Today we started our contribution to this year’s round of scrub clearance under the Higher Level Stewardship agreement for Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve and it looks like we got the only dry day this week!

This involved removing mainly blackthorn scrub to the north of Ecclesbourne Meadow. We are doing this in “scallops” of irregular shape which Natural England believe will result in a better diversity of plant species in the regeneration that follows due to more variable light and shade than if straight lines were used.

Travelling across the fields we saw a number of Wheatear and Stonechats.

Unless another more urgent job arises we’ll be back there next week with maybe a bonfire  but dependant on numbers on the day.