What's Going On

We have received a few enquiries regarding what the position is with the reserve, if and when the centre will be finished and what is happening regarding FoLLNR events.

The Centre Building Renovation

According to the Parks Trust at our last meeting with them at the end of May, the appropriate licensing etc regarding bat roosts and relocation of great crested newts found within the building site area are in place. Newts found within the construction site will be relocated to appropriate areas outside the building area but will remain on the reserve. Newt proof fencing is scheduled to be installed and revised planning permission to allow for the changes required to cater for the wildlife is expected very soon. Work should therefore be able to resume towards the end of the summer with completion sometime in the spring of next year.

The Parks Trust also have plans to instal a few more benches around the site and to do repair and refurbishment work on boardwalks and bridges, although some of this work may need to coincide with the reopening of the centre building.

FoLLNR Events

Work parties

We continue to arrange work parties on an ad hoc basis depending on what's required and availability of helpers, materials etc. We always send out an email to all registered Friends to advise when and what work we would like help with. Whilst the centre building is unavailable we don't have toilet, washing and catering facilities available and therefore we try and keep work periods fairly short to avoid any discomfort. Please look out for emails advising of forthcoming task days. Work parties are a good opportunity to meet like minded people and you will never be asked to do anything with which you are not comfortable or beyond your capabilities.

Open Sundays

We would like to resume open Sundays as soon as is practically possible, but of course this is entirely dependant on the completion of the centre building.

Guided walks

Thanks to Andy Harding and Keith Gander for leading a very successful "Warbler Walk' in early May - an unexpected bonus on the day was the sighting of an otter on the main lake. We may be able to organise other similar events over the course of the year but again due to the lack of on site facilities and limited parking these will need to be limited in size and fairly short in duration. We will email out notice to all registered Friends as appropriate.

Records of Wildlife Sightings

FoLLNR maintain a list of the different species seen on site for each year. This can be seen by clicking on the Species List tab on the top of this website.

Another good way to find out what's being spotted is by going to our FLICKR site: 

 https://www.flickr.com/groups/fohescimages/

Please do add your own pictures of anything you capture at LLNR, we would love to see your photos. We also use records of verifiable sightings to update BMERC so that official county records are kept up to date.

Appeal Against Refusal of Planning Application Relating to Linford Lakes

An appeal has been lodged against Refusal of Planning Application :

This means that a Planning Inspector will now convene a hearing to decide if Milton Keynes Councils decision should stand or if planning permission must be granted.

Note the previous application also went to an appeal and the Inspector ruled in favour of MKCs decision to refuse.

(1) Full application for the change of use of 68.65ha of agricultural land to a linear park and a new access road to the Linford Lakes Study Centre with associated works including the stopping up of the public road in Stanton Low and demolition of the Marle Inn; and (2) Outline application (matter of access to be considered, with matters of layout, scale, appearance and landscaping reserved) for up to 277 extra care apartments (Use Class C2); a care home providing up to 70 bedrooms (Use Class C2); up to 41 retirement bungalows (Use Class C3) and up to 196 homes (Use Class C3) with communal amenity space and other associated works.

More information can also be found on the Protecting Linford Lakes Nature Reserve Facebook site:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/712891355444118

Malcolm Stewart

Dear Members

It’s with regret and sadness that I have to inform you that Malcolm Stewart passed away on 14th April. He was in Milton Keynes Hospital, suffering from the effects of Prostate Cancer. He died surrounded by family.

Malcolm was a founder member of the Friends of Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (in those days we were The Friends of Hanson Environmental Study Centre), he loved the Nature reserve dearly and served as a Committee Member for many years.

Malcolm was a lovely man of great integrity, honesty and loyalty. He was smart, gentle, funny, interesting and very kind. He was very much loved and is remembered fondly. A rare example of a truly good gent!

We send our condolences to his family.

Ringing Results Saturday 22nd April

Hi all,

As predicted, we had a noticeable increase in bird numbers and species this week, largely due to the much more favourable weather conditions compared to recent weeks, and despite there being little in the way of new arrivals since the last session. Totals for the day amounted to 44 birds processed of 18 species, 27 of which were newly ringed.

In the warbler department we had 6 chiffchaffs, 6 blackcaps, 4 cetti's warblers, a willow warbler, and we said hello to our first reed warbler, sedge warbler and whitethroat of the year.

Representing the non-passerines were 2 kingfishers, one of which was newly ringed, and a rather interesting green woodpecker. This bird was originally ringed as an adult in 2015, making it at least 9 years old. It was retrapped last April and at the time, we noted an odd anomaly with its eye colour - one iris was deep red, while the other was a more normal silvery grey, but with flecks of red starting to appear. Comparing today's images with last April's, it shows the red flecks are spreading as the bird ages. The bird was otherwise healthy, and with the longevity record for green woodpecker standing at a smidge over 15 years, we'll hopefully continue to see him around for a few more years to see how the condition develops.

