Page 9 - Wildlife News April 2015

BSYAYVOEUD
Yoesden Bank and its cloak
of woodland – saved by you
(John Morris)
continues to host such an
impressive variety of butterflies, ash and beech growing in
including grizzled and dingy
skippers, green hairstreaks
and the four blues: small blue,
chalkhill blue, Adonis blue and
common blue. The vivid Adonis
blue is the key species here;
only one other BBOWT nature
reserve [Hartslock, Oxon]
has it.”
Behind the bank is an area
of woodland that would once
have hosted local bodgers
April 2015
Small blue Adonis blue
(Colin Williams) (Colin Williams)
The four blue butterflies found on Yoesden Bank
Chalkhill blue Common blue
(Jim Higham) (Peter Creed)
– craftsmen who used the helleborine orchid, which can
be seen from the paths,” adds
the wood to make chair legs Mark.
and spindles for the furniture
market. The happy outcome Wildflower bonanza
of their careful woodland
management, so essential But it is out on the grass bank
for their livelihood, is that that the richest diversity of
16 species associated with wild flowers is found. Often
ancient woodland continue labelled as Britain’s answer
to thrive to this day, including to the tropical rainforests,
wood anemones, ramsons chalk grasslands may contain
and dog-violets. “The easiest up to 40 plant species per
plant to spot is the white square metre. The show starts
in spring when the slope is
brought to life by clumps of
Chalk fragrant-orchids and horseshoe vetch pale yellow cowslips. Soon
(Gavin Bennett) after the patches of hawthorn
scrub glow their brilliant white. balanced way. For example,
The floral peak arrives in
June when pink and purple
orchids, including chalk
fragrant-orchid, pyramidal
orchid and common spotted-
orchid, contrast with yellow
kidney vetch, horseshoe
vetch and bird’s-foot-trefoil to
create a riot of colour. Listen
closely and you may catch the
repetitive ‘song’ of male great
green bush-crickets as they
rub their forewings together
to attract a mate. Overhead
you’re sure to admire the
graceful circling of a red kite
as the heady fragrance of
wild thyme and marjoram
permeates the air.
Towards the end of
summer the mauve blooms
of Chiltern gentian join violet-
coloured sprays of devil’s-bit
scabious. The latter grows in
a breathtaking mass across
the anthill-strewn open knoll
at the heart of the woodland.
Long-term care
BBOWT plans to protect
this magical place by
continuing the long-term
management already in
place. This includes selective
scrub removal and grazing to
ensure rambunctious grasses
remain under control. “Scrub
removal maintains the mosaic
of scrub and open grassland,”
explains Mark. “A lot of species
rely on scrub, so we need to
be careful that we do this in a
green hairstreak butterflies
feed on the nectar produced
by hawthorn, while the males
display on it. Scrub also acts
as shelter in bad weather,
creating niche microclimates
around the site.”
A local farmer currently
grazes cattle on site, from
October to the end of
November. This arrangement
will continue, helped by
improvements made to the
fence line and the installation
of a water supply. Mark
and his team have already
established a regular work
party at Yoesden but further
volunteers are actively sought.
With the long-term future
of Yoesden Bank now secure,
this earthly paradise will be
around for generations to
come. If you are seeking an
escape then BBOWT’s newest
nature reserve is a must-visit.
Breathe in the aromas, feel
the wind on your face and
bask in the glow of a pristine
chalk grassland at its
very finest.
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