I can't concentrate of getting any work done today having received work that GAG, Greenhill Action Group against the development of housing on our green field site, plan to release dozens of balloon on the hill on Easter Sunday. I know they have the best of intentions but this is very badly thought out. First of all there will be x number of people trampling all over the site, some with dogs no doubt. This is the height of the breeding season with many eggs just about to hatch. The geese are relatively friendly when they are on the canal or when they go onto the tow path to be fed but the field is their SAFE place - they are very skittish when anyone is on the field itself. They will be more so with nests and goslings to protect.
I'm especially worried about the nest under the hawthorn tree - as you know two female geese mated with the one male have both laid eggs in that nest, a couple of weeks apart. The first are due to hatch any day. If they disturb it we will lose the chance of finding out whether the second female takes over when the first lot hatch and whether all three combine to look after all the goslings once the last ones hatch. This is a valuable instance of bird observation that is going to be lost. I have urged the committee to rethink it but I doubt I'll get any where. I have already been dismissed by the chairman and my concerns over the wildlife thought irrelevant in the objection process. I feel hopeless and useless. I don't know how to get through to people.
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| the nest under threat |
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| Mama Goose from the nest under the hawthorn coming for food |
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| two of the five goslings already on Greenhill |
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| one of the moorhen chicks already on Greenhill |
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