Good news to end the year on, apart from actually spotting a few willow tits at Ladywalk Nature Reserve. We have also delivered a couple of work party sessions with our volunteer group, Tame Force, through which we have been able to make a start at Langley Brook and Hams Hall to enhance and create habitats for willow tit as part of our project.
Within an area of the Langley Brook near Middleton, the Tame Force team removed a fallen willow tree to create a clearing. The wood that was removed has been reused for habitat piles and deadwood has been placed to create great resources for willow tit nesting.
Removing the tree manually and using machinery, rather than letting it break down naturally, meant the section of the river bank was opened up and allowed to flood. It was the perfect opportunity to restore this fantastic bit of habitat back from woodland to wet woodland. Now the fallen tree has been removed the established sedge in the cleared area will be able to spread.
At Hams Hall Church Pool Covert, the volunteer team also set out to remove some of the rhododendron from the area. Rhododendron is an introduced species and is highly invasive, so will easily destroy important habitats if left unmanaged. Eventually the areas will be regenerated with native species of scrub and trees, creating a more suitable environment for wildlife to thrive.
Thank you to the volunteers for all their amazing work on this.