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Bourne Valley Ponds |
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The Projects:
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There are five on-line ponds along the Bourne Stream, all in Poole, all believed to be manmade, and at least one of them the result of mineral extraction activities; |
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These works included cutting back some trees for better access, and clearing a large area of pond of silt and vegetation. This will improve aquatic habitats which will benefit a wide range of wildlife, including amphibians and several species of dragonfly. Click on the photo (left) to read about the clearance works. » Scott Road Pond fish deaths: about the pollution that killed more than 200 roach in July 2005, and the restocking carried out in February 2006. » Bourne Valley Wildlife Fun Day at Scott Road Pond, July 2006 |
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We have learned, from creating lagoons and wetlands at Alderney, that water quality can be improved greatly by slowing the flow and allowing pollutants (often attached to sediment) to settle in the root zone of a reedbed, where they degrade naturally through biological action. By channelling the stream through the uppermost extent of the reeded area of the pond, sediment will settle and be treated there. The existing stream channel remains, but will carry water only during times of heavy rainfall to help alleviate the flood risk in the area. Two new stream crossings have been constructed to allow access to maintenance vehicles (e.g. for removing the accumulated sediment every so often to ensure the reedbed continues to do its job effectively). » Pond and stream clean-up at South Park Road, with students of Rossmore Community College. |
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| Feeding the ducks | |||||||||||||
At Coy Pond and South Park Road particularly we see groups of people, often with babies and young children, enjoying a bit of quiet time by the water, throwing bread for the ducks. Sometimes whole loaves, maybe two. Sometimes not just bread - we've even seen plates of leftovers such as spaghetti bolognese left out beside Coy Pond! It is hard to resist a duck begging for attention, and it would seem that providing food for wildfowl would make them healthy and happy, but it doesn't.
When wild ducks are fed human food such as bread their organs become engorged and fatty, which can cause them to suffer from heart disease, liver problems and other health complications. Waterfowl at artificial feeding sites are often found to suffer from poor nutrition. In a natural setting they will seek out a variety of nutritious foods such as aquatic plants, natural grains, and invertebrates. Bread is very low in protein, contains additives that wildfowl aren't built to cope with, and it's a very poor substitute for natural foods. Natural food is usually available over a wide area. At some artificial feeding sites, competition for each crust is high. Some ducks and geese (usually the youngest) are unable to compete for handouts. Ducks become unnaturally aggressive towards each other and a nuisance to humans. Feeding will also create unnaturally high populations of waterfowl at a pond, and diseases generally not transmissible in the wild will flourish in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions. Visible symptoms of poor nutrition and advanced stages of starvation are often seen at artificial feeding sites; ducks may have drooping wings or may lose their ability to fly; they become sluggish and can't escape from predators such as foxes. YOUR HEALTH At some sites there are so many people feeding the ducks that uneaten food is left to rot. Decaying food pollutes the water and attracts foxes that prey on ducks. Food left for ducks will also attract vermin. Waterfowl and rats will defecate where they feed - often at the pond edge. And naturally, the amount of faeces they produce is directly proportional to the amount they eat. It's not exactly a healthy environment, especially for young children and the elderly. Did you know? Ducks and other waterfowl die in greater numbers than most people realise because corpses are so rarely seen; a dead or dying duck will be taken by a fox or other predator before it's found by you or I. They will live much longer eating foods growing naturally in their environment. Please try to resist feeding them, especially with food intended for humans. |
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