Wednesday 8 October 2014

Excavation completed at Potter reedbed creation site


Nick Carter, Conservation Officer (Fens)


William Morfoot Ltd has completed the excavation works at Potter in just over five weeks. They have created a number of deep pools connecting to the ditch network to enable fish to move around the site and to act as refuges. The scale of the works can be seen from the aerial photo taken by Morfoot’s drone:

Photo supplied by William Morfoot Ltd
 
Following on behind them, Broadwood has planted over 35,000 reeds, grown by local nurseries British Wild Flower Plants using seed harvested from reeds at Hickling. These reeds have mostly been planted along the edges of the newly created deep pools. This reed/water edge is critical to attract bitterns to the site as it is along these edges that the birds primarily feed.

Over the winter the ditch from NWT Hickling Broad to the site will be enhanced to enable water levels to be raised which will aid the survival and spread of the reeds. A decision will be taken early next year about further reed planting. Then all we have to do is sit back and wait for the bitterns and marsh harriers to arrive!

No comments:

Post a Comment