Visitors to the Phil Stead Hide may have seen our latest arrivals recently, and I don’t mean the pair of Pintail or Dame Edna, the Black Swan. As the vegetation of these recently created habitats is now at a stage where it needs to be managed to keep it open for wetland birds, we are introducing grazing management in the form of Heilan Coos, or Highland Cows to us locals.
Our latest conservation management tools.
Heilan Coos evolved and developed on the west coast of the Highlands of Scotland and are well adapted to the harsh conditions there. Unlike other cattle, they have a double coat of hair. The longer hair is oily, and protects them from the wind and rain, while the under hair keeps them warm. They also eat a range of plants that other cows avoid, which means they can find food where other cows cannot. The horns are used to scrape snow away to get at vegetation beneath. They are as well adapted to the cold as Reindeer, which means they should cope relatively easily with any unpleasant conditions at Saltholme.
Being able to cope with such difficult terrain and weather conditions means they are well suited to conservation grazing, and are ideal for maintaining the open wetland views in front of the Phil Stead and Wildlife Watchpoint hides. You’ll notice new fencing in these areas, as even though Heilan Coos are gentle animals, we don’t really want them in the hides.