When I first visited Snape may years ago, what are now the marshes were closely grazed dry grassland, offering little of interest for the birdwatcher. Then one year Suffolk Wildlife Trust bought up the land and with careful management turned the area into a haven for wetland birds. A mixture of sward heights, from close cropped grass, to tussocky sedge, to dense reedbed, along with added pools and ditches has given the area a new life.
As early summer dawns on the marshes, there were plenty of birds about. Nicest find was a REDSHANK chick feed on the edge of one of the pools, with a very nervy parent piping nearby. The chicks are often hard to see as redshanks enjoy the longer grass for shelter. There were around three more pairs about, but their fortunes were unknown to me as the birds hide their young away. At least five pairs of LAPWING were about, some sitting on eggs, others on the move, although I didn't see any chicks, there probably were some about as they tend keep to cover. Finally a pair of OYSTERCATCHER completed the triumvirate of waders in the area. Also on the Marshes were a pair of EGYPTIAN GEESE, some GADWALL and a male MARSH HARRIER flew over.
On the other side of the sea wall to the Marshes, it was mid tide on the river Ore estuary, and being Mid May, the number of WADERS were low. However there was a good variety with three WHIMBREL, two GREENSHANK and five AVOCET feeding on the exposed, gloopy mud. There were also lots of SHELDUCK about, all forming pairs, they will nest around the estuary when they get the chance, they tend to raise large broods of grey, stripy ducklings.
There you go, this was a quick visit to a place I know fairly well, but was surprised just by how much has changed. Snape Marshes have increased so much nature wise and the responsibility for this rests with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Our conservation charities do so much good work, looking after our most precious wildlife, on such a tight budget. However land given over to wildlife is miniscule, Snape Marshes are such a tiny part of our countryside, a pin prick really, lost within a sea of dead, industrialised farming. The only way to help nature now is to turn over our land to wildlife, those corners of our countryside, which contribute nothing to food growing but can benefit nature.
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