1. By golly have we got a jam packed line up
for you, but before we go any further and
despite this issue focusing on inland
waterways, something very exciting has
happened of marine proportions, which
must be celebrated.
2016 got off to an awesome start with the
designation of 23 new Marine Conservation
Zones around England’s coast.The new sites – a
kind of nature reserve at sea – will protect the
mosaic of fragile habitats that make up our
seabed, as well as the creatures that depend on
them. From seagrass meadows to Ocean
Quahogs (the longest lived animal known to man)
– our seas are now a little safer. MCZs do not
restrict recreational access to sea, and a better
protected seabed will attract the amazing wildlife
we all hope to see when out and about, so good
news all round!You can learn more
at wildlifetrusts.org/mcz
‘Star Paddler’ interview
Now let’s welcome to the Paddler, this issue’s ‘Star
Paddler’, sharing their most treasured paddling and
wildlife experiences in spring – the most successful
female freestyle paddler the world has ever seen,
seven-time World Champion, Claire O’hara.
Seasonal
delights…along UK inland waters
in springHello and welcome to the 2016 first
instalment of seasonal delights,the
brand new regular feature to curb
your UK aquatic wildlife cravings.
SONJAJONES
Photo:
Ocean Quahog by
Paul Kay
ThePADDLER 11
To celebrate the new MCZs, in
association with P&H Custom Sea
kayaks, P&H are offering a £50 voucher
for their new P&HWebStore.To be in for
the chance of winning, send your
favourite salty paddling wildlife photos by
April 30th to sonjafvjones@gmail.com
along with your contact details.The
winning photograph will be revealed in
the next issue of the Paddler.

2. ThePADDLER 13
Hi Claire,so for those readers that
may not be familiar with you,
please can you tell us a little bit
about how long you’ve been
paddling and why you love it so
much?
I have been paddling for over 20 years;I adore
how challenging it is to learn new skills,and how
incredible it makes you feel being out on the
water.Whether it’s flat or moving water,there’s
something very special about being out on it,not
to mention the awesome people you meet,all
having a shared passion for the sport,being in
the outdoors and loving adventure.
In a kayak you get to explore so many parts of
the world that others don't get to.You get
to be at one with nature,seeing the world
from a different view.On the river,lake
or ocean you are playing in nature’s
playground,seeing and living in an
unspoilt natural pure way - it’s pretty
epic.
ThePADDLER 12
Claire O’hara.Photo by PeteAstles
The following took only a few seconds but
reminded us all of how important it is to
respect the wildlife we share the rivers with; as
he paddled, the swans saw him where one
reared up on its legs, opened its wings full span
and made loud noises.The swan reared up
again and chased him; he turned and started
sprinting away but the swan caught up with him
and landed firmly on the back of his boat and
making squawking noises, flapping its wings
loudly, and smacking him around his head.
At the time it was scary but looking back it
was also one of the funniest things I ever seen
on the river.A swan sat on the back of a
kayaker flapping its wings back and forth
against his helmet and head. I’m not sure how
he got out of the situation but he did, he also
had a helmet on so no injuries were caused
other than his ego taking a hit; but he learnt his
lesson and for the rest of the nesting season
continued to walk and portage around the
swans.
What are your hopes for the future
of UKWaterways?
I hope that waterways remain open so that we
can enjoy them as much as or even more so
than we already do. I also hope that paddlers
continue to respect and treat the rivers and
environment with respect, positively influencing
and educating the next generations of paddlers
coming through.
What’s your most memorable
wildlife encounter in the UK during
spring?
About 20 years ago, on the River Aire where I
grew up paddling, two swans had their nest just
upstream from our club and so we would walk
this section back to the club to give the swans
space.The urban nature of the area means that
this equated to a 10-15 minute walk, which
included a major road crossing, which
frustrated a particular paddler and so he
decided he did not want to portage and to
carry on paddling past the swans. Swan Nest_Emily Cunningham
Swan nest.Photo by Emily Cunningham

3. ThePADDLER 15
Ali Morse
Next up is Ali Morse,Water Policy
and Projects Manager from
Hampshire and Isle ofWight
WildlifeTrust.
