23 February 2009

As any keen gardener knows, winter work on the land is as important as tending summer plantings and mowing the grass. In fact, many jobs should only be undertaken during the dormant months. VIC TUCKER reports on the winter's work at DBWPS's South Milton Ley reserve.

Especially important in that respect are tree works. Using a contractor, this winter we have thinned out trees planted to form a spinney about 15 years ago (planted as seedlings then and logs for burning now – amazing!). This, our second and final thinning, leaves the best of the rest to develop into well-shaped strong trees to grow on long into the future.

Substantial hedge-cutting was needed where tractor access was being hampered by low branches extending across a section of path. Sadly, many large elms killed by Dutch Elm Disease and standing alongside a pathway have had to be felled. Other tasks have included a litter pick and clearing eight large refuse sacks of mainly plastic from our sea-shore boundary – unfortunately, we can be sure that much more will arrive! Planting indigenous bushes into a hedgebank to thicken it up will help provide food and shelter for wildlife. Repositioning one of our gates out of a too muddy, often flooded low spot will in time also see this stretch of path raised out of the mire, allowing not only ease of footfall but ease of tractor-based maintenance as well.

Many other more minor but essential jobs have taken place, too numerous to mention here, but all adding to the ongoing management of the Society’s large reserve, which, apart from the gate and tree works, have all been achieved by a small band of dedicated volunteers.

Following on from the tremendous winter reed-cutting effort (see The Harrier, December 2008), this cleared area has been favoured by 40+ Snipe and a Jack Snipe or two. Several Woodcock and over 30 Water Rails are among other more interesting winter visitors to the Ley. Nests of the localised, scarce Harvest Mouse have again been discovered; it’s likely that this tiny rodent falls prey to Tawny and Barn Owls which regularly hunt over the specially managed grassland environs – as do Buzzard, Sparrowhawk and Ketrel.

Numbers of wintering and (mainly) migrant Chiffchaffs stopping off briefly at the Ley have been estimated at more than 150 passing through between November and January. Of these, over 70 have been ringed. Among their number have been a few of the highly migratory abietinus and tristis forms, the latter having travelled from Siberia. More than 50 similarly migrant Goldcrests, several Blackcaps and many resident species have also been ringed – so too one of those super-elusive Water Rails.

All in all, no rest for the wicked, nor those involved with working, ringing and birding at DBWPS’s South Milton Ley nature reserve.