Creation of new nature reserve protects important bird habitat in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) is celebrating the publication of the Notice of Intent to Declare the Beaumont Nature Reserve in the Swartberg region of KwaZulu-Natal. 

“The proposed Beaumont Nature Reserve is 1050 ha in size and forms part of the Thule Conservancy, which was created in 2012 ," said Cobus Theron, the EWT’s African Crane Conservation Programme’s Southern Drakensberg / East Griqualand Stewardship Facilitator.

Southern bald ibis

"Many of the properties in the conservancy will also be proposed as Nature Reserves or Protected Environments in the near future. Nature Reserve status represents the highest category in the Biodiversity Stewardship Programme and the Beaumont Nature Reserve will become the first declared nature reserve that EWT has negotiated.”

The Biodiversity Stewardship Programme is a national governmental initiative that aims to complement the expansion of protected areas in the country with particular focus on private and communal land. The programme, which is a process that landowners voluntarily enter into, consists of legally binding agreements with government to enter their land into the protected area network and manage it for biodiversity.

Continued

RARE BIRDS AND WILDLIFE FLOCKING TO LINCOLNSHIRE COAST

A slightly misleading heading to this story, but interesting nevertheless:

By NewsdeskGy | Posted: February 15, 2014

golden plover

A new nature reserve at Huttoft Marsh near Mablethorpe hopes to transform an area of rough grassland and redundant drains into a wildlife paradise.

The area, which also includes unmanaged scrubland, is being turned into a coastal grazing marsh, with wetland features, scrapes and undulating sand dunes.

A series of shallow scrapes will create pools and wet grassland, which will attract all kinds of wildfowl and wading birds.

Throughout the winter it is hoped that flocks of golden plover, lapwing, curlew, brent geese, whooper swan and little egrets will be attracted to the area. There is also potential for species such as reed bunting, reed warbler, marsh harrier and redshank, as well as frogs, damselflies and dragonflies to visit the 40-acre site.

Read more: http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/RARE-BIRDS-WILDLIFE-FLOCKING-LINCOLNSHIRE-COAST/story-20637722-detail/story.html#ixzz2to4KClfV

Rare birds already showing up on half-finished new reserve in Somerset

Photo: Wikipedia

Rare birds arrive before diggers finish creating new Somerset nature reserve
September 2012. A rare white-rumped sandpiper is the latest unexpected arrival on the Steart peninsula in Somerset. It is currently recovering on a flooded field, despite being surrounded by one of the biggest construction projects in the south west. The bird, which has been blown off course on its migration from Canada to South America, has been attracting bird watchers since the weekend. 

Creating one of the UK's largest wetland reserves
It is the latest in a string of rare birds to be spotted, prompting speculation about the peninsula in Somerset, which is being transformed into one of the country's largest wetland nature reserves.

Tim McGrath from Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust has been working closely with the Environment Agency, which is creating the nature reserve before handing it over to WWT to manage. He said: "It is rather unexpected. We're in the middle of construction so there are a number of very large diggers rumbling around the site. There's one small field that hasn't drained and it has been simply teeming with birds over the last weeks, despite being surrounded by all this hubbub.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/steart-rare-birds.html

 More information on the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis):

https://www.birdguides.com/species/species.asp?tx=619

http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/speciesfactsheet.php?id=3050