Ali supports theWildlifeTrusts
nationally on water policy work,
representing them on the Blueprint
forWater Coalition, and locally, works
on policy issues as well as river
restoration and habitat enhancement
projects across Hampshire.A main
focus of Ali’s work in Hampshire is as
co-host of theTest and Itchen
Catchment Partnership, where she
works alongside partners to develop
and deliver projects including ‘Keeping
Rivers Cool’, sediment pathways work,
and awareness raising around water
pollution. She is coordinating a project
working with 10 other Catchment
Partnerships across the south east to
raise awareness about the impacts of
phosphate pollution.
Ali has a vast knowledge of UK inland
waterway ecology, so who better to
chat to about spring’s seasonal delights
along UK waterways!
ThePADDLER 14
HiAli,let’s start at the beginning –
what inspired you to work in
wildlife conservation?
I grew up in a household where we went out
for walks in the countryside, and I went to a
school where our teachers took us on trips to
the local woodlands, rivers and beaches. It
didn’t seem unusual to me at the time, but so
many people don’t have that early contact
with nature these days. For me, it was just a
natural choice; ever since, I’ve enjoyed being
outdoors, and love working on projects
where I can see a difference being made to
my local environment.
Where is your favourite body of
inland water and why?
I’d have to say the River Itchen in Hampshire.
I’ve been working on the river on and off for
around eight years now, but whenever I visit
I’m always surprised by how beautiful it is. On
a spring day, through the (usually) crystal-clear
waters, you can see a wealth of aquatic insects
and small fish darting in and out of the weed,
and you’re surrounded by the buzzing of
insects in the nearby wet meadows – it
certainly doesn’t feel like you’re only minutes
away from huge towns and busy motorways –
it’s a breath of fresh air. There’s boating in the
river’s tidal reaches and great riverside and
circular walks where some of my favourite
freshwater creatures can be spotted.
Do you have any specific fears for
the biodiversity of inland waters,if
so,what are they and is it possible
for any harm to be prevented?
Our rivers have to deal with a lot – they’re
the recipients of industrial pollution,
agricultural runoff, and chemicals from roads
and urban areas.They provide our drinking
water, carry our waste and take flood flows
away from our homes and businesses. In the
past few decades we’ve made big steps in the
UK towards cleaning up our most polluted
rivers, but many are still seeing the effects of
current and past abuses.
you can see a wealth of aquatic insects and small fish
darting in and out
of the weed,and you’re surrounded by the buzzing of insects
Left: Itchen at
Twyford -
©HIWWT/Ali Morse
Right: Itchen at
Winnall -
©HIWWT/Martin
DeRetuerto
We’re getting better at managing our rivers
more sensitively – things like retaining ‘woody
debris’ and well vegetated margins which
provide a home for the insects and fish fry at
the base of the food chain – but one area
where there’s still a long way to go is that of
nutrient pollution. Nearly half of the rivers that
we monitor in this country fail standards for
phosphate, which favours nutrient-hungry plants
like algae at the expense of the plant
communities that should naturally be there.
You can’t see phosphate in the water, but the
effects it can have can be extreme – think algal
blooms and fish kills.We can all do something to
help – farmers are changing practices to
prevent the loss of soils and fertilisers from
their land, water companies are trialling new
phosphate-stripping techniques to remove the
chemical at sewage treatment plants, and
householders can switch to phosphate-free
cleaning products, as residues end up in our
rivers. Shockingly, dishwasher tablets can be
more than 30% phosphate!

4. Spring is upon us,a beautiful season
for paddlers to get out and enjoy
UK wildlife – you certainly don’t
need to fly toAfrica to see amazing
sights.If you had to choose from all
the flora and fauna inhabiting UK
inland waters during spring,what
are your four“must see” for our
own paddle safari check lists?
1. As the breeding season approaches, much of
our native wildlife will be becoming more
active. Birds seen along our waterways include
the Moorhen, often spotted picking its way
through the bankside vegetation foraging for
insects and small fish, and the grey wagtail,
with its striking yellow underbelly not
expected from its dull name. But my favourite
is the Kingfisher – usually heard as a shrill
’peep’ or if you’re lucky, seen as a flash of blue
flying fast and low over the surface of the
water. Probably our most exotic-looking bird,
they’re found across England and Northern
Ireland, but many people have never seen
one, so it’s certainly worth keeping your eyes
peeled on your next visit. In spring, you may
spot pairs excavating their nest burrows into
the river banks.
