Kingfisher Pond, the Bass Lagoon...

This weekend was the monthly long running Wetland Bird Survey for the BTO. Teifi WeBS regular counts started over 30 years ago.

Highlights were the high number of Lapwing and Golden Plover coming down to the estuary now often approaching 1,000 of each species. Other counts of interest; Wigeon counts decreasing as birds start to depart, 176 and waders like Oystercatcher increasing to 69 as they pass through heading north. A single drake Goosander and two Goldeneye remain.

As mentioned in the last blog, the new Kingfisher hide has been completed. With visitors once again enjoying good views of the wildlife on Kingfisher Pond / Bass Lagoon we have delved into the history timeline of the Teifi Marshes.  Kingfisher hide looks over a lagoon that was created 30 years ago in 1992. 

Kingfisher Pond 2018

Bass lagoon in the making 

Work started in 1992 to construct a new lagoon at the Teifi Marshes. This was been made possible by the success of the Dyfed Wildlife Trust in becoming one of only nine Trusts to be awarded maximum funding of £5,000 by Bass plc in their Wildlife in Action campaign. 

Previous owners of the former Cardigan Wildlife Park constructed a causeway between the disused Cardigan-Whitland railway line and the slate waste that borders Rosehill Marsh and this was removed to form the lagoon. The causeway destroyed a considerable expanse of saltmarsh and brackish reedbed which formed part of the foreshore leased from the Crown Estate Commissioners. Building the causeway had left a large and unsightly hole devoid of vegetation. This was the area where the new lagoon was built. Spoil was used to construct a bund that had the dual purpose of retaining water and providing a screen to help prevent disturbance of birds on and around the lagoon. 

Digging the Bass Lagoon

The removal of the causeway necessitated the introduction of a new circular path around this part of the Teifi Marshes which was created along the wooded, south-facing ridge that borders the reedbed below the Visitor Centre.

The full story is in Dyfed Wildlife Trust Bulletin No. 60  1992 by Robin Howard who was Warden of the Teifi Marshes at the time

This small area of water, surrounding reeds and scrub has attracted a wide variety of both common and scarce birds including Little Bittern, Bittern, Wood Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope, Mandarin Duck, and Great Grey Shrike in the last 12 years. The most recent addition to the pond list - a Ring-necked Duck on the 12th November last year.

Rich D and Wendy J