BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="DunnoKev" data-source="post: 1698405" data-attributes="member: 38448">This is usually a necessary evil to keep the dykes working as they should; root systems have a habit of damaging the bank's integrity. Down sarf I live in a property closed in on three sides by 'sewers' as they are usually known here, and I love 'em for what they function as- 'wet hedges'. I first heard that phrase when working in East Kent, where I noted they held high populations of spp. that favour linear reedbeds (e.g. Reed Warbler, Reed Bunting in really good numbers in mine). If you're lucky, wet hedges will be only be cleared every three, four five years, allowing optimum conditions for the spp. mentioned, and if you're really lucky and the work is carried out by a considerate farmer rather than, say, Environment Agency, you'll see the work staggered.Peering in mine the last few days, the reeds have managed to hold the worst of the snow out, and there's quite a bit of ground on show, where lots of birds are feeding. I'm also lucky enough to have a few patches of bramble scattered in mine which regrows quickly enough to provide nest sites after a couple of years and is where my local Cetti's are trying to feeding under during this cold snap.One adjacent field with open stretches in the wet hedges (caused by cattle chomping the vegetation this summer) has been having up to 73 Snipe roosting in the muddy margins since before Christmas, and in the wet hedge where it borders the garden up to 70 Reed Bunting currently roost, and where Meadow Pipit have arrived and set up base camp (some 140 last count) in this cold snap.Wet hedges need maintenance just the same as dry. Unfortunately you have industrial sized wet hedges up there, and necessity will probably dictate harsh clearance for a lot of them. But don't think of it as always being for the worst. Sure, as far as landscape goes, they're not pretty, but they can produce pretty good birds if you're prepared to work them. And mammals, insects, plants...  And of course, you could always try chatting to a landowner about allowing a little bit of conservation management on a few of the smaller dykes.I do sympathise with you though. It can be galling when the cattle go in one field and chomp all of one bank in the breeding season, but if the farmer is rotating fields the other bank remains fine and everything eventually grows back. I also like my view onto some ruddy big crack willows on one wet hedge which I know I'll have to take down sometime soon. But during these last three winters I've so far planted 500 native bushes along the fourth boundary for an eventual dry hedge to complement the wet ones (My power-crazed Fieldfare is defending the last few rosehips).Wet hedges are a great habitat in their own right. But you have to understand why they are there, and how they work.</blockquote>

Verification