2. Another favourite found (increasingly
infrequently) in mainland Britain is the
charismatic water vole; the inspiration for
Ratty in Wind in the Willows. Often mistaken
for rats, water voles have a blunter snout, less
prominent ears, and a hairy tail. Sadly water
voles numbers declined by 90% during the
1990s and by a further fifth over the last ten
years, so your chances of spotting one aren’t
brilliant. In some areas, habitat management,
the control of American Mink (a voracious
predator of our native wildlife) and
reintroductions are helping to turn the tables.
Look out for them munching on grasses at
the water’s edge, or listen for a ‘plop’ as they
dive to the safety of underwater burrow
entrances when startled.
3. The emergence of the Mayfly is one of the
great springtime spectacles on our rivers.
Britain has 51 different species, all of which
live as larvae in our rivers, streams, ponds and
lakes, and, after a year or two, emerge as adult
flies in the spring and summer.They get their
collective name from one of the larger
species which emerges when the ‘Mayflower’,
Hawthorn, starts to bloom in late May.
Considered to be an indicator of river health,
Anglers count the larvae numbers in water
samples to detect pollution.The mayfly ‘hatch’
in parts of the United States can be so big
that it shows up on weather radar, but in the
UK, pollution, habitat degradation and
predation by non-native species can limit the
numbers.The chalk rivers of the south and
east still usually have substantial hatches.
4. Not everyone’s favourite, spring also heralds
the emergence of our bats after their winter
hibernation. Bats come out after sunset to
hunt for prey by echolocation.Their high-
pitched sound pulses can be heard with a bat
detector, but are usually outside the range of
hearing for most adults. Daubentons Bat is
the one most strongly associated with water
– found throughout the UK, it lives in hollow
trees, tunnels and buildings near water and
can often be spotted after dusk swooping
along the surface of rivers and lakes – these
provide rich hunting grounds, and the bat
uses its large feet to scoop up flies, midges
and moths. Its greyish-white belly is also
distinctive, and my top wildlife-watching tip is
that it can often be spotted from the comfort
of riverside pubs! A great way to end your
day’s paddling.
ThePADDLER 16
ThePADDLER 17
my favourite is the Kingfisher –
usually heard as a shrill ’peep’or
if you’re lucky,seen as a
flash of blue
flying fast and low over the
surface of the water.
Top left:Water vole on the riverbank.Photo:byTom Marshall
Main:Kingfisher.Photo by Jon Hawkins,Surrey Hills Photography
Left:Mayfly Photo by Margaret Holland

5. How can we avoid disturbing nesting
birds when out on the water?
Many waterbirds will nest on or near the water,
with nests constructed on islands, on rafts of
floating vegetation, in tree forks, or along the
riverbank.Timing varies by species but the main
breeding season is between March and August.
Keeping a low paddle angle, keeping noise and
speed low, and giving nests a wide berth is
important to avoid disturbing breeding pairs –
and not loitering for too long will ensure that
they don’t abandon the nest, which spells
disaster for any eggs laid or chicks already
hatched. Using designated entry points will also
prevent accidental trampling of nests hidden in
the undergrowth.
How can we as paddlers be
advocates for healthy UK
waterways?
As individuals you can support the local
conservation organisations that provide a voice
for our watery wildlife, as members, volunteers, or
both.You might be able to help with managing
non-natives, or monitoring water quality.You can
also be as efficient as possible when using water in
the home, as less taken for abstraction means
more for our rivers and wetlands.
Buy phosphate-free cleaning products
so our rivers aren’t choked with algae and full of
foam. Use water butts for gardening,
houseplants, car-cleaning, and washing down
your kit.And encourage your clubs to get in
touch with the Catchment Partnership for your
area – these cover the whole of England
(www.catchmentbasedapproach.org) as part of
a community-led approach to engage people
and groups from across society to help improve
our precious water environments.The
partnerships will be able to tell you more about
the key issues in your local area, and about what
you can do to help. In Scotland,Wales and
Ireland there may be similar initiatives – your
local WildlifeTrust or RiversTrust will advise.
ThePADDLER 18
That’s a wrap for this instalment; I hope both Ali and
Claire will encourage you to take a moment to pause
when out on the water to simply notice the brilliance
of UK wildlife this spring and to take action to preserve
our magnificent waterways.
My contact details:
Email: sonjafvjones@gmail.com
www.sonja-jones.co.uk
Tel: 07581 293455
Pond dipping.
Photo by EmmaWebsdale