After the deluge

It was wellies-only on the Causeway of Leighton Moss this afternoon after the rain finally stopped. Parts of North West England received a month's rain in 24 hours, falling on already sodden ground. I have seen water levels a little higher here, but not much. On the Causeway pool even the island is now so far underwater that the cormorants have deserted it. Most of the birders have deserted too, I had the Causeway Hide to myself.

The lady on the right of the picture appeared to be collecting water samples. I know there is an ongoing study to determine nutrient Levels on the Reserve, and to locate where they are coming from. Eutrophication has been an issue for the RSPB in the past, it's not clear to what extent improvements in land management in the catchment have resulted in improvements to water quality. The decline of bitterns on the site had been ascribed to nutrient enrichment, though there are sites elsewhere in the country where numbers have boomed despite their setting in intensive agricultural catchments. Nothing is ever simple in ecology.