Conservation Grazing

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 I made a visit to the little nature reserve at Tarn Sike that I help to look after today. There are 10 Belted Galloway Cattle grazing there at the moment. This is a part of the management of the reserve. Grazing animals are used to mimic the effect of large herbivores in the past and this helps to maintain an ecosystem that favours the rare plants on the reserve. Left to itself without grazing the habitat would change over time and become scrubland and then woodland. A good explanation of the benefits of conservation grazing is to be found on this National Trust website.




You will notice that the cows are wearing high tech collars that help to keep them on the reserve  and don't rely on fences. The collars play a little "tune" if the cows get near the boundary and then a little electric shock if they ignore it. The cows very soon learn to keep in the designated area.

                                                                            Diary
A sparrowhawk was hunting by our bird feeders yesterday. A flock of 8 bullfinch in the bog meadow this morning as I was collecting the camera traps (which were not a success). Large flocks of Redwing and fieldfare (mixed) are stripping the Hawthorne berries off the trees on the top lane. I saw a little egret at Tarn Sike



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