Most of us Marshians are well used to being battered and bruised by the winds and rains, but there are times when the force of nature proves a little too much. And so it proved to be an ill-found choice to visit the RSPB nature reserve at Dungeness on a day that wasn’t even designated a storm by the meteorological powers that be.
Catch up with conservation work
However, the ill wind blew an opportunity to catch up with the landscaping and conservation work that the impressive team of staff and volunteers is doing to create new habitats and improve on the work that has taken place over the last century.
Dungeness was the first RSPB nature reserve that was ‘watched over’ by wardens in the 1920s but, since then, the society’s influence has grown to include a powerful tranche of nature conservation proponents. And, at a time when our wildlife and habitats are taking a beating, who wouldn’t want to join the current 1.2mn members in the fight for nature and access to some of the most impressive and exciting natural habitats in the UK?
The work that the RSPB has undertaken at Dungeness – with the support of £250,000 from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme has, quite literally, been ground-breaking.
Creation of islands
“At the heart of this new work is the creation of islands”, explains Craig Edwards, the RSPB’s warden overseeing this work. “Our main aim is to provide new habitats for seabirds, principally common terns and black-headed gulls.”
But one of the other aspects of this work is to stop the spread of avian flu, which the reserve has already observed.
“We identified around a hundred seabirds which had died last year as a result of the disease but, by providing a more diverse set of habitats, we hope to prevent the spread of bird flu. This is not unlike the two-metre distance introduced during the pandemic”, says Craig.
The ground-breaking aspect of the work includes excavators on pontoons to build up the shingle banks for 12 new islands to the western end of Burrowes Pit, to the right side of the impressive and welcoming visitor centre.
European special protection area
The RSPB’s Dungeness Reserve is certainly unique in its biodiversity in our corner of the world, and arguably one of the finest in the UK. The site enjoys every level of conservation protection including ‘site of special scientific interest’ and ‘European special protection area’ status, as well as sitting within the Dungeness National Nature Reserve.
The RSPB reserve itself covers more than 2,000 acres of the peninsula and provides habitats for species beyond its natural wetland bird species such as bitterns, marsh harriers and seabirds. Its varied landscape provides home to medicinal leeches, great crested newts, and a wide range of butterflies and other invertebrates. It has partnered with Natural England, the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership and the Dungeness Bird Observatory to ensure the preservation of the fragile shingle landscape of Dungeness.
Migrant birds from the southern hemisphere
Its position in the north-eastern European fly zone means it is a favoured stopping-off point for migrants from the southern hemisphere, so we will be the first to see swallows, cuckoos and wheatears (whose name derives from the Anglo-Saxon for, well, you can look it up yourself!) Among the larger birds will be ospreys travelling north to happy fishing lochs, red kites and the extraneous monstrous white-tailed eagle from the Isle of Wight introduced population.
The importance of this corner of the country – in its place in a European context – cannot be underestimated and for marsh dwellers, travellers and visitors alike should not be overlooked – although the day of my visit was a reminder that the visitor should be prepared for ‘weather’ in all its varied forms, but which only adds to the Dungeness experience.
Events and open days
The reserve holds a number of events throughout the year including open days at the iconic Lydd sound mirrors, as well as many birdwatching experiences for all ages.
For more information on all that this amazing nature reserve has to offer, have a look at www.rspb.org.uk/dungeness.
