The cries of the seabirds at RSPB Bempton Cliffs were almost drowned out by the squeals from back ache last week as work extending hedging on the reserve got underway.
The hedgerow running alongside the main path from the visitor centre down to the cliffs has been boosted by the addition of 55 metres of new shrubs – approximately the length of an Olympic swimming pool.
275 individual plants – Hawthorn, Buckthorn and Blackthorn – were dug in by RSPB staff with the help of Ian Reeves, associate of Castle Howard Nurseries near York, as part of Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship grant.
Since the 2nd World War, many more hedgerows have been destroyed than have been planted. In some parts of the country almost half the hedgerows, once such a distinctive feature of the English landscape, have disappeared.
Assistant Warden, David Aitken, is thrilled to be bucking this trend:
‘It feels great to be putting some back traditional boundary material and in doing so giving wildlife an additional home on the reserve.’
Hedges not only provide shelter for many small mammals, insects and birds, they are also like a larder for many species, offering a bountiful supply of food.
David added:
‘The shrubs selected should attract dunnocks and reed buntings as well as migrants such as sedgewarblers and white throats. When they are in flower then the bees will really be buzzing around them too. And come winter, they’ll be hardy enough to withstand the brutal weather that can sometimes blow in from the sea’.
Assistant Warden, David Aitken, at the end of a hard day.
Three weeks later, leaves are opening.