| Reserves may close
As you know I live in North Kent. My nearest RSPB reserve is Northward Hill on the Hoo peninsula. I've just read some alarming news. The drought that we have here in the South East is threatening to close reserves. The occurence of lapwings,redshank, snipe have plummeted by as much as 80%. There are only 6 breeding pairs of lapwings.
The huge amount of water consumption here in the SE is also blamed. Apparently reservoirs have only half of what is needed. The RSPB have had to do manual pumping of water onto the wetlands to try to keep the damp meadows where the birds nest, damp enough for nesting and feeding.
The rediculous thing here in the SE is the enormous house building programme that the government have given the go-ahead to- the so called Thames Gateway project is only going to make the problem worse. Thousands of houses, businesses, shops, the list goes on, are going to need water.
I don't think there's anyone in this government that really gives two hoots about our wildlife here, so long as they are making money. Not so long ago, and still not dead and buried, was the threat of Cliffe airport being built right where the bird reserve is.
Sorry to go on but I'm spitting chips over this at the moment and I needed my wildlife mates to rant at. Cheers. A VERY Wild-Woman  |