ABANDONED LINCOLNSHIRE THEME PARK HAS BECOME AN 'ACCIDENTAL' NATURE RESERVE

Facing an uncertain future, but Pleasure Island has become a haven for songbirds

THERE were tears all round when the Pleasure Island theme park at Cleethorpes in North East Lincolnshire closed at the end of the summer season four years ago.

Since its opening in May, 1993 - as a subsidiary of  Yorkshire-based Flamingo Land - it had been  a magnet for residents and holidaymakers who flocked to there  to enjoy  the rides and other attractions.

But visitor income fell behind costs, and its operators, the unusually-named DewarSavile Enterprises Ltd - headed by Melanie Wood - reluctantly decided to bring down the curtain in 2016.

Although the on-site pub, McCormack's Family Bar, reopened the following year, the rest of the site has been abandoned, with its rides and other assets sold off by auction.

There is no obvious sign that the  site is currently being actively marketed so its future remains uncertain.

In the meantime, there has been a plus.

The 54-acre site has become what ecologists call an 'accidental' nature reserve - one rich in various habitats, ranging from copse to reed pond, which  provide a refuge from the human world  for scores of different birds, butterflies and mammals.

Access to casual visitors is barred, but Pleasure Island has probably become a nesting site for songbirds such as chiffchaffs, sedge warblers, blackcaps, robins, wrens, goldcrests and more.

Maybe there are swallows, bats and owls breeding in the myriad  sheds and barns. On several occasions, this spring, a cuckoo has been calling loudly from aloft one of the trees.

                                                                                                   

I like it here - a cuckoo surveys the Pleasure Island scenery

Admittedly a long shot, but maybe  it is already home to a pair or two of rare turtle doves, spotted flycatchers or black redstarts.

Is there an opportunity, here, for DewarSavile Enterprises? Could it re-open as a different sort of attraction - one with far lower running costs?

Below is a selection of photographs of the abandoned theme park  as it is today, but please note - all were taken from the perimeter of the park, not from within.

As extensive signage and fencing make plain, Pleasure Island remains strictly out of bounds to the public.

It is protected by elaborate CCTV, dog patrols and other security.

The Wryneck says: Is Melanie Wood missing a trick with Pleasure Island? True it will never be a breeding home to iconic species such as puffins, ospreys or white storks, but that is not to say  it does not accommodate some very interesting birdlife. Who is to say that there is not, for instance, a pair of bluethroats or Savi’s warblers nesting around the pond and reedbed. Eco-tourism is fast-growing, and there is no reason why organisations such as the RSPB and the county wildlife trusts need to have a stranglehold on nature reserves? There is plenty of scope for private enterprise - and not at great cost. If most of the habitat is already in situ (as it is at Pleasure Island), all that’s needed is a hide or viewing point and a booth to sell admission tickets. And if there are on-site catering facilities (which there are), so much the better. The garden centre-style gift shop and guided tours can come later. 

                                                      

BYGONE BIRDING: BIRDS PASSED LIKE SHADOWS ACROSS THE SUN

A Remarkable Flight of Birds (from the journal, Nature, 1895)

On September 30, 1894, about 3 pm, I was observing the sun through an 8-inch telescope when I noticed some dark figures of birds passing, like shadows, across the sun. 

I was using a dark glass, and the birds were, consequently, only visible when seen against the bright solar disc. 

The silhouettes of the birds were very sharply and clearly cut. 

Every few seconds, a bird would emerge from the darkness, pass slowly across the sun and disappear on the other side. 

I watched them for over ten minutes without any decrease in their numbers. 

The whole number of birds must have been enormous, otherwise it would have been impossible for some of them to have passed as frequently as they did between my telescope and the sun. 

The birds were flying in a southerly direction, and were quite invisible to the naked eye. 

I was, therefore, unable to determine their distance but should think they must have been two or three miles away for the telescope was in focus for the birds and sun at the same time. 

I do not know what birds they were.

Comparing the spread of their wings with the solar disc, I should say their wings subtended an angle of about two minutes. 

The place from which I observed them was Shere, a village between Guildford and Dorking. 

I am told that such a flight of birds has not before been recorded in this country, and have been urged to publish an account in the hope that other astronomers, who may have seen a similar thing, may be led to mention the fact.

R. A. Bray

Shere

Guildford

Surrey

THE LINCOLNSHIRE WOODPECKER FROZEN IN TIME

                                                                               

It didn't even blink - some thought the motionless woodpecker was a plastic replica

A SMALL crowd gathered on the perimeter of Thorpe Park holiday park in Humberston, near Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire  to watch an unusual ornithological phenomenon.

This great spotted woodpecker on the trunk of a dead tree appeared to be in a state of paralysis.

Instead of flying off, it remained motionless for the best part of 15 minutes.

Some onlookers were convinced it must have been a fake, ornamental bird, attached to the tree in jest by the site owners, Haven Holidays.

