Green Sefton: Six shorthorns have arrived on Birkdale Dunes to help control vegetation

Guest Blog by John Dempsey, Green Sefton 

With days getting appreciably longer, it won’t be long before species start stirring after the depths of winter.

Only a day or so ago I noticed a fine (if bedraggled) Fox Moth caterpillar shimmying across the car park at Ainsdale Discovery Centre, and the strident wild song of the Mistle Thrush is audible in parks and gardens.

While the hardy Mistle Thrush thrives at the tail end of winter, I gave the caterpillar a helping hand and carefully placed the “woolly bear” into the relative security of nearby dune vegetation.

There is still plenty of winter left before the Natterjacks start singing and the Swallows arrive!

As if to emphasise this, conservation grazing cattle arrived on the Birkdale dunes this week to spend the remaining winter months controlling the rank vegetation left from the autumn.

Six Shorthorns will be grazing the fenced enclosure on Birkdale Local Nature Reserve.

These animals are being supplied by Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT).

The Green Sefton team have used Shorthorn cattle before, mixed with Belted Galloways a few seasons back, so we know that this breed is suitable for grazing on the dune enclosures.

They are a little larger than the ever popular black and white Belties and will have no problem taking to the dune system.

Another small group of cattle may join them on the Birkdale site in a few weeks’ time.

Regular visitors to the dunes at Birkdale will have noticed work to remove scrub and invasive species on the reserve this winter, and of course the cattle will further assist in keeping areas of dune open.

Machinery undertaking removal work at Birkdale Sandhills Local Nature Reserve. Photo by Green Sefton

If this work is not carried out the sandy habitat rapidly disappears under invasive vegetation which outcompetes specialised dune species.

Before you know it large areas become unattractive for the rare amphibians and reptiles that rely on this protected landscape to survive.

Cattle did not graze on this section of the Local Nature Reserve last year, so please remember to follow on-site instructions and signage to ensure these wonderful beasts are not disturbed.

They have an important job to do!

Dogs should be kept under close control and away from the cattle in the fenced enclosure.

Cattle can find the presence of dogs extremely stressful so please follow the Countryside Code in the grazing enclosures, as you should around livestock anywhere in the country.

Given the large area the cattle can roam over it is quite easy to bump into them unawares within the enclosure, so please keep your dogs under control if you are walking in the area.

For a big beast the cows can be remarkably unobtrusive.

Green Sefton is planning to split the Birkdale grazing enclosure into two compartments later in the year.

The funds to install this have been acquired through the Countryside Stewardship programme and work will be completed during 2023 after the cattle have left in the spring.

A new fenceline will be installed running roughly east-west through the compartment.

There will be a gate to allow the movement of the cattle between the two new compartments and several kissing gate stiles to facilitate pedestrian access between the two new compartments at existing /established pathways”.

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