New habitat being created for wigeon at WWT Welney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flood defences
The Environment Agency (EA) purchased the former agricultural land as part of a project to establish wet grassland for wigeon as part of the required compensatory habitat creation for flood defence work carried out on the Middle Level Barrier Bank of the Ouse Washes, and also as part of the Agency’s wider biodiversity action plan.

West Norfolk Borough Council planning department has just given the project the green light, and work is expected to start on the land in mid February for completion later in the summer. WWT will design, landscape and manage the area, creating shallow water ditches and short sward grassland which will also support other breeding birds and invertebrates.

 

WWT Welney
WWT Welney holds internationally important wintering populations of wigeon. The Ouse Washes form the largest example of internationally important washland in Britain, and is the most important area of lowland wet grassland for birds in Britain. Emma Hutchins, WWT’s Biodiversity Project Manager said: ‘Most of the Washes are semi-natural and have not been improved. There is a long tradition of summer cattle grazing, with hay cutting, which continues and provides swards for grazing wintering wildfowl including wigeon and breeding waders.

‘This project will create similar habitat to the Washes on what were previously arable fields. Unlike the Washes, which are part of the flood defences for the area, we will have complete control over the water regime of the site which will enable ideal conditions for both wintering and breeding species to be achieved.’

More about WWT Welney.
More about the WWT.

Our thanks to WWT warden James Lees for the photos.