We had a very successful volunteer Sunday on the 7th, with 14 people arriving on a beautiful morning ready to take on some scrub management work on Phase 1. We have two main blocks of scrub on Phase 1 and on Sunday the group were working on the western block, ‘scalloping’ the edges (cutting out semi-circles of scrub along the margins) and thinning out the taller trees in the middle of the block.
This work has two main purposes – firstly it opens up the area, letting more light into the scrub block which benefits the floral diversity and invertebrates. Secondly, this area is important for grasshopper warblers (groppers!), which don’t like their scrub too tall. By reducing the overall height of the scrub block, we hope to improve the area for our grasshopper warbler population.
By lunchtime, the group had almost finished the scalloping and thinning, having taken out quite a lot of scrub, making the area look much better. All there is to do now is wait for the grasshopper warbler’s return next spring!
It was also an excellent day for wildlife sightings with avian highlights including a raven, 2 singing Cetti’s warblers, grey wagtail, jack snipe, a flock of lesser redpoll overhead and 22 golden plover over Phase 1. The sunshine and warm temperatures brought out the insects too, with masses of migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies on the wing, comma, small tortoiseshell and red admiral butterflies, another hawthorn shieldbug nymph and willow leaf beetles on Phase 2.
And once again, a big thanks to all who attended the day.