By Design

After Yesterday's Overgrown? where I questioned whether the state of our local Lemsford Springs Nature Reserve was by design or neglect, today I bring you the changing face of another local reserve - Tewinbury.

Not that long ago there were breeding Tufted Ducks here - they are diving ducks that like a reasonable depth of water, they wouldn't like it now though. We only started visiting Tewinbury about a year ago, when we would regularly see Water Rail, Heron, Kingfisher & Green Sandpiper, there being a mixture of mud for the waders and enough water for the Kingfisher.

Over winter the water levels were significantly increased and Tufted Duck & Canada Geese appeared and there was no longer any suitable habitat for the waders. Now the levels have been reduced again, hopefully the waders will return although perhaps a little more water is required for the kingfishers to resume their use of the strategically placed fishing perches. This is all manipulated by design as the water levels are controlled by an upstream sluice.