You hear them before you see them
The BASC Wildlife Fund is supporting ground-breaking work to conserve black grouse. Fund trustee John Furbisher went to check on progress.
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Fenland wildfowlers put conservation into practice
From litter picks to bird monitoring and nesting projects, Fenland Wildfowlers Association members are carrying out hands-on conservation work across the Wash.
Fenland Wildfowlers Association has been managing wildfowling on the Wash for more than 70 years. Formed on 15 October 1952 at the Angel Hotel in Wisbech, the association controls shooting over nine miles of tidal marsh between the rivers Nene and Great Ouse, under lease from the Crown Estate.
Its members also shoot and manage land on the Ouse Washes, with the club owning 132 acres outright and holding a further 140 acres of land and sporting rights in partnership with the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust.
That long connection with the Wash and the surrounding fenland is reflected in the practical conservation work carried out by the club each year.
Clearing nine miles of foreshore
The association’s annual foreshore litter pick was once again well supported, with volunteers clearing the full nine-mile stretch between the Nene and the Great Ouse.
The event was organised by foreshore manager Gerard Carlile, who split volunteers into two teams. Starting from the centre of the club’s foreshore, one group headed east towards the Nene, while the other worked west towards the Great Ouse. The challenge was simple: see which team could collect the most detritus.
Dave Bassett, honorary secretary of Fenland Wildfowlers Association, said: “During the season, we look to pick up any litter we see there and then. So it was no surprise that at the end of the day, we collected less than in previous years. We take that as a positive.
“There was still the usual flotsam and jetsam from passing boats, including buoys, plastic barrels, fishing ropes, pallet boards and too many plastic bottles to mention.”
Duck tubes ready for nesting season
Ahead of the nesting season, members also refurbished all 25 duck nest tubes across the marsh.
The work quickly showed signs that the tubes were in use. Several contained duck droppings from previous use, while one was occupied by a mallard and left undisturbed. Another had an unexpected resident: a barn owl, which had chosen the duck tube over an owl box erected nearby.
For the volunteers involved, it was a clear sign that small, practical measures can make a difference when maintained year after year.
Supporting smaller birds and mammals
The association has also put up songbird nest boxes across its wooded areas. These have already been used by smaller birds, including blue tits and hedge sparrows.
On open farmland close to the Wash, exposure is a constant challenge. Cold easterly and northerly winds can come straight off the North Sea well into late spring, so the club has created a deadwood hedge to provide windbreak cover. Alongside the nest boxes, this gives smaller birds better shelter in a landscape where natural cover can be limited.
The club has also installed an insect hotel and a hedgehog house, adding more habitat features to the available land.
Counting birds on the Wash
Fenland Wildfowlers Association now has a team counting five designated areas in its self-declared conservation zone on the foreshore for the Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS).
WeBS is a UK-wide monitoring scheme for wildfowl, waders and other waterbirds, delivered through a partnership involving the BTO, RSPB and JNCC. The club’s counts include two bunds in the Wash and provide useful insight into visiting and resident bird numbers across its own foreshore.
The association also participates in BASC’s Duck Wing Survey, which collects data from shot ducks to help monitor breeding success and population trends. By collecting and analysing wings from different duck species, the survey helps build a clearer picture of the health of wildfowl populations across the UK.
To encourage participation, the club ran a competition during the season, with members receiving one entry into a prize draw for every duck wing return or submission made through the Epicollect app. The winner will receive a year’s free club subscription, with the draw taking place at this year’s Game Fair at Ragley Hall.
The data also gives the association a clearer picture of how bird numbers compare with bag returns at the end of the season.
Dave said: “We can normally see a correlation between the WeBS data and our own bag returns at the end of the season.
“The plan for the future is to work with Natural England to see if we can create a dedicated site on the outer bund into a dedicated nesting site for shelduck or perhaps terns.”
A long record of conservation work
The Wash is the UK’s largest estuarine system and supports large numbers of geese, ducks and waders during migration and through the winter. Fenland Wildfowlers Association’s leased area also falls within the Wash National Nature Reserve, the largest NNR in the UK.
The association has a long record of conservation activity, including work with conservation organisations on management strategies for the Wash and the Ouse Washes. The club has supported the BASC Wildlife Fund stamp since 1991, with every member purchasing a £5 stamp as part of their membership.
From clearing litter and maintaining nesting sites to supporting national bird monitoring, the work carried out by Fenland Wildfowlers Association shows how local clubs can play an active role in looking after the places where they shoot.
BASC wildfowling advisor Chris Wright said: “While most will not see it, wildfowling clubs go far beyond just pursuing their quarry. The reality is that they give more back to the landscape than they ever take.
“These men and women are at the forefront of protecting and enhancing the natural habitats that shape our little island. Through their investment in wetland restoration, to careful monitoring of species populations, habitat management, and the list goes on.
“Clubs like the Fenland Wildfowlers Association, and there are plenty of others, ensure that future generations inherit an as rich, diverse environment, full of thriving wildlife, as they can.”
Become a Fenland Wildfowlers’ member
If you’d like to join the Fenland Wildfowlers Association, the club currently has membership vacancies. You can find out more about the requirements and download the application pack on Fenland Wildfowlers’ website.
Find out more about wildfowlers’ conservation efforts, and if you’re looking for wildfowling opportunities, BASC’s wildfowling permits and affiliated clubs list are a great place to start.
If you have duck nests on your ground, don’t miss your chance to win a Zeiss Secacam 3 by recording mallard nesting success.
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