Our Caring Plod.

[JennyMorgan]

I have a very high regard for our Broads Beat team, they do an excellent job and have a good understanding of Broads issues, top people.

https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/crime/broads-beat-police-urge-people-to-look-out-for-others-on-the-broads-1-6921156

[Poppy]

And in other news....

 

[marshman]

Not quite true - the red closed sign on Meadow Dyke has nothing to do with any wildlife refuge, but in case you meet a mud wherry carrying dredgings from Horsey to Hickling where it is being pumped into the bay being reclaimed. My guess its a bit of a squeeze where it to happen!

Normally you would only see a yellow buoy indicating a wildlife refuge which is very different to the navigation being closed temporarily!

[JennyMorgan]

22 minutes ago, marshman said:

Normally you would only see a yellow buoy indicating a wildlife refuge which is very different to the navigation being closed temporarily!

Plus that red notice has nothing to do with Plod.

[marshman]

Nope - it might as well say "Mind large unmanoeuverable mud wherries coming downstream which cannot stop!! "

[JennyMorgan]

10 hours ago, marshman said:

in case you meet a mud wherry carrying dredgings from Horsey to Hickling

Rather than carting it all that way why not spread it on the bank at Horsey or use it to reinstate the island? 

[marshman]

The mud from Waxham Cut is being side cast I think but I guess that which is being dredged from the Broad has to be approved by multiple agencies employing lots of shiny suits! Incidentally re-establishing reed beds on Hickling which were being washed away has been quite successful but it does require a lot of hard wok putting in place structures that do not wash away in high winds, to hold the mud until reed growth has been re established. I have a feeling this might be the last year of the CANAPES project which is where the money has come from I think. Whether future funding such as this from the EU will still be forthcoming is debatable.

Reinstating islands is not easy at all - they failed miserably trying extend the one in Barton - no matter what was tried  it just washed away. 

[Vaughan]

When you say washed away, I assume you are not talking about boat wash, but the effect of high winds on the open water?

[marshman]

Correct Vaughan - not only does the wind have a devastating effect on open reed, the continued "explosion" of greylags has had an equal effect! The birds eat the new green shoots in the spring, the reed dies and as a result the wind has an even greater impact. In a decent breeze on Hickling, its not unusual to see wave heights of 12" or more - this crashing against the reed beds quickly washes away any silt around the base of the old plant and as well as putting more silt in suspension, erodes the shoreline.

I can show you several places on Hickling where this has occurred , particularly in the middle and towards the northern end which face the prevailing wind - the BA have done a good job in at least 3 or 4 places where significant  erosion had taken place and the reedbed has now  been re established - but they still need barriers to keep out those damned geese! For years the Wildlife Trust has put barriers up around the vulnerable parts but even these get wrecked by the wind and they seem recently to have given up the unequal struggle. So whilst I would love to see more "islands" re established as suggested by Pete, its not easy. I wish the BA would explain more about whats been happening  filling in the bay they are working on, now in its 3rd year I think - its been a big task and they must have dumped a lot of mud in it!!!! 

Major eggpricking exercises need to take place annually but you would hardly make a difference as access would be hard - as would the public outcry!

Blame climate change in part I suspect - many of the birds now stay here all year round instead of flying away and in the spring more seem come here to breed as well!!!!!

[MauriceMynah]

Perhaps a bit more 'wildfowling' might be the answer. Ask the RSPB what it's views are on killing geese to protect Bitterns.

[marshman]

To be fair to both the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the RSPB, bittern numbers in Norfolk have improved steadily over the last couple of decades. Its still not that common to see one waltzing around but you do see more reports of seeing them flying and in spring there are definitely more booming males than there used to be -  perhaps that is due to climate change rather than the actions of those two bodies.

Climate change may also be having an impact, but whoever's fault it is, I do appreciate it!!!