This past week has been a mixed bag of weather for the volunteers on the Exe Estuary reserves, with blazing sunshine to torrential rain it has been a tough decision whether to pack suncream or heavy waterproofs in the morning!
But, come rain or shine, Exminster has seen the beginning of the long process of cutting and baling of the excess grass across the fields. The reserve takes on a whole new look when it has had a trim ready for the geese and waders, and is looking rather smart indeed. This means that the name of the game for volunteers is now keeping up with the mowing, and trimming down the ditch edges; removing surplus reeds and areas of grass the mower can’t reach.
This annual cutting and baling is an essential part of the grassland management system used to keep the fields in prime condition for wildlife. The hard Tufted Hair Grass and Soft Rush that the grazing cows leave behind need to be cut to eliminate the remainder of the plants. Instead of leaving cuttings on the grassland, it is baled and removed – this ensures that those added nutrients aren’t returned to the soil. This may seem counterintuitive at first glance, however grass is very good at outcompeting other plant species when given half a chance. Thus, by reducing the nutrient load, other flora are given an opportunity to grow, increasing the variety of plant species the reserve supports, and in particular, meadow flowers are encouraged to grow. This in turn means more varied wildlife and invertebrates are also able to make Exminster their home for the year.
Fortunately for us all Tuesday saw a full day of glorious sunshine, as lots of welly-clad little ones came and joined us for a Pond Dipping afternoon by the Discovery Area. The best find of the day was definitely the Great diving beetles carefully scooped up in the nets. These fascinating insects can grow up to nearly an inch and a half, and are specialised for diving beneath the water. They have evolved to collect an air bubble beneath their wings before submerging, which enables them to absorb oxygen from it for extended periods whilst underwater hunting their prey. The team amazingly managed to collect both male and female beetles over the course of the afternoon, which are differentiated by the evident striations on the back of the female, whilst the male has a smooth shell. Other highlights of the day included a Grass snake, Slow-worm, and Common lizard found under the reptile sheets, and a huge array of invertebrates fallen for the investigation with a tree shaking activity led by Assistant Warden, Tom.
It was a successful day by all accounts, so keep your eyes peeled for signs around the reserve advertising more fun activities you can get involved in over the coming months. Or you could even join our Thursday Work Party and try your hand at helping out for a day, word on the grapevine is that there is sometimes Thursday cake!
Jay