Nicholas Watts, RSPB Nature Farmer of the Year, 2013 - 12th March at HESC

It's been a while since I've contributed a personal take on any or all things natural at HESC..... 

Today's offering is slightly off-topic, but at the same time wholly pertinent.

Most of you reading this will be as interested as I am to learn about conservation projects both nearby and throughout the UK.  

        Anyone who has travelled through crop-growing areas in Britain must have noticed the oddly sterile feel of a landscape in which there is much growing. Yes, there are verdant fields of wheat and barley, the green turning to gold as the year progresses. There are swathes of yellow early on, from rapeseed. Look closely, however, and you realise what's giving you that feeling of unease  - it's because of what's not there, and how the ground between crop plants is mostly devoid of any weed, or inconvenient shrub, to break the monotony of form and colour. 

         And if you've had time to stop, look and listen, you might also notice the lack of birds, and a very precious sound - birdsong.

         

          Nicholas Watts is a man who noticed. Awarded the MBE in 2006, and the Lapwing award (for a second time) in 2011, he farms on Vine House Farm in Spalding, Lincolnshire. 

          In 2013 he was awarded the RSPB 'Nature of Farming Award'.  Just before that, here in Milton Keynes, I heard him talk about his farming life, his growing realisation that birds were no longer abundant on the lands he worked and walked, and about his efforts to bring them back to farmland on which his family has farmed for generations. 

        

        He is a very engaging speaker, passionate about farming, and passionate about birds and nature.  His talks are illustrated with fascinating photographs both of the birds on his land, his collected data, and the old and new farm machinery which his family has used over the last 100 years or so.

His aim is to educate and inform everyone about how things can be done differently......

I'm delighted that he's agreed to return to MK to talk to us at here at The Hanson Centre on  Wednesday, 12th March.  Come along and support him - and us, in our efforts to ensure that HESC and the Reserve  are conserved and kept appropriately for the birds, plants and all other things bright and beautiful, including yourselves....!

Doors will be open from 7pm.

Entry is £3.00 for permit holders and under 18s, and £4.00 for non-members/guests. 

Refreshments, books, bird food will be available to buy, and the usual warm welcome guaranteed!

As many of you know, seating is limited in the Centre. 
If you'd like to reserve a seat:
tel or text 07801 735860, or email michelewelborn@homecall.co.uk

(For more information about Nicholas Watts and his farm, visit www.vinehousefarm.co.uk)

Stanton Low Country Park

 

For those of you interested in the development of the park around HESC you may like to attend the following:

 

Stanton Low Park Landscaping

Saturday 15 February 2014
from 9am until 12 noon at Oakridge Park Medical Centre

 

All local residents and representatives are welcome to drop in to view and discuss the proposed phase 2 plans for Stanton Low Park. The plans include a neighbourhood play space for children of all ages, additional footpaths to enable inclusive access to the canal and countryside, a horse trail connecting to existing bridleways, areas of open space for informal public use, meadow, pasture and a paddock, community orchard, habitat creation and the conservation of existing habitats to increase diversity.

 

Community Engagement Drop-in Morning

 

The archaeology, heritage assets and wildlife of Stanton Low are at the very heart of the phase 2 proposals which address visitor parking and confirm the intended long term management of the park by The Parks Trust.

 

The conceptual masterplan for phase 2 of the park is available for download at

www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/stantonlowpark

As the design evolves over the coming months, the latest proposals will be uploaded here for your information. All comments are valued and we encourage all residents and representatives to communicate their thoughts. This is important to enable the design team to effectively gauge the communities overall support for the scheme.

 

Comments should be emailed to stantonlowpark@milton-keynes.gov.uk by 10 March

Architecture, UDLA, Civic Offices, Saxon Gate East, Milton Keynes, MK9 3EJ. If you would like a copy of the masterplan posted to you, please call 01908 252109.

We look forward to seeing you on 15 February 2014, where tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided by Oakridge Park Residents Association.

 

 

 

 

 

January WEBs Count

Apologies for not letting people know in time, that Andy Harding (County Bird Recorder) was doing his official monthly wildfowl count at HESC last Sunday. Although, I know that a few of you who had come to the Open Sunday, managed to meet up with him and enjoy his company, wisdom and wit (not to mention he does seem to be very good at spotting and identifying birds !)

