Winter memories (10 January 2010)

The current extended spell of cold weather, which has retained snow cover for much longer than is normally the case in modern times, invokes memories of when the exception was a winter which did not include such a period of snow cover and freezing conditions.  Half a century ago it was usual for the smaller ponds around Urswick to freeze over and become safe enough for skating.  But even then it was exceptional for Urswick Tarn to become covered in ice with sufficient strength to  allow the tarn to be crossed on foot.  The above photograph, taken in the winter of 1947, shows the youth of the then village community, some wearing skates -  which many villagers possessed in those times - out on the tarn during one of those very cold winters.

John Bolton recorded that in the winter of 1852-53, several days and nights of hard frost covered the tarn with clear smooth ice.  Together with joiner and skate grinder, George Kirkby, he prepared to take soundings of the depth of the tarn through the ice.  He reported that George had said, "Ye'll find it a queer spot, for I assuer ye thair is weed in Girt Ossick Tarn beath thicker an' langer than t' biggest tree i' Bardsea Park".  It is an indication of the lack of knowledge about the depth of the tarn and the influence of local folk lore at that time that Mr. Bolton equipped himself with 2000 feet of fine strong whipcord  before venturing onto the tarn with a brace fitted with a 1.125 inch diameter bit.  Using a weighted line in this way, lowered through a matrix of holes drilled through the ice across the entire tarn, he was disappointed to find that the deepest sounding was only 41 feet.

Ref: Bolton, J. 1869. Geological Fragments of Furness and Cartmel 1869.  Republished in 1978 by Michael Moon with a Gazetteer, Contents List and Dramatis Personae provided by the late Harry Kellett of Dalton.  ISBN. 09-04131-20-3.

The problem with geese (15 October 2009)

In the above photograph, over 370 geese are grazing on land immediately adjacent to Urswick Tarn.  The flock consists almost entirely of Greylags [Anser anser] and on some days the flock is even larger.  Most mornings they fly in after a night spent elsewhere and draw attention to their dramatic flight formations with their loud and distinctive voices and the noise of air turbulence produced by their powerful wings.
But they present a number of significant problems.  Geese feed on land, typically grazing on grass and harvest stubble, but spend a large amount of time on water where, unseen by the observer, they defecate, adding nutrients which cause algal growth, reduced water quality and all of the knock-on ecological consequences which result from an excess of nutrients in the water.  Further, they are responsible for damaging the reed beds which are an important habitat on which many other species depend.  Sadly, in the case of Urswick Tarn, this adds to the large amount of damage done by humans over recent decades.  Additionally, they are responsible for erosion along the land boundary with the tarn and the resulting destruction of waterside flora.  In some locations these attributes of wild geese necessitate control measures being implemented, but these are far from easy to implement.
Those with an inclination to observe the geese flocks may be interested to try and identify male-male pairings since it has been established [Reference 1] that homosociality is common, particularly amongst greylag geese, but only involving ganders. 

Ref 1: Kotrschall, K., Hemetsberger, J., Weiss, B.M.  2006.  Making the most of a bad thing: homosociality in male greylag geese; a paper within: Homosexual Behaviour in Animals - An
evolutionary perspective.   ISBN-13 978-0-521-86446-6

Maintenance and Conservation Activities (14 October 2009)

The Committee of Urswick Tarn Association have documented their plan for maintenance and conservation work in the area of The Hagg and The Landing. This covers the period to September 2011 and provides specific detail developing on the overall management plan for Urswick Tarn which was drawn up by Cumbria Wildlife Trust. Click here to access the document in pdf format.

To the memory of John Bolton (3 August 2009)

"The tarn is almost completely encircled by a thick belt of reeds (Phragmites), flags (Iris), bullrushes (Cyperaceae), &c., except at the 'coot-stones,' where is an open space ten or fifteen yards in width, and the north-west portions of the tarn for about half an acre is flagged on the surface of the water with broad green circular leaves, and the beautiful pearl white cups of the water lily (Nymphea alba). ...."

So wrote John Bolton, geologist, of Little Urswick and later Swarthmoor, who became a national authority and whose circle of colleagues included the most eminent of geological professionals.  He died at Sedgwick Cottage, Swarthmoor in 1873, his home there having been named after his great friend Professor Adam Sedgwick of Cambridge.  Adam Sedgwick originated from Dent and his considerable contribution to the science of geology is marked by the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, part of the University of Cambridge.

The above photograph is a close-up of a very small area of White water-lily, one of only two now to be found around Urswick Tarn.  If permitted by good management and recognition of the significant opportunity for remediation that now exists around the tarn, the days may return when its character can again be described as was recorded above by this distinguished former village resident and pupil of Urswick Grammar School.

Ref: Bolton, J. 1869. Geological Fragments of Furness and Cartmel 1869.  Republished in 1978 by Michael Moon with a Gazetteer, Contents List and Dramatis Personae provided by the late Harry Kellett of Dalton.  ISBN. 09-04131-20-3.