Wetland project
It took two skilled contractors five days to extract over 90 concrete drainage pipes from the field in July (all but one came out in one piece) and create new channels for the water flow at the bottom of the field, at the start of the re-wetting project in our field.
Working with running water and keeping the ground workable for a mini digger and tractor was pretty tricky at times (the water flow never dries up, even in summer so far) and the lack of 'fall' in flow meant that so far not all of the ground in the Western section has been thoroughly re-wetted. However, this may change in times of high rainfall or storm events, so it’s a case of waiting and observing now.
In the Eastern section the ground is definitely now extremely soggy with water running over the surface. Biodegradable silt mats (seen above) were used in the original channel to trap sediment unsettled by the pipe extraction and they did a very effective job.
Suffice it so say, this part of the field now looks rather stark which was to be expected, but even so within 24 hours of completion, a flurry of House Martins had found the newly-revealed water and mud and were flying over excitedly in undulating gangs, gathering mud to patch up this year's nests under our eaves. The heron has also been patrolling the new areas of open water (as have the bats) and I've seen Jays and a family of Wrens there too and, I think, yesterday a Snipe.
The Environment Agency (who have been on site to see the groundworks) have funded this work through the Clun “Unmuddying the Waters” Project, which is managed by the Shropshire Hills AONB Partnership. Our project is case studied here. (p11ff). The Woodland Trust is also a partner, and will be funding the trees we will plant here in the autumn to create new wet woodland (Alder, Birch and Willow).
As part of the excavations, the digger went down quite deep, as far as a seam of some very beautiful, smooth, blue-grey clay (perhaps indicating this was once a watercourse - maybe it was once the bed of the Redlake River?). Answers on a postcard, please.
Hay making
The main hayfield was cut, tedded (turned) and baled by our farmer neighbours over several very hot, early August days. It has produced some nice quality, sweet-smelling hay in big round bales. We had 65 bales off the field last year. This year there were 28 - partly due to the drought in May, partly due to the fact we have now put sections of the field down to trees (more about these next time).
To try and increase plant diversity in the main hayfield, we took a delivery of green hay recently via the Marches Meadow Group. The green (ie very freshly cut hay) had come from a species-rich meadow in the local area. On a fiercely hot day, we strewed it thinly over the lower part of the just-baled field in the hope that this new hay will dry and drop its seed on to the bare areas (we did not scarify in advance since we had no time to do this, but normally I think this is probably recommended).
Information about the green hay 'process' can be found on the Marches Meadow Group website.
We also scattered some of our own Yellow Rattle seed into this area. I will be collecting Knapweed and other wildflower seed from local verges to scatter there too (another new skill to learn). Hopefully the sheep, when they return next month, will help trample the seeds into the ground so they find the soil and germinate for next year.
In the damp part of the field (re-wetted area), we planted some gifted Ragged Robin plants (thanks Rob!). I have also collected seed them from and will try and get these to germinate and grow them on. I rescued some Creeping Forget-me-Not from the treads of the minidigger just before work started and kept it in a big buckets by the house. These are now replanted near to where I had dug them up. It is going to be fascinating to see what comes up naturally in this part of the field now since sheep are excluded. Grass and rushes are already re-growing.
Water for the livestock will now be supplied through a solar-powered trough in the main hayfield (visible in the above photo) and a deep well/sump has now been dug to source the water for this.
... the Blue, the Purple & the Yellow
During all of these comings and goings, the flowers on the tumps have quietly and joyfully come into their own.
Both Harebells and Knapweed with their heavenly blues and jewel-like purples have increased and Yarrow with its freshly-laundered whites has abounded. But this year, the yellows have it: drifts of acid yellow Lady's Bedstraw and the warmer yellows of Catsear (which goes to bed before teatime) and the Hawkweeds, the little but intensely yellow flowers of Tormentil, the bright shining yellows of Buttercup and Spearwort and the yellow-to-orange-to-red so called 'bacon & eggs' or Birds Foot Trefoil which has been on the go in low, thick mats since May.
Birds Foot Trefoil is said to host as many as 180 invertebrate species in all, which makes it very welcome. It gained this folk name due to the claw-like shape of its seed pods (see below). Once ripe, they darken to reddish or dark brown, twist spirally and use explosive dehiscence to forcibly expel their tiny seeds out on to surrounding soil (thanks Phil for this marvellous new phrase, learned today!). Plant ingenuity!
Grass growth on the tumps is a fair bit shorter and finer this year due to the dry Spring and this has benefited the flowers. It will also make grass removal a little easier this winter - since the tumps with their lumpy anthills and steep slopes cannot be mowed like the hay meadow, we need to find ways of ensuring the old grass and plant material gets removed properly over autumn/winter so as not to allow thatch to be created. Thatch makes it more difficult for seeds to find the soil and is a barrier for the more delicate plants to grow up through in the Spring. I admit, I am now a bit fixated about thatch.
I spotted some newly-seeded Brooklime (blue flowers) next to our new pond and the glaucous-coloured Marsh Cudweed is colonising areas of open ground. There is now a phalanx of tall Sowthistle by the old barn (I have not worked out whether Annual or Perennial but fancy I'm meant to be removing the seedheads round about now!). I have been out pulling Creeping Thistle before it goes to seed, but am keen not to do so before the flowers are over since (as you will see below) it's a marvellous source of nectar for bees, hoverflies and butterflies. So this is an ongoing task at the moment just to take off the feathery seed heads before they fluff up.
I have been out most sunny evenings with my camera just enjoying the colours and luxuriance of the field at the height of its growth. In the evening sunlight, there is a sort of alchemy that turns everything to copper, bronze and gold, especially the red-headed and Sweet Vernal grasses, the rusty Sheep Sorrels - and the Bedstraw, which achieves a sort of gilded translucence.
It all feels so full of itself right now.
Below is a mini gallery of some of the insect life found in the field this summer:
1) Backlit grasshopper, 2) Common Blue on Creeping Thistle, 3) A fly piggy-back riding on a Bumblee feeding on Knapweed, 4) Small Copper and Hoverfly sharing a thistle flower, 5) Fly (Sarcophaga variegata?) on grass head, 6) Charlie Brown goes butterfly spotting, 7) Small White butterfly, 8) Tortoiseshell and Small Copper on Thistle, 9) Silver Y moth, 10) Ladybird on Yorkshire Fog grass head.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!