Sinuous Arable Field Margins

I went for a walk at Lodge Farm this afternoon between the showers. As soon as I got out the car my eye was drawn to the sinuous course of a ditch with a bright green strip of uncultivated land either side of it. Apart from making pleasing features in the landscape, these arable field margins are very important for wildlife.

Characteristic wildflowers and grasses of arable land are free to grow and they produce nectar and seeds which benefits insects and birds. The strips provide refuge for hares and voles and buffer the ditch from the effects of agricultural activity. They become corridors for wildlife movement.

When I was in the Dengie Hundred last weekend I noticed the arable field margin near the ancient St. Peter's chapel. It was a riot of colour from wildflowers even this late in the season.