Back on the trail

With April quickly approaching there were still several tasks that needed seeing to before the Nature Trail opened again to the public. Also the dredging work was planned to finish around this time and restart in the winter, but the decision was made to let work continue as it was having little impact on the wildlife and it would always be better to finish the work early. Travelling across the Broad it was surprising to see how little the dredgers seemed to bother the birds that lived there, as I watched swans and ducks swimming right up to the platform completely unfazed, more concerned with the possibility of food. The birds on Salhouse and Hoveton Great Broad are very bold, especially around this time; waiting to be collected by boat on the shore of Salhouse Broad my boots were investigated by a couple of very curious mallards. In the springtime the instinct to mate and breed is strong and this means, especially for the egg-laying females, they are hungrier than ever. This explains why the birds' so readily approach people; not only do they associate people with food more than danger anyway but these Broads have so little plant life due to pollution, so being feed by visitors is an important source of energy for them.

The duck couple who kept me company and tried to eat my boots at Salhouse Broad

It was on the Monday that my luck ran out and it poured with rain. We only had one simple task to do that day - simple on paper at least - but the heavy downpour made sure we were soaked by the end of it nonetheless. Living out in the wilderness for several years, even the thick, heavy sleepers used for the trail don't last forever and some had finally become rotten enough to need replacing. The main problem the wood faces is excavation by ant colonies which hollow them out and give purchase for the fungi and moss to bury their roots in where we can't remove them. When the sleepers are compromised like this they become dangerous, but replacing them isn't easy when the new wood is extremely heavy and must travel across water and through wet woodland to reach their destination. It was during this task I realised the true cost of my little experience; I had nowhere near the upper body strength needed to move the sleepers. I helped how I could, holding bags and opening the boat shed door, but for the most part felt quite useless as I watched the other two wardens. To make the task easier, and less of a health and safety risk, they used strops; loops of thick material they slipped around each end of the sleepers so they could raise them without bending over or risk trapping their fingers underneath.

A section of replaced boardwalk

The second day was brighter, though still a little chilly, and we were joined by a couple more helping hands. While they continued with the task of replacing the sleepers and removing the old ones, I swept the boardwalk. The main purpose of keeping the trail clear of debris is to reveal areas where the chicken wire which covers the sleepers needs patching up, and preparing the sites for repairs. It also removes the moss which has grown on top of the wood, preventing their roots from weakening the wood. Also, on one side of the island some old trees had been removed because their hollow branches overhanging the path were dangerous. Not only was the path covered in sawdust but it also opened up a wide area next to the gate which now needed a fence - it was becoming clear that more than a degree in science what was really useful for nature wardens was a strong back and carpentry skills. On top of these tasks there was also a new tern raft to build; a wooden platform covered in gravel where terns and other birds nested and which had been destroyed by Storm Doris.

The new tern raft, under construction

The third and final day I worked at the trail that week I was back on sweeping and chicken wire duty - which while not exciting I did find oddly therapeutic - but before that we visited the cattle. The boys; Andrew, Manny, Duffy and Bobby had now made a friendly herd with the girls, Marie and Netta. They'd grown a lot since I'd last seen them a couple of months before; all the males now had horns sprouting from their fluffy heads, and had calmed down a lot. Instead of jostling and butting heads they were quite content to sit in their field and watch us approach, quickly loosing interest when it was clear we had no food. Duffy and Mani had formed a close bond and were often seen together. Unfortunately there were problems however; Marie had gotten arthritis in her old age which caused her to limp, and Andrew's intestine was having trouble adjusting to the new pasture - he was the youngest and only just weaned before coming to the Bure Marshes so the sudden change in diet was a shock to his system. But otherwise everyone looked in good condition; thick set with glossy coats. The wardens would continue to keep an eye on them and it would be a job for a volunteer to follow the cattle around for a day, collecting their cowpats for worm testing - time would tell who picked the short straw on that one.

After the heavy rain the weather quickly picked up again and it was lovely being back out on the Broad, watching the plants come to life after winter and seeing the grebes, tuffed ducks, swans and even a heron! Office work would always be an inevitable part of any job but at least my days on the Broad were just as assured as well.