November started with more gorse coppicing on what was a very foggy day. It was so foggy, in fact, that at one point a whooper swan nearly flew into us all as we worked! Rather than on the saltmarsh edge, we were working at Biglands, an area of fen and wet grassland that we graze each summer. We removed gorse from the edge of a ditch that will be reprofiled to a gentler gradient. This will make it safer for the cows and better for waders, who like to feed on the edges of shallow ditches. 8 tractor trailer-loads (one load pictured below) were removed by our hardworking volunteers that day. The gorse was subsequently chipped for use on muddy paths and gateways around the reserve, and the carbon will be reabsorbed into the ground as the chippings break down. Win-win!
The next week saw us return to Hodbarrow for the second of this winter’s work parties down there. We were back at the sea buckthorn, removing this invasive species for the benefit of the grassland around the reserve. We focused on an old quarry in the southeast of the reserve (pictured), where we have recently planted 1000 kidney vetch plants, the foodplant of small blue butterflies. It was a satisfying and successful day, removing buckthorn from all the spots we aimed to get on top of at the start of the day, and the fire was welcome on what was a chilly day!
The final work party of the month was back at Campfield Marsh, where the volunteers stripped out a 20-metre length of hedge ahead of it being laid in December. This was a particularly tough stretch of hedge to work on because it was very mature with lots of tangled growth but was therefore very much in need of being tidied up. In the end, the volunteers prevailed and the satisfaction as they stood back to look at the fruits of the labour was palpable. Check out the before and after photos below!
We are always on the look-out for new volunteers to join us at Campfield Marsh (and Hodbarrow). We meet on Thursday mornings. If you are interested in helping with the sort of tasks mentioned above, meeting new people, developing new skills, and enjoying the outdoors, click on the following link to find out more and apply: Practical Reserve Work (Campfield Marsh, Bowness On Solway) | RSPB Volunteering.