Day 10: Duck and Hide

 This morning was a sad goodbye to the many good times and new friends found in Barmouth.

Chart of wintering birds

The group arrived in Leighton Moss this afternoon to tour the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) managed marsh areas. The success in preserving biodiversity is what has brought our group to Leighton Moss. Through funding battles and management struggles, the park has had great success with the return of otters, increased Marsh Harrier numbers and contribution to bringing the Bittern back to England. By taking advantage of carefully constructed nest sites these rare birds join common waterfowl, such as Coots and Swans to offer a great experience for visitors waiting in hides with binoculars, hoping to catch a glimpse of their behavior. Even out of the hides in more woody areas, Robins and Blue Tit birds are plentiful. Although some birds are seasonal, many stay year round, such as the Bearded Tit. Managing for the variety of needs, these birds have kept the eager staff busy and usually up to their knees in water year round. Trail signs indicate the locations of many bird boxes painted with an image of the bird expected to be seen there to keep visitors excited about what they may see next but we were lucky to get a guided tour with not one but two knowledgeable RSPB wardens.

View from the second hide

As it started raining outside our second hide, the guides spared the group from our first real rain in Britain by discussing with us some history and continued goals of the RSPB at this site. The RSPB was formed at a time when hat feathers were popular and birds were hunted near extinction just to meet this demand. Now, the RSPB has significant political sway and partners with organizations such as the National Trust, Wildlife Trust, and butterfly conservationists to implement landscape scale conservation efforts. Some of their work is designated as Futurescape or Nature Improvement Area for funding purposes. Nearby farmers receive funding to make their lands a part of the conservation mosaic through the Stewardship Scheme through which they weaken borders from their property even going so far as to flood some areas to generate marsh.

The 2013 growth chart

Unfortunately, climate change, funding cuts, and water quality still endanger this conservation site at Leighton Moss. Even small changes in salinity caused by tidal breach of the barrier cause fish die-offs. More severe weather patterns increase flooding and endanger ground nesting birds. The site already invests large amounts of money in maintaining the habitat and will be stretched if climate funding continues to target mitigation over adaptation.

The environmental service offered by this area is in holding floodwaters away from populated areas and filtering water as it drifts through into the limestone below the peat. Nearby farms, however, contribute to natural eutrophication, which the park fights against every year. Eutrophication, which here involves the decomposition of reeds into peat to the point that a soil layer is formed, allows for succession from reeded marsh to wooded area to occur more rapidly. The park dredges the waters, coppices the willows, and removes reed build up in a rotation around the park to allow different stages of wilderness to coexist and prevent a less biodiverse landscape from emerging.



Our informative tour guides
 

This preserve speaks volumes for the ability of issue specific clubs to influence policy and public opinion. The RSPB has over one million members in the UK, including a member of our class! Similar organizations exist around the world, such as the US Audubon Society. Thanks to our two guides we really got an inside look at what it takes to gather these species together for a great viewing experience and to bring awareness to conservation issues through public awareness building.




Sponsorship towards the creation of some of the materials for the Study Abroad in the UK trip provided by the Office of Undergraduate of Research.