Essential work on Wader Lake in September
After another breeding season on Wader Lake, it's time to get the area in top condition for the arrival of autumn and winter wading birds.
This September, our reserve management team along with a group of dedicated volunteers will be doing some work to cut back the vegetation in front of the hides on Wader Lake.
This is essential for a number of reasons - firstly, it allows the team to identify and control any occurrences of invasive non-native species such as crassula which, left unchecked, would degrade the habitat over time. Secondly, they need to cut back the desirable vegetation which has shot up over the summer (when we don't access the lake area in order to avoid disturbing breeding birds). Cutting it back helps to expose the mud so that waders can feed here.
The team will leave some tussocks of grasses in place so that the birds have areas of cover, which protects them from predation and creates safe areas for them to loaf on between feeds.
This work also helps to ensure that visitors have the opportunity to see species such as snipe, redshank and ruff when they emerge from cover.
The hides will then be given a fresh coat of paint on the outside ready for the winter season.
While the hides will be open as normal, the lake will be quieter than usual in terms of wildlife. Thanks in advance for your patience.
