Local Lynx Issue 128 - October/November 2019

MORSTON
Contact: Jock Wingfield 01263 740431
jocelynwingfield@gmail.com
DATES
Sat 12 Oct. 14 th FMC Shovell Dinner, Anchor 6.30pm
Sun 10 Nov. Remembrance Day Service, 1.50pm
Mon 23 Dec. Evening Candle-lit Carol Service at
All Saints Church, 5pm
THE 14 TH SHOVELL DINNER
The FMC’s 14 th Shovell Dinner – commemorating the
Life of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell of Cockthorpe and
Morston (1650-1707) & Lord of the Manor of Wells - will
be held at the Anchor in Morston on Sat 12 th October,
starting at 6.30 pm. Guests will be greeted with a glass of
wine. Dress: smart, easy.
The 7pm Talk will be “How the Shovell Dinner became
a 3000-mile Passage” - an exploration of the Hanseatic
ports of the North Sea, the Baltic and even the
Mediterranean. The presentation will be by Tom & Heather
Harrison and Neil Foster.
The 3-course Dinner will commence at 8.15pm and will
include Toasts to Shovell and to Nelson. Dinner will be
followed by a Raffle. All proceeds go to Friends of Morston
Church (reg. charity 1099831).
The FMC Committee is delighted to announce that three
of Wells’ Historical Society will be attending.
NATIONAL TRUST UPDATE
Blakeney National Nature Reserve
The summer season is now all but over, and we have
good news to report for our breeding bird colonies.
Sandwich terns were late to settle this year and unusually
a large proportion of nests contained two eggs, rather than
the expected one for late settling birds. By the end of July,
403 chicks had been recorded in 788 nests, the highest
productivity recorded on the reserve since 2012. We saw
large amounts of rain in June, which would normally be a
critical time for tern chicks. The fact that Sandwich terns
were slightly later to arrive this year meant that these birds
were still sitting on eggs and were able to weather the
conditions, with the first chick hatching three days after the
heavy rain. The Sandwich terns also nested in a completely
new location this year. Initial roosts were all focussed on Far
Point but then a secondary and bigger roost established in
dunes with a colony of black-headed gulls. This meant that
the colony saw fewer disturbances from predators and were
better situated for our team to keep watch.
The common terns arrived next and had 124 nests by the
end of June. It is thought between 60 and 80 chicks have
fledged this year, although the exact number is hard to pin
down due to where the colony is positioned. This common
tern productivity is the second highest productivity since
2011.
Little terns were the last to arrive, with a total of 74
chicks from 108 nests, this has been an above average year
for productivity and the most chicks fledged since 2011.
This is good news for a species in decline, as they face
challenges including climate change, loss of habitat, food
availability and disturbance.
This year’s success at Blakeney is probably down to
good food supply, minimal predation of chicks by other
animals and low disturbance throughout the season.
Productivity is defined by the number of fledged chicks,
divided by the number of nests and is the best way for
rangers to determine how successful a breeding year has
been. In addition to environmental factors, an army of
dedicated volunteers and rangers are present round the clock
throughout the breeding season to monitor these seabirds
and keep disturbance to a minimum on a daily basis.
Pink-Footed Geese have already been spotted on the
Norfolk Coast with 60 seen in Burnham Norton on Monday
2 nd September, a little earlier than the previous couple of
years. It won’t be long before we have the spectacular twice
daily skeins in our skies.
We also now start to look toward preparing for winter
and the arrival of the Grey Seals and their pups. With a
record-breaking 3,012 pups born on Blakeney Point last
year, we can guarantee we are in for another busy season.
Autumn Migrants Ranger Walk
Saturday 26 October 3.30pm-5.30pm
Join us for a guided walk around Blakeney Freshes and
discover the special birds that over-winter on this part of the
coast. The Norfolk Coast becomes home to hundreds of
thousands of birds that chose to spend their winter here.
Learn more about these birds and hopefully experience the
amazing sights and sounds of the thousands of Pink-Footed
Geese as they come in to roost for the night. £10 per adult,
£5 per child. Pre-booking is essential as places are limited.
To book call 0344 249 1895 or online at
nationaltrust.org.uk/blakeney
The National Trust team sincerely thank the residents of
Blakeney, Cley and further afield in Norfolk including the
many visitors, some of whom arrive specifically to see terns
and seals in the unique setting of Blakeney Point, for their
co-operation and support this season and in the future.
Alex Green – National Trust, Blakeney National Nature
Reserve
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