The latest from the saline lagoon
It has been 18 months since the River Wear first breached its banks and entered the saline lagoon.
Since then, a host of wildlife has visited or moved into the newly-developed area, including otter, deer, fox, fish and birds.
The creation of the lagoon has given us a great opportunity to monitor how a new habitat develops. For example, we regularly take salinity readings of the water to make sure it is as healthy a system as possible.
Within the lagoon, saltmarsh areas have been created to maximise biodiversity. Saltmarshes take time to colonise and are dynamic systems, as they are covered by the tide for a shorter period.
It is fantastic watching the lagoon area develop and we are already noting pioneering saltmarsh plants starting to colonise, with plants such as the greater sea-spurrey, sea aster, hastate orache and sea club rush present.
Other highlights so far this September have been roe deer and daily otter tracks at the lagoon, plus a little egret on Wader Lake and high tide counts of 380 curlew, 20 common snipe and 24 black-tailed godwit (pic).
