Blackberry Patch

Blackberry plants are a primary wildlife asset, but the plants in Hirst meadow were slowly taking over the entire field, killing all other plant life. We cleared an area for the new trees, but have left this area untouched. Hundreds of creatures use brambles at different times of the year.

 

Insects visit the flowers for pollen and nectar, including bumblebees, honey bees, hoverflies, wasps, butterflies, moths, flies and lacewings. Spiders spin webs to catch the bounty of visiting insects. Moths such as buff arches, peach blossom and fox moths lay their eggs on bramble as it is their larval food plant.

 

 Blackbirds, thrushes, chaffinches, starlings, robins, pheasants, foxes, mice and other small mammals eat the fruits. Robins, wrens, thrushes, blackbirds, warblers and finches will nest in bramble and small mammals use the thorny cover for protection from predators.

Blackberry plants are a primary wildlife asset, but the plants in Hirst meadow were slowly taking
over the entire field, killing all other plant life. We cleared an area for the new trees, but have left
this area untouched. Hundreds of creatures use brambles at different times of the year. Insects visit
the flowers for pollen and nectar, including bumblebees, honey bees, hoverflies, wasps, butterflies,
moths, flies and lacewings. Spiders spin webs to catch the bounty of visiting insects. Moths such as
buff archers, peach blossom and fox moths lay their eggs on bramble as it is their larval food plant.
Blackbirds, thrushes, chaffinches, starlings, robins, pheasants, foxes, mice and other small
mammals eat the fruits. Robins, wrens, thrushes, blackbirds, warblers and finches will nest in
bramble and small mammals use the thorny cover for protection from predators.