Contact: Charles Cuthbert, ext 01962 846037

Summary

1.1 This report highlights the work undertaken on the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve during the seven months from April to October 2004. It deals with staffing and management issues regarding key habitats within the reserve and reports on survey and monitoring work that has been carried out.

2. Staffing

2.1 Bruce Gwynn has unfortunately been on long term sick leave since April.

Pete Durnell, Senior Ranger for the western sites has been standing in for Bruce in his absence and continues to do so. Pete is supported by Adrian Clark as ranger for the western sites and also by Mark Kilby who was appointed as ranger for the western sites in June. Mark is based at Lepe Country Park but will be working on the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature reserve and other sites in the western area primarily during the winter months.

2.2 Volunteers. A group of local birdwatchers again carried out monitoring of breeding birds on the reserve. Their many hours of fieldwork are greatly appreciated as it enables a more accurate picture to be drawn of the success or otherwise of the breeding season.

After a break during the summer months volunteer tasks resumed in October with a small band meeting on the second Saturday of each month to carry out management tasks around the reserve.

3. Site Management

3.1 Countryside Stewardship Agreement

A new Countryside Stewardship agreement was signed with DEFRA this August. This 10 year agreement will guarantee significant extra funding for the reserve up until 2014. As part of the agreement with DEFRA a new management plan for the reserve will be written this autumn and winter.

3.2 Grazing

Grazing using cattle and ponies continued on the reserve throughout the summer months. Our main grazier was once again New Forest Commoner Mr Len Mansbridge with whom we have an excellent working relationship.


Electric fencing was successfully used to exclude stock from sensitive areas such as Normandy Lagoon during the nesting season. Much of the seawall was again grazed in an attempt to control invasive species and to maintain the mix of wild flowers.


New boundary fencing and a new corral will shortly be erected on the land behind Salterns Cottage known as the `Brick Field'. These works will enable the field to be aftermath grazed following the annual hay cut making it more attractive to wildfowl and waders. These new works following on from the new fencing at Salterns Marsh last year mean that virtually all the County Council's landholding can now be grazed for conservation benefit. In addition these areas can now be included within the new Stewardship Agreement and therefore will attract additional grant aid.

3.3 Rush Control

Several species of rush are highly invasive in damp grasslands often coming to dominate the sward making grazing virtually impossible and reducing floristic diversity. At Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve large areas of the SSSI have been assessed by English Nature as being in `unfavourable condition' due to rush encroachment.


Following on from last years successful trials we have treated several large areas of dense rush on Keyhaven, Oxey and Normandy Marshes using a weed wiper. Following treatment in July, the dead stems were then cut using a forage harvester in September and the cut material burnt. The control of rush is a major qualifying element of the Stewardship Agreement and will be an ongoing operation each year.


The weed wiper was also used to good effect in controlling gorse re-growth on Normandy Lagoon.


During October the main area of Pennington Marsh was topped using a tractor mounted flail. This reduces the height of the vegetation making it both more attractive to wintering birds and allowing them to be more easily viewed by visitors.

3.4 Scrub Management

Scrub management is primarily a winter activity, but during the summer months cutting back of footpaths continued around the reserve to maintain and improve access.


Contractors using a side arm flail were used to cut gorse and bramble which had developed on several banks behind the Fishtail lagoon. The aim will be to keep these banks free from scrub to encourage waders and wildfowl to use the area in winter. This ties in with the work carried out last year to shallow flood these areas during the winter and early spring.


A side arm flail was also used to cut back the hedgerows on either side on the `ancient highway' and to control the spread of Japanese Knotweed on the old Pennington Tip.

3.5 Island Management

A proposal to reduce the height of one of the main islands in Normandy Lagoon was submitted to English Nature in 2003, the aim of this work being to control invasive scrub on the island by periodic emersion in saline water.


However, the proposal proved complicated due to the SAC protected status of the lagoon and consent has taken a long time. Thankfully the issues have now been resolved and a method of work agreed. It is hoped that this work will now take place in August 2005.

4. Water Management

4.1 Work on the new sluice system behind Fishtail lagoon was completed this summer with several leakage points which were identified during the winter being infilled . These works should provide better control of water levels and flooding, and at the same time reduce the amount of fresh water directly entering Fishtail and Keyhaven lagoons.

4.2 Due to the wet weather in August the problems experienced in Keyhaven Lagoon during 2003 when the lagoon became hyper saline were not repeated. Appropriate salinity and water levels were maintained in the majority of lagoons during the summer but salinity was still low in the Fishtail lagoon.

