Aftermath grazing

Those of you who have followed my journal for some time may remeber that back in June I was lucky enough to survey the largest unimproved hay-meadow in England, Portholme. This meadow is close to the point where I drop Alex off, so today I went and had a quick early morning stroll, with the aim of photographing some of the conservation managers.

Traditional hay meadow management involves a hay cut in late June, followed by a period of recovery, usually until August. At that point, a mix of sheep and cattle are put on the meadow to graze the aftermath. This inquisitive chap was one of a large flock, accompanied by a herd of bullocks which can be seen in the background. The sheep graze until November, and are removed before the ground becomes too damp, as they are prone to foot rot and other diseases. The cattle stay on the site until February, only being taken off if the River Ouse floods. After February the grass is allowed to grow during the spring and early summer before the whole cycle starts again.

Unfortunately in the largely arable economy of eastern England, cattle and sheep are not abundant, and many smaller hay meadows are no longer aftermath grazed. This allows the sward to become much coarser and may eventually lead to the extinction of some of the smaller and less common hay meadow species such as green-winged orchids.

I'm sorry that I've not been keeping up with comments. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, I have been feeling a bit under the weather. I took the dogs out for a walk along the river at lunchtime and was really worn out when I got back. I started thinking about all the various strange symptoms I've been having (including the feeling of insects crawling over my head) and realised that the slight cold which I thought I'd thrown off has left its legacy in the form of mild post-viral fatigue. I've had this before, most severely after glandular fever when I was at university. I know I'll overcome it but I may have to pace myself over the next few weeks, which will probably mean less time at the computer.