The Lincolnshire Bird Club

An immature Redstart was present this morning in the hedge just north of the Catchwater bridge. This is the earliest date I have ever had one on the patch.

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Regards,

Andy.

Hi Andy,

That hedge just north of the Catchwater Drain bridge with its stand of Elders, and the other hedges around the neighbouring cattle fields, must be one of the best sites in Lincs for autumn migrants visiting an inland area. We've had some great migrant news from there over the years.

I look forward to reports of a certain 'other migrant' which regularly frequents those Swanpool hedges in August/September, with up to 5 or 6 together in August 2012 - and, as you'll also remember, even 1 as late as 1st October that year.

Regards,

Freddy

Very true Freddy a piece of natural England how it once was and yet so close to the city.
Such a shame that it will not remain that way for many more years.The City council are not
far from obtaining their final clearance to cover the area with a huge housing development.
Sorry to put a downer on Andy's good news. better enjoy while we can.
Regards
Pete

I do not think we need to be defeatist about the housing development proposal. It is not a done deal yet, but even if it goes ahead we must DEMAND a "Buffer zone" for the Boultham Mere Reserve. I know that LWT have already made representations and I feel that we should all do so in due course. I am keeping a close eye on these Planning issues, including the proposal for the development at Greetwell Hollow.

Pete,

Admittedly, I'm no 'planning expert' but to my mind, and to my eyes, the area N of the Catchwater Drain is a classic floodplain. There is also a lot of water further N (the Fossdyke Canal, the Main Drain, Boultham Mere and the Brayford Pool) and the Hartsholme/Swanholme series of lakes to the S. The water table must be very high in rainy periods. It is crisscrossed with drainage ditches and the area is already wet under foot with visible surface water in the average autumn. Turn it into a housing development, cover it with tens of thousands of square metres of concrete and in a really wet autumn/winter, despite any compensating construction of new waterways and lakes, it could well live up to its name of Swanpool : extreme excesses of rainwater would have nowhere to go.

The 'planning experts' would just have egg on their faces; Swanpool residents would have mud on their sitting room carpets and walls and progressively invalid house insurance documents.

Regards,

Freddy

Very eloquent analysis Freddy, you should be standing for parliament ,
Phil

Thanks for your comment, Phil. Perhaps one day in the future I can stand for the Swanpool Wellington constituency.

Freddy

Pity if this site is compromised by the housing development. Can/Would the LBC membership object as a group to the planning and or propose a buffer zone in the event that planning is granted?
Why not post a request on social media, asking all birders for their support?

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Regards.
Del.

To err is human. To really louse things up takes a computer