Adding to the variety were a mini flocklet of 3 goldfinches and a very feisty magpie which had a definite taste for ringer's fingers!

Other birds around the reserve included a great white egret, a raven, a peregrine, two snipe, an oystercatcher, a red kite, a buzzard, and at least two cuckoos. A steady stream of swallows and house martins were passing through and around 10 sand martins spent most of the morning circling the Sand Castle, with a couple seen venturing into the nest holes. Hopefully they liked what they saw and decide to stick around!

Non-avian records included our first grass snake of the year, 3 common shrews, a water shrew, a common newt and a common toad. Butterflies were on the wing with peacock, orange tip and speckled wood all taking advantage of the relatively calm and warm conditions.

Many thanks to Keith and Steve for their help with keeping things ticking over this week.

Cheers!

Kenny

REEBU (3)

CHIFF 2 (4)

BLACA 5 (1)

GRETI 3

ROBIN 1

CETWA 1 (3)

DUNNO 1

WREN 2 (1)

BLUTI 2 (2)

KINGF 1 (1)

WILWA (1)

GREWO (1)

GOLDF 3

SEDWA 1

REEWA 1

LOTTI 2

WHITE 1

MAGPI 1

What3words

Here's a suggestion put forward by Mal McGar at the last AGM

what3words – A better way to help all if there is an emergency

For those of you who do not know about this geocoding system app, I will briefly explain how it can help you all. 

Go the website (https://what3words.com/products/what3words-app) and you will find a more detailed explanation of all that this FREE app has to offer. As long as you have a smartphone or other device able to log into the web, you can download this app and use it anywhere.

Basically the world has been divided into areas that need just THREE WORDS to denote a precise location. All the emergency services now use this system.

So how can it help you? For instance, you are at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve and you need medical help but you cannot move! Call the ambulance service and give them the ‘what3words’ location. Without it, it will be almost impossible for you to tell them exactly where you are. Saying you are between any two of the hides will mean nothing to them!

Also imagine you come upon an accident on a road you are not familiar with. By using the ‘what3words’ app you can give the emergency services the exact location. Also it can be used to arrange a meeting point if you do not know the area where you are. What if your car breaks down in a strange area? Both the AA and RAC use the app.

Please take the time to look at the website so you can fully understand the benefits of having the app on your phone. Let others know, family and friends, and help them to feel more safe out and about.

Recently I have found people give their news of an interesting bird’s location that seems a bit vague to me. Think how much more helpful if you post your exact position with ‘what3words’ and also give a location as to where you last observed the bird if it flew off.

A final point for thought. Do any of you carry a whistle and torch with you at all times when out birding? Think how that can help you in an emergency!

Mal McGar

Proposed Development at Linford Lakes

I am delighted to advise that the planning application (21/02533/OUT Linford Lakes) submitted in respect of the land adjacent to the Nature Reserve has just been REFUSED by MK Planning Department. 

If you were one of the hundreds of people who wrote in to object to the proposed development  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

Tony

Bird Ringing Saturday 30th July

Hi all,

It's hard to believe we have not run a "proper" ringing session at Linford for over a month and a half, but today we properly went for it and it's fair to say the results surpassed expectation!

Although we didn't manage to get all the nets up that we (or more accurately, I...) wanted to due to the essential gardening involved, we handled a total of 161 birds of 22 species, 152 of which were newly ringed.

Warblers led the charge with 30 blackcaps taking up the lion's share and the remainder of the warbler list comprising of 16 reed warblers, 21 chiffchaffs, 2 sedge warblers, 14 garden warbers, 3 lesser whitethroats, 7 common whitethroats, and a single willow warbler.

We also encountered a tit flock which boosted the totals by 16 blue tits, 11 long-tailed tits and 8 great tits with one of the long-tailed tits turning out to be a retrap of a juvenile ringed in 2018!

Other notable captures included 2 goldfinches, a treecreeper, a goldcrest, a green woodpecker and a kingfisher.

Catches of this size cannot be managed without an excellent, experienced and dedicated team, and today I was fortunate to have Keith, Helen, Nick W, Michelle, Beth, Nick C, Claire, Sue and Andrew on hand to assist with lifting, holding, carrying, extracting, ringing, scribing, chatting and generally keeping each other awake! I know Jasper was also sending his good luck vibes from afar, which is scientifically proven by the numbers. Heaven help us the next time he is actually here in person!

Cheers,

Kenny