But then suddenly it flew off.

Why had the bird remained stationary for so long?

The prevailing theory in birding circles is that it must have been  aware of a sparrowhawk in the vicinity.

Because woodpeckers have a weak undulating flight, they can fall prey to a fast-moving sprawk.

For that reason, it was safer for this woodpecker to remain static until it was confident the danger had passed.

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RSPB'S APPROACH TO RE-OPENING ITS RESERVES WILL BE 'GRADUAL AND PHASED' SAYS ITS CHIEF EXECUTIVE

   

                                                                                  

MEMBERS of the RSPB have today received this email from the organisation's chief executive, Beccy Speight:

Like you, I’ve found these past few weeks incredibly challenging. We have all been worried about the health and welfare of our family, friends and our communities during this difficult time.   

But with birdsong seemingly louder than it has ever been, I hope nature has been as great a source of comfort and interest for you as it has been for all of us at the RSPB.  

With that in mind, I’m sure many of you will have listened to last night’s announcement and thought about when you might next head out into nature as our lockdown restrictions are gradually eased.    

For the past few weeks we’ve been working in-step with all four of the UK’s country Governments to build safe reopening plans for our amazing network of sites. We have also been listening to our employees, volunteers, the local communities in which we live and work, and to you, our fantastic members and supporters. Listening to your views on what the right thing to do is and how we can make your return to RSPB reserves a safe and enjoyable experience. 

It goes without saying that we are champing at the bit to get our nature reserves back up and running for their incredible wildlife and for you all to be able to enjoy them too. But returning from lockdown will not be easy and it won’t be simple. 

The health and wellbeing of our employees, volunteers and all visitors to our nature reserves is our paramount concern. 

We also have to make sure the wildlife that calls our sites home are ready to receive attention after a couple of months completely on their own. With reports of rare species nesting on and near busy paths, it's going to take us some time to make sure they are safe too. 

As you will have heard we are also managing differences in approach to coming out of lockdown across the four countries of the UK, and possibly between regions too. 

Because of this, we will be taking a gradual and phased approach over the coming weeks and will only be opening individual reserves when we are absolutely confident we can do so safely. 

This will likely mean different sites reopening at different times, and with different levels of access and facilities. In order to avoid any disappointment, I would urge you to check our website for the latest information before making any visits.  

As I write this, I can hear a blackbird calling. Above me, swifts have now joined the swallows and are back for another summer. These are all signs that even in these turbulent times our natural world is resilient and keeps on turning. 

Thank you again for your patience – we've had some wonderful messages of support from you. We have tried to do our bit to help people connect with nature over the past few months and we are heartened that many of you have enjoyed our regular Breakfast Birdwatch and Dawn Chorus celebrations. While the pandemic is having a huge impact on our work and income, your brilliant support for our shared cause is a source of great strength for us all at the RSPB.

We will continue to keep you informed about our plans, but in the meantime please continue to follow all Government advice. We look forward to welcoming you back to our reserves as soon as we can safely do so.   

Wishing you and your loved ones the very best of health,

Beccy Speight

 

NEW WETLAND BIRD REFUGE NEAR IMMINGHAM EARNS TOP AWARD FOR PLANNING EXCELLENCE

Cress Marsh - the hope is that, in time, it will attract significant numbers of curlew, godwit. redshank, wigeon and other wetland birds 

CREATION of a new refuge near Immingham for wading birds and wildfowl has earned a feather in the cap for North East Lincolnshire Council and its private-sector partner, Engie.

Cress Marsh at Stallingborough has been laid out in a series of lagoons to make it attractive to wetland birds.

The purpose of the project has been to provide mitigation habitat for those birds soon likely to be displaced by proposed industrial development on adjacent land.

The concept has been deemed sufficiently impressive to win a Royal Town Planning Institute award for planning excellence.

Cress Marsh came out top in the Planning for the Natural Environment category.

Judges were said to have been 'extremely impressed’.

They believe the project represents ‘leading practice in the industry’ and provides a template that ‘should, be replicated elsewhere’ as a means of  uniting the economy along with public, private and environmental sectors.

Says Engie's spatial planning manager, Ian King: "It is testament to all those involved that we have achieved such success, and we applaud the innovative approach taken by our partners at the council."

The project team is said to have collaborated with Natural England, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, the RSPB, the Humber Nature Partnership, the Environment Agency, plus landowners and developers.

Cress Marsh accommodates a bird hide next to a large central lagoon which feeds seven more water-filled ‘cells’ via pipework infrastructure.

Comments NELC's head of regeneration, Cllr John Fenty: "We are delighted that this work has been recognised nationally.”

So far, the site has failed to attract birds in any numbers - least of all those for which it has been specifically created - but there are hopes the situation might improve in time.

One downside to the site is that it lies under overhead power lines, posing a collision risk, especially after dark,  for incoming birds