Angus Council’s Direct Award of the Nature Restoration Fund has supported the restoration of reedbed habitat at Montrose Basin Wildlