Wader Lake works - September 2021
We have essential works taking place on Wader Lake from Tuesday 28 September.
We have some planned essential works taking place from Tuesday 28 September for approximately 5 days (weather dependant) which will involve some heavy machinery coming onto the lake. This will inevitably cause some disruption to the wildlife on the lake during the duration of the works.
We have been doing some preparation on the lake that you may have already noticed, such as lowering the water levels and cutting back lots of vegetation. This has enticed many species to head down to the newly exposed mud in search of food, with highlights including ruff and a bar-tailed godwit. The works include de-silting the area around Northumbrian Wader hide getting the water levels back to the correct depth, while profiling the margins of the lake edges and islands. We are also looking to create a deeper permanent pool to the side of Northumbrian Water hide, which will hopefully bring wildlife closer to this side of the lake for visitors to enjoy.
- Desilting the lake will allow us to more effectively manage the water levels throughout the year, providing safety for breeding birds, better feeding and roosting opportunities year round for priority species such as curlew, a Durham Biodiversity Action Plan (DBAP)* that are classified in the UK as Red under the Birds of Conservation Concern, as well as other important Durham BAP species such as lapwing, redshank, little-ringed plover, avocet and snipe.
- Profiling the margins of the lake edge and islands will provide more loafing and roosting areas which will encourage our key wader and water bird species to utilise the site, such as waders and other birds such as shelduck, gadwall, shoveler, wigeon, and tufted duck.
Wader Lake is a fantastic place for wading bird species and many that frequent the nearby meadows and our continued work to improve the biodiversity and habitats in this area is something that we are passionate about.
While these works are in progress, it could be a great opportunity to explore some of our other areas of site such as the Lagoon View hide or Hawthorn Wood hide. Waders are regularly seen on the river Wear and provide excellent photo opportunities. Kingfisher are also regular visitors at this time of year!
