Natural England

“It may only be the first week of March, but spring is in the air and our summer bird visitors will be arriving any day – indeed, some will already have arrived at the end of February”, says Natural England’s Isobel Whitwam.

A key local site for migrating birds is the Cotswold Water Park on the Wiltshire/ Gloucestershire border, which boasts a total of 147 lakes, 12 of which are designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest.

The first spring arrivals reach the Water Park around 10 March; usually a lone sand martin to start with, the first of many migrants returning from central and southern Africa. From early March, large flocks of sand martins migrate through the Water Park, taking advantage of 40 square miles of wetlands and millions of insects. By mid April they will be joined by thousands of swallows and house martins, and by late April/early May by thousands of migrating swifts, moving en masse through the Water Park, feeding over the lakes on freshly hatched insects.

Sand martins, sandy brown and smaller than a swallow, make their nests in vertical sandy cliffs and river banks, nesting in colonies which may be several hundred birds strong. Sand martins are highly adaptable, taking full advantage of the nesting opportunities of the sand and gravel quarries in the Water Park. Up to 1500 pairs nest here each year in the ten active quarries.

This means they can potentially come into conflict with quarry operators, by nesting in areas which may be dug during the spring and summer. However, mineral operators in the Cotswold Water Park actively create temporary sand martin nesting areas within their quarries, to encourage the birds to nest where they won’t be disturbed or come into conflict with operations.

“With a little thought and careful planning, sand martins are provided with excellent breeding habitat every year, encouraging them to nest away from operational areas, and are assured protection through the nesting season. Equally, quarry operators can be sure that nesting sand martins will not conflict with sand or gravel production, so everyone wins!”, says Gareth Harris of the Cotswold Water Park Society.

Although the working pits and quarries are not accessible to the public, other parts of the Water Park offer great vantage points for visitors to see large flocks of migrating birds, for example, Lake 57 near Somerford Keynes, Lake 16 near South Cerney and Lake 74 (Cleveland Lakes) near Ashton Keynes. Sand martins and a vast array of other birds and dragonflies can be seen feeding throughout the summer including at Lake 6 (by the Cotswold Water Park Gateway Centre) and Lake 74. Maps are available from the Gateway Centre, just off the Spine Road Junction of the A419, near South Cerney.

Ends

Notes for Editor:

1. Natural England has responsibility for 964 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in the Southwest. Nearly a third of these sites have birds as a special notified feature, while many of the others will be managed in ways that take account of or maintain habitats for birds. Some sites like Poole Harbour in Dorset are managed for both breeding and non-breeding birds. Others may focus their management on only one rare bird among the variety of wildlife on a site.
2. To see some of our first summer migrants when they arrive coastal sites are often the best. The National Nature Reserves at Dawlish Warren and Berry Head, near Brixham can be excellent in the right weather conditions as can coastal SSSIs at Prawle Point in South Devon and our most southerly headland, the Lizard in Cornwall.
3. Natural England works for people, places and nature to conserve and enhance biodiversity, landscapes and wildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas. We conserve and enhance the natural environment for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and enjoyment of people, and the economic prosperity it brings. To find out more visit www.naturalengland.org.uk.
4. Cotswold Water Park:- The CWP comprises 40 square miles of wetlands and farmland at the head of the Thames Valley. To date, 147 lakes of varying sizes have been excavated and flooded through sand and gravel extraction and there another 50 years of extraction to go. The CWP is already 50% larger than the Norfolk Broads and is set to become the largest area of man-made wetland in Europe.

   In addition to the 147 lakes, there are a large number of smaller ponds, reed beds, fen and marsh, willow carr and other wetland habitats within a network of the River Thames, its tributaries and innumerable ditches.

   12 lakes have been designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for their aquatic plant interest and 6 grasslands have also been designated as SSSIs, including some of the finest hay meadows in Europe.

   Water quality in the CWP is extremely high, demonstrated by the crystal clear, blue tinged waters of the marl lakes in the CWP. Many of the dragonfly species indicate high water quality and huge insect hatches are seen on many of the lakes.

   The Cotswold Water Park Society works to improve the Water Park for wildlife, local communities and visitors to the area. For further information visit the website www.waterpark.org. For further information about birdwatching in the Cotswold Water Park, visit www.surfbirds.com/blog/cotswoldwaterpark. Or contact Gareth Harris, Tel 07786 835138

5. For more information about this press release please contact Isobel Whitwam, Adviser, Wiltshire Land Management Team on 0117 959 8542 or Dot Isgrove on 07880784757