Creating and Maintaining Scrapes for Waders - Harry and Toby Go Digging
Harry, Bella and Toby recently began managing a silage pasture on the edge of a well-established, marsh-fritillary rich tussocky culm grassland, but the fields were anything but easy to work with. The land is constantly wet, owing to its flat topography and clayey subsoil. Water holds on this land naturally, and it was clear that rather than continuing with regular silage cropping, it would be much easier to shift gears and embrace our natural farming methods.
The goal was simple: let the land flourish naturally, with a little bit of initial mechanical intervention, and in doing so, encourage biodiversity, improve water retention, and protect the carbon rich soil.
One piece of this new direction was the creation of scrapes—shallow depressions designed to hold water. These scrapes would serve multiple purposes: providing natural watering points for grazing cattle, helping restore the land to a more species-rich grassland and attracting a variety of wildlife, particularly wading birds and insects. The hope was to welcome back species like snipe, woodcock, golden plover, and, in time, lapwings and curlews.
The first step was to assess the land. The existing rye-dominant grass sward was cut back, yielding a strong crop of hay. This allowed them to get a clearer picture of the land's natural contours. Though the fields seemed flat at first glance, subtle dips and ridges soon became apparent—ideal spots to create pockets of standing water. With a five-ton digger (Toby) and a six-ton dumper (Harry) on hand, they set to work. There was no pre-determined plan, just an open-minded approach of digging and shaping the land as it suggested. The process was relaxed but purposeful, with lots of back-and-forth discussion about the depths, curves, and edges of each scrape.
In just two days, the first phase was complete. The scrapes, with their varying depths and gradients, provided a range of wetland habitats that would attract different species. Six months later, the results were already visible. The site is becoming a haven for wildlife: snipe had appeared, and red deer had started to frequent the area. Dragonflies, swallows, and house martins were also drawn to the new water features, and the site was alive with the sounds of meadow pipits and woodcock. The wet areas around the scrapes had begun to expand, and the vegetation was slowly filling in. As the years go on, they expect the species count to continue growing.
The success of this project shows how simple conservation measures—like creating ponds and scrapes—can have an immediate, transformative effect on the environment. The transition from a silage field to a wet culm grassland has brought about a noticeable increase in ecological activity, and the results have been incredibly rewarding. The takeaway? Sometimes, the best way to make a real difference is to get out there, grab a digger, and start creating scrapes. The land knows what it needs, and with a little help, it can quickly start to thrive.
