Thursday 4 January 2018

The Wet Stuff at Last

Since my Boxing Day post we have had several damp or rainy days, which until today still hadn't made a lot of difference to the lack of water on the reserve.
However, early this morning we had 4-5 hours of steady and moderate rain that really has made a difference, at last a couple of the driest places on the reserve were holding some water. Below is the wide, shallow fleet that we know as the "S Bend Ditch" because it snakes for several hundred yards across the reserve. This week it has gone from bone dry to wet at last, not wet along it's full length or width and only a couple of inches deep but it's a start and will be of interest to some birds.


Likewise the large scrape in the "Flood Field," it's still only 50% covered in water but it means that now, any future rain will continue to deepen and cover it. There's still a lot of water needed but hopefully we could at last be turning the corner.

13 comments:

  1. I know how welcome this water is on Sheppey Derek... back to dry and cold next week though.

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  2. Derek, it has absolutely poured here for the whole day. I am pleased your reserve is beginning to recover though.

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  3. Although 2017 did not feel dry to us, according to my rain stats we had 30% less rain in 2017 than the average for the preceding 3 years that I have kept data. It will only be a problem if 2018 is the same or drier. Glad you are getting some much needed rain.

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    Replies
    1. Blimey Wilma, I don't associate you guys with having dry conditions there, hopefully, like us here, things will get wetter.

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    2. Dry is relative, too. At 30% less, we still got 84 inches in 2017.

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  4. You'll be having floods before this winter is over!

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    1. I somehow can't see that happening Gwil, the long range forecasts don't suggest such things.

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    2. The satellite photos show huge cloud formations crossing the Atlantic. I think I saw a cloud 3,000 miles long and hundreds of miles wide.

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  5. Your red indian rain dance finally worked then! Let's hope the message gets round the avian world.

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  6. Derek. I am pleased to see that gradually your readership is growing.

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  7. Yes, slowly but surely Pat, think I've borrowed one or two from you.

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  8. There was something rather nice about driving up the access track to Shellness yesterday afternoon Derek, with the car splashing through lots of water. A long time since I've done that. Even the saltmarsh looked nicely wet in places, not due to rain, but a spring tide and low pressure. I keep my fingers crossed for a lot more rain, and look forward to you posting some lovely photos of really deep mud on your reserve again soon! Bryan.

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