WINTER is one of the busiest times of year on our nature reserves. Because most of the sensitive species, such as rodents, invertebrates and reptiles are less active or hibernating we have the opportunity to carry out the more invasive management works.

Some of the most noticeable tasks are underway on Burlish Top. As part of the management of the heathland and acid grassland, large areas are mown.

This is used to remove invasive scrub species, such as silver birch, broom and gorse. These plants would otherwise soon smother the grassland, adding detrimental nutrients to the soil, covering the areas of bare sand that are essential to the sun worshipping reptiles and invertebrates and shading out heather, scabious and hawkweeds. While this work is in process, it looks very harsh, shaving off the taller vegetation and creating what initially looks like a golf course landscape. At first glance, it appears quite devoid of life but on closer inspection, it is clear that the process is exploited by the birdlife of the site.

Birds such as green woodpecker, fieldfare and grey wagtail can be seen picking away at the newly exposed ground, in many cases following the tractor as it works. It’s quite a spectacle.

In an ideal world, the clearance would be carried out much more sensitively using the district’s four legged volunteers, our rare breed shetland cattle. This is currently the method used on the Rifle Range, and has helped reduce the amount of mowing needed to around 30 per cent of the original area.

While the work on Burlish Top creates a barren landscape initially, by early spring and into summer this changes dramatically. Various species of tussock forming grasses will have begun to shoot, in particular, the exceptionally rare ‘gray hair grass’, gives swathes of blue-gray, amongst the blue of the sheeps-bit scabious, red of the sheep sorrel and orange supplied by the hawkweeds. Without these wildflowers, the site would be a very different place as they provide a nectar source for a plethora of invertebrates.

It has been said in the past, why don’t we just let nature take its course? If we left the site alone, within three years the openness would be lost to broom and young birch saplings, within 10 years we would be left with young woodland, containing almost exclusively silver birch, all of a single age.

This habitat, is not only boring to look at, but also supports a much lower number of species than the open heath and grassland. The ideal situation is to provide a mosaic of habitats.

The open grassy areas, bordered by areas of dense broom, gorse and hawthorn leading to woodland composed of a variety of tree species. This provides a habitat suitable for both the heath specific creatures and also ‘generalists’ who can take advantage of wooded areas for shelter and nesting, and the open areas for hunting or foraging.