 

Anyway, the good news is, Andy will be back next month on our Open Sunday - 16th February 10am start - to do another count at HESC and would be delighted if members of the Friends Group would like to join him and help in the process.

 

I can say from personal experience that you will find it a very interesting and rewarding experience - and - don't worry if your ID skills are still developing (that's pretty much all of us) it's  a great opportunity learn some tips and hints on how to identify water birds, in a very friendly environment.

 

The HESC wildfowl counts for 19th January were...

G.C. Grebe              4

Little Grebe          2

Cormorant         3

Heron                 3

Little Egret         2

Mute Swan       22

Greylag Goose       4

Canada Goose       6

Egyptian Goose     2

Wigeon             313

Mallard                     2

Pintail                     2 ( male and female)

Teal                        9

Shoveler                 2

Gadwall               30

Pochard                6

Tufted                   83

Coot                      18

Lapwing            350 over on a couple of occasions

Andy's Note

Due to the flooded conditions and the muddy water quality, species numbers were very different from other months. I neither heard nor saw a Moorhen within both HESC and the whole complex from Dovecote to Bradwell !

Ups and Downs of the Yule Tide

The KFB was completed about two weeks before Christmas and - as you can see from the picture of Alan finishing the roof - stood over 1.5 metres above the water line at that time.

With about ten days to go to Christmas, the KFB was still standing proud and we thought our only concerns would be regarding how easily a predator such as Mink might be able to reach the nesting chambers.

Kingfisher activity around the KFB showed no signs of diminishing as these super pictures taken by Neil Schofield show.

Neil's observations revealed that fishing around the KFB area was proving successful for our resident birds.

Then came the three days of storms and by Christmas Day, the Great Ouse had burst it's banks and flowed into the main lake. The water flowed right through our lake and crossed the fields into the adjacent fishing club lake.

Our concern now was should we re-christen the KFB as PNB (Pike Nesting Bank).

Four days after Christmas and the water level has fallen by around 2 feet - we now have a CLB (Cormorant Loafing Bank)

Or possibly CFB (Cormorant Fighting Bank)

As I write the rain has been falling most of the morning and the forecast is wet for the week ahead. I fear our multi-purpose bank may see many more ups and downs before the spring.

Development of Land Adjacent to HESC

Barratt Homes has submitted a screening opinion request for the proposed development of land off Wolverton Road at Great Linford.

The request for the proposed development of land at Linford Lakes Wolverton Road, Great Linford, Milton Keynes comprising approx. 70 ha; is for :

• up to 250 residential dwellings,
• new accesses onto Wolverton Road and Little Linford Lane,
• internal access roads, ancillary recreation/play space and incidental landscape areas;
• creation of country park (approx. 59ha) and visitor centre together with car and coach parking for up to 200 vehicles,
• new access and internal footpaths and access ways                                                          

Details are available on the MKC Planning web site http://publicaccess2.milton-keynes.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=dates&keyVal=MXJD6XKW0AP00

 

 

 

 

Re Cabinet Shuffle

The debate regarding the transfer of HESC to the Parks Trust due to take place at tonight's MK Council Cabinet Meeting has been deferred to a later date.

Word on the street, is that the Lead Councillors did not feel the report compiled by the Community Facilities Department, was complete enough to properly debate and so reach a decision.

It is also entirely possible that some of the concerns expressed by the Friends Group have struck a chord with our Councillors.

We are now hopeful that before the next meeting is convened, we will have an opportunity to meet with the decision makers to put our views on the subject and achieve a balanced outcome which matches the needs of the Good and the Great, the Green and the Grubby and the small feathered and furry.

We will keep you posted

Made Glorious Summer by ..............

Following on from yesterdays post, I am delighted to report that I have now received a response from David Foster, the Chief Executive of the Parks Trust, which (at least for now) allays many of our fears regarding the future for the reserve and the Friends Groups roll in its care, maintenance and usage.

Whilst my own natural, small minded, pessimism makes it difficult to totally accept the degree of altruism David claims the Park Trust are displaying, I also feel, it would be totally inappropriate for us not to give his organisation every opportunity to live up to their promises.

Once the Council hearing is complete and we know exactly what is going to happen I will report more.

Tony