeding success is related to Arctic Fox predation.
Brent Geese on the north Norfolk coast
A late Grey Seal pup was discovered in the dunes in the second half of January. On Thursday 2 February, we noticed it had moulted and was about to become the 2,367th pup to be weaned on Blakeney Point this winter.
In addition, Hobgoblin (the orphaned male pup that turned up in the car park at Morston on 21 November) was released after being cared for by the RSPCA at East Winch.
Hobgoblin (Kirsty Dickson)
This takes the total weaned to 2,368 thanks to the efforts of the East Winch team who fed the pup for two months, enabling him to get up to a healthy weight ready to fend for himself in the North Sea. Hobgoblin weighed 14.5kg on arrival and was released on 1 February having reached 45kg.
The RSPCA team also recently released Milkbottle, a young female Common Seal that we rescued from the beach at Salthouse on 22 August. She weighed just 10.5kg on arrival at East Winch and had increased to a healthy 46kg when she was released on 2 January.
Our most recent low tide seal count recorded 68 Grey Seals (4 weaned pups and 64 adults) and one juvenile Common Seal on 2 February.
Last week's sightings on Blakeney Point included a male Merlin on 30 January, two Glaucous Gulls on 31 January and six Shore Larks in Great Sandy Low on 2 February.
Also on 2 February, 42 Grey Partridges were counted, including three pairs; we hope 2017 will be another good year for breeding success.
Ajay, Ranger - Blakeney National Nature Reserve
Juvenile Glaucous Gull (Richard Porter)
Also on 2 February, 42 Grey Partridges were counted, including three pairs; we hope 2017 will be another good year for breeding success.
Ajay, Ranger - Blakeney National Nature Reserve
