Mill pond hit by diesel spillage

After plodding around to the mill pond this morning I was shocked to see men in orange jackets running around like headless chickens!

Apparently yesterday there was of spillage of some 300 litres of diesel into the river north of the millpond. This has worked its way down and has now settled at the millpond.

The RSPCA have removed many of the birds to clean, but there still seems to be a very strong smell of diesel and it is quite clear the extent of the damage that has been done.

I did see "Quackers" waddling across the road, so he seems to be ok and unaffected! Im sure there will be more news on this incident at a later date, as and when I hear anything I will update the blog.

Booms have been set up accross the millpond to help with the clean up, but not sure quite how they will disperse the diesel in the top main part of the pond.

Some 112 species of birds have been listed at the millpond, ranging from the humble house sparrow to the rare vagrant yellow-browed and arctic warblers.

Since the removal of the parrot weed the water quality improved and this in turn has attracted
a variety of species to the site. Lets hope this latest incident doen't inhibit the Millponds rich habitat for fish, ducks, swans, flora
and fauna - moths, butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. The mallard flock now exceeds 30, both juveniles and adults, and the moorhen flock is increasing steadily. A pair of swans breed regularly - three cygnets were hatched in 2007, although only two appear to have survived! The
heron after visiting, has now “moved in”, (manged to get one picture of him shown bleow)and kingfishers have returned after an absence of three years. Little egrets and teal are regular visitors, joined occasionally by the rarer ringbilledglaucous and Icelandic gulls.