Farlington Marshes

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Farlington Marshes

This coastal landscape, just a stone’s throw from the developments of Portsmouth and Cosham, may seem inhospitable, but the marshes are a wildlife paradise, and the habitats found here are especially important for wading birds.

Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve is a special place to visit in the winter months, as wading birds flock in to feed in the pools and mudflats. You might hear the pinging calls of bearded tits as they flit between the reeds, and the cries of gulls wheeling overhead. Some of the birds that breed here in summer will have departed for their wintering grounds, replaced by thousands of ducks, geese and waders.

This summer was one of the most successful years for breeding birds on the marshes, but it has taken a lot of hard work to get to this point. Reserve Officer, Chris Lycett, has worked at Farlington Marshes for five years. He explains why this nature reserve is such a vital home for wildlife and describes some of the efforts to preserve this special place.

Bearded tit in the reeds at Farlington Marshes.

ANDY BRITLAND

Picky breeders

It can be difficult to encourage wading birds to breed in a new location. These birds require specific conditions to tempt them into nesting on a site, and their needs often clash between species. They can also be disturbed throughout the season by people, dogs or predators. Juggling these different needs while also caring for a site that is attractive to the public and other wildlife can be a challenge, and there has been a degree of trial and error in the management of the Marshes.

There are around 80 hectares of coastal grazing marsh on the site which are particularly good for lapwing. Lapwing prefer the large open spaces of these fields, so they can see any potential predators approaching. Around 28 pairs nested there this summer, producing lots of fluffy, longlegged chicks, of which at least 27 fledged across the site. The grazing marsh is also a good place to look for snipe in winter. Redshanks prefer a patchwork of long and short grass, so the team of staff and volunteers have cleared patches of scrub on the marsh, to make areas more suitable for these waders. Both species also need the sites to be wet in the breeding season.

Avocets have been making a gradual comeback in Britain, after disappearing during years of exploitation for the feather trade. They returned to Farlington Marshes three years ago, and this year nine chicks fledged. They nest close to water and need open, muddy areas to feed on. Their return was very exciting for both the team and regular visitors and is a sign of the success of conservation work to help avocets.

Ringed avocet chicks

CHRIS LYCETT

Another severe threat to breeding birds on this nature reserve is predation by foxes, corvids and birds of prey. One of the methods we use to stop this predation is diversionary feeding. Carrion and reptile food, such as chicks and rats, are placed away from breeding areas three or four times a week. The food diverts the predators’ attention away from the eggs and chicks of rarer species. In 2020, during lockdown restrictions, the team could not carry out the feeding, and the breeding success of wading birds at Farlington Marshes was much lower.

Encouraging gulls to breed on the site could be another way to help wading birds. They will mob predators and act as a greater deterrent than the smaller waders.

Black-tailed godwit visit in winter.

TREVOR CODLIN

Managing the Marshes

There are various methods the team use to manage the nature reserve for wildlife. Our conservation grazing herd help stop scrub and reed growth in the fields from April to November, with a summer high of 140 cattle on the site in June. The grazing marsh habitat which the cows maintain is also home to rare plants such as strawberry clover, orchids and spiny restharrow. An impressive 2,500 spikes of southern marsh and common spotted orchid flowered in the hay fields this year.

In future, as the climate becomes more unpredictable, maintaining water levels on the site is likely to become more of a challenge. The Trust is considering digging a series of ditches to keep water levels up in the summer, bringing water from the reedbed to the marshes. The soil from the ditches could be used to build small islets in the lagoons, providing nesting space for terns and gulls. 2021 was a year of extreme weather, the dry spring meant little vegetation grew, and late rains kept the pools and meadows wet throughout most of the summer. The team may also need to consider installing pumps across the nature reserve to move water in the driest years.

Grazing herd at Farlington Marshes.

Team work

The Trust, together with the RSPB, Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust and Hampshire County Council, have formed a wader strategy group. The organisations use the group to share techniques they are applying to conserve waders. They also work on the bigger picture, linking all their sites together as part of a wader recovery network.

Already, Farlington Marshes is acting as a source that waders can spread from, moving to sites along the coast and further inland. The Trust hopes to work with farmers nearby to ensure farmland is managed sustainably, providing nesting sites for lapwings.

Farlington Marshes is a popular site for local people, as it is one of the biggest green spaces in Portsmouth. Most of the nature reserve is inaccessible and therefore protected from disturbance because the main footpath runs along the sea wall.

What you can see this winter

Grey plovers, dunlins, black-tailed godwits and greenshank are just a few of the species that can be seen in flocks feeding in the pools at Farlington Marshes. Short-eared owls and marsh harriers may also be spotted, stalking the air above the marshes and reeds on the hunt for their next meal. It is thanks to your support that this harsh environment is flooded with wildlife - so make sure to pay Farlington Marshes a visit this winter.