4.3 Progress continues to be made towards a final Water Management Plan for the Manor Farm/Efford site. A draft plan has recently been drawn up by the `marshes group' comprising EN, EA and HCC representatives. When finalised this plan will determine the amount of water required by the marshes and the method by which these targets will be met.

5. Access and Interpretation

5.1 The programme of works to improve accessibility on the reserve continued with path resurfacing on Normandy Marsh. This new path will enable year round access to the seawall for people in wheelchairs/buggies using a RADAR key.

A report by the group `New Forest Access for All', has prompted discussions with the EA regarding improvements to the surface of the seawall track and angles of slopes used to access the seawall at Keyhaven. Hopefully when these works are completed the majority of the seawall will be accessible to disabled visitors.


Following the closure of the bridge across the entrance to Moses Dock improvements to the footpaths either side of the dock were planned by the Rights of Way Team for this autumn. Unfortunately due to the time taken in obtaining the necessary formal consents these works have been unavoidably delayed.

5.2 The last of the four memorial seats was installed at its agreed location on the seawall at Normandy Lagoon. These bench type seats have been well received and have proved very popular with visitors to the reserve.

5.3 New interpretation panels incorporating a map of the reserve and information about its wildlife and archaeology are expected to be installed this winter. If funding can be found a panel explaining the history of salt making on the site is also planned. These panels will be in a low key lectern style and are intended to enhance the experience of visitors to the reserve.

5.4 A number of public guided walks were taken during the summer months, but attendance was generally disappointing. We will look at changes to the way they are advertised next year. Several guided walks for specific interest groups were also undertaken.

5.5 The information leaflet produced for the reserve last year has proved so popular that we have run out. If funding can be found we are hoping to reprint this leaflet as soon as possible.

5.6 The recently-published Lymington and Pennington Town Guide includes a lengthy article about the nature reserve.

6. Events

In October as part of the national `Big Draw' events programme two highly successful `Coastlines' days were held in conjunction with the St Barbe Museum and Lymington Library.


Adults and children were given the opportunity to visit the reserve with a professional wildlife artist before returning to the Museum and Library in the afternoon to take part in print making and painting activities.


All those who took part seemed to thoroughly enjoy the days (including the artists) and it is hoped we can work closely with the Museum and Library on future projects.

7. Survey and Monitoring

7.1 Reserve staff continued the monthly monitoring of salinity and water levels within the lagoons.

7.2 For the second year running a breeding bird survey was undertaken on the reserve using volunteer help from local birdwatchers. This help is invaluable in enabling site staff to monitor bird populations on such a large reserve.

Site staff continued the monthly Webs bird counts on the reserve and adjacent marshes.

7.3 Countryside Service staff once again carried out patrols and monitored breeding birds on behalf of the Hampshire Wildlife Trust and NFDC on the marshes outside the seawall.

Pippa Wood a PhD student from Southampton University undertook the first season of a three-year study of Black-headed Gulls and the effects of egg collecting within the colony at Lymington.

7.4 Bird breeding season

The season started well with high numbers of gulls and terns establishing colonies on the marshes between Hurst and Pylewell. Unfortunately severe storms at the end of June and beginning of July all but wiped out the tern colonies and severely reduced the number of gull chicks fledged.


On the reserve predation by foxes within Normandy Lagoon in combination with bad weather at a critical time prevented any tern or gull chicks from fledging. Species which nested earlier such as Lapwing and Redshank fared slightly better with some clutches being successful.

8. Buildings

The County Council's Architects' section has agreed to fund a programme of works to restore Normandy Barn. This barn is the only operational building on the reserve, has suffered from vandalism, and is urgently in need of repair. The barn will undergo extensive renovation making the structure safe and secure, enabling it to be more effectively used as a workshop and storage area. When the works are completed we will be able to remove the unsightly container which currently provides our main building for secure storage. These works are expected to start this autumn.

9. Sturt pond

The Countryside Service has been engaged in discussions with NFDC regarding the future management of Sturt Pond. Subject to funding, it is intended that the management of the Pond will be integrated with that of the Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve.

10. Salterns sailing club

A new lease for the continued use of the Eight-Acre Pond by the Salterns Sailing Club has been agreed between the club, NFDC and Hampshire County Council. The lease also incorporates an agreement for the management of the saline lagoon and its specialised community, which is protected as a SAC. We are pleased that this lease will enable the safe use of the lagoon by young sailors to continue, while safeguarding its importance for nature conservation.

Recommendation

That this report be noted

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excluded :

1. Published works.

2. documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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