Belport (Aubrey) Ltd (owners of Edgars Ltd farmland in Keyhaven) has put forward an application seeking permission to use the bottom field along New Lane (the one that runs alongside the ‘Cut’ between the two crabbing bridges) as permitted development to establish a car and mobile home park for the rest of the summer (weekends only). They intend running the car park until October. Keith Metcalf has sent the following report to our County Cllr Fran Carpenter:
Just a reminder that the Brent Geese start to return during late September and October. If the geese arrive during their normal time the birds having just flown nearly 3,000 miles from Siberia will be exhausted and need to rest and feed. This is one of the fields that they often use.
It would be far preferable (for the geese) if Belport (Aubrey) Ltd. restored the grassed field for the geese to use by the end of September.
Below you will find a record of the geese first return dates in the Saltgrass Lane, Mount Lake, New Lane and Sturt Pond area:
2 Oct 1989 ~ 9 Oct 1990 ~ 17 Oct 1991 ~ 4 Oct 1992 ~ 30 Sept 1994 ~ 11 Oct 1995 ~ 2 Oct 1996 ~ 20 Oct 1999 ~ 1 Oct 2000 ~30 Sept 2001 ~ 18 Oct 2005 ~ 13 Oct 2007 ~ 24 Sep 2008 ~ 29 Sept 2012 ~ 28 Sept 2013 ~ 10 Oct 2014 ~ 7 Oct 2015 ~ 4 Oct 2016 ~ 27 Sept 2017 ~ 19 Sept 2021
Some years are missing because I did not record dates for them. As can be seen, the earliest date since I have lived near Sturt Pond is 24 September 2008, with most first dates being in early to mid-October. They probably return a little earlier In Pete Durnell’s area and further eastwards.
Keith Metcalf