W.W.A install mallard nest tubes with the National Trust
Following the Spring meeting of the Wildfowling Clubs of Morecambe Bay (Westmorland WA, Morecambe Bay WA, Grange & District WA and Walney Island WA) with the Morecambe Bay Partnership, Natural England, the National Trust, the RSPB, Cumbria Wildlife Trusts and BTO representatives, the W.W.A. were delighted to learn that the warden of the National Trust SSSI site at the Sandscale Haws National Nature Reserve, was interested in putting out some mallard nest tubes on one of their coastal lagoons having recently visited the Cumbria Wildlife Trust site at Ulpha Meadows. This site is where the W.W.A. started their main 'hen house' experiment back in 2011. During the meeting the Westmorland Wildfowlers Association offered to get the National Trust project 'off the ground' by building them 2 hen houses and installing them on their specified wetland. So, on the 19th April 2014 Stotty made the 80 mile round trip to the site, car loaded with 2 newly built hen houses, scaffold poles, sledge hammer and an assortment of tools, and spent a very pleasant morning with the warden and National Trust volunteers installing the 2 hen houses on a place known as the Wet Meadows. Hopefully next Spring we'll be reporting that the mallard around the Duddon Estuary have found them to their liking. Fingers crossed! The Sandscale Haws Reserve is an outstanding dune habitat close to the Duddon Estuary and supports a wealth of wildlife including the rare flora Dune Helliborine and supports one fifth of the National population of Natterjack Toads. For more information see: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sandscale-haws-national-nature-reserve/
