On a nature reserve in East London where we had created reed beds and wader scrapes during 2010, we returned this week to manage the vegetation.
Working with the Friends of Crossness Nature Reserve Scheme volunteers, we reduced the quantity of typha (bulrush) which has populated the area naturally over the summer months.
The purpose of thinning the typha is to allow other species of vegetation to grow, which in turn will help encourage a greater variety of bird species and other wildlife to the reed bed.
The site is visited by many species of bird including redshank, owl, reed warbler and many others, as well as mammals such as shrew, field mice and water voles.