40 years of the RSPB giving nature a home on the Dee Estuary

Harrier over marsh, Parkgate

The popular RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019. The well-known nature conservation charity first purchased an area of saltmarsh and mudflats the size of 2000 football pitches at Parkgate in 1979.

Doing so created a sanctuary area for the tens of thousands of water birds that flock to the estuary from Arctic regions every year, to spend the cold winter months in the UK. Their numbers had been falling during the preceding years and were at further risk from proposed development and disturbance.

Graham Jones, RSPB Dee Estuary site manager said: “I started coming to Parkgate as a teenager in the 1980s to watch the birds that thrive on the marsh and mud. This place played a major part in growing my knowledge and passion for birds and wildlife and helping me end up in the fortunate position I am today.

“Shortly before the RSPB established the reserve, by purchasing the land from British Steel, there were proposals to build a barrage across the Dee, or create a recreational lake within the marsh at Parkgate. Either of those would have caused the bird numbers to plummet further.”

Since securing the initial part of the reserve on the estuary, originally known as Gayton Sands, the RSPB land holdings have expanded significantly, particularly around the village of Burton, four miles from Parkgate.

Graham added: “The brilliant visitor facilities we opened at Burton Mere Wetlands in 2011 have been a major step in bringing the Dee Estuary’s rich wildlife closer for the public to enjoy easily. Since opening, we’ve welcomed nearly a quarter of a million visits, with excellent wildlife spectacles to be enjoyed every day that continually change through the seasons.

“As well as protecting these valuable spaces for birds to spend the winter, we’ve also undertaken extensive land management to support birds to nest, helping species like exotic avocets establish breeding, the largest little egret colony in the country and for the first time in 2018, a successful pair of marsh harriers raised young. The reserve also supports a whole range of other special wildlife; from the large like badgers and otters, to the small such as insects, orchids and lizards.”

To mark this significant milestone, the RSPB will be running some special events in 2019 to celebrate 40 years of giving nature a home on the estuary. They hope to welcome back those already visiting the site as well as introduce more local people to the extent of this important reserve. The site now encompasses half of the Dee Estuary, including most of the Welsh shore, forming one of the largest protected wetlands in the country.

The reserve team are keen to receive any photos, memories or tales of visitors’ experiences enjoying the Dee Estuary reserve over the past 40 years – or even before, given its rich history. These can be sent by email to deeestuary@rspb.org.uk or posted to the reserve office at RSPB Dee Estuary nature reserve, Burton Mere Wetlands, Puddington Lane, Burton, Cheshire, CH64 5SF.

For further information on the special events and wildlife at RSPB Dee Estuary, visitrspb.org.uk/burtonmerewetlands.

Mice to make homes in tennis balls at RSPB Dee Estuary thanks to local club

Harvest mouse in vegetation.   Ben Andrew (rspb-images.com)ption

One of Europe’s smallest mammals has been given a helping hand by staff at the RSPB’s Dee Estuary nature reserve – thanks to a kind donation from a local tennis club.

Since the discovery of an empty harvest mouse nest, found during recent grass cutting, alerted reserve wardens to the fact these tiny creatures are living on the Cheshire site, the team have been getting creative with an unlikely source - old tennis balls - to help give nature a home.

Harvest mice are not common this far north, so the team were interested to discover how many are living on the reserve and in which areas. Being tiny and secretive creatures, it can be difficult to survey their distribution, but thanks to an idea to use tennis balls as homes for the mice, the reserve staff will next year be able to gain a better idea.

Alasdair Grubb, warden at the RSPB’s Dee Estuary nature reserve, said: “Sadly harvest mice numbers are falling in the UK due to changing farming practices and other pressures on our countryside, so we were delighted to discover they had made a home at Burton Mere Wetlands and were eager to find out how many and whereabouts they were living.

“Tennis balls might seem like an odd solution, but it’s actually a trick that’s been used with balls from Wimbledon for years. So, I contacted the tennis section at Neston Cricket Club and enquired if they would consider donating any of their used balls.

“The club coach, Dan Stickland, was more than happy to help and provided 35 old tennis balls for me to drill a hole in and put around the reserve in suitable locations; which means next summer I’ll be able to revisit each tennis ball and see whether it has been used as a nest.

“As well as allowing us a means of surveying the numbers, the tennis balls also protect the mice from predation and bad weather, and provide extra homes by giving them chance to nest in areas where there might be ample food, but not quite the right conditions.”

Despite this helping hand, unfortunately visitors to the reserve are still unlikely to see these cute little creatures due to their shy behavior, but there are still plenty of reasons to visit Burton Mere Wetlands at this time of year, most notably for the vast flocks of ducks, geese and swans settling in for the winter.

For further information on the reserve and its activities, please call the reserve on 0151 353 8478 or check out the website www.rspb.org.uk/deeestuary.

One of the tennis ball homes created for the harvest mice, made by the team at RSPB Burton Mere Wetlands, and donated by Neston Cricket Club. Alasdair Grubb.

Fire destroys wildlife habitat

Staff and volunteers from RSPB Dee Estuary joined fire fighters in a bid to tackle a blaze at the weekend, which destroyed the habitat of nesting birds and wildlife.

The fire, which police believe was started deliberately, spread across Neston Reedbed and Parkgate Marsh on Sunday afternoon, causing damage to the reserve and a number of residents’ garden fences. No-one was injured in the blaze.

The incident has raised repeated safety concerns from RSPB staff as arson attacks on the site have been an ongoing problem for a number of years.

Colin Wells, site manager at RSPB Dee Estuary Reserve, said: “There is a team of volunteers who warden the area in the evenings to try and discourage people from starting fires, which has successfully prevented any for a few years, but sadly not this year. We are concerned this could lead to a more serious accident.”

The fire has had a damaging impact on local wildlife, particularly harvest mice, as many may have been killed in the blaze.

Colin said: “The last few weeks have been fine and combined with a cold easterly wind, the conditions on the marsh have been brittle and dry, which meant the fire spread quickly.

“The harvest mice will have lost their habitat and many of them may have been injured or killed. The area is an important breeding ground for birds such as reed warblers, reed buntings and water rail. They will have lost their nesting areas. This loss of habitat is devastating.”

Police are treating the fire as a potential arson case. Anyone with any information is asked to call Ellesmere Port and Neston Neighbourhood Policing Team on 0845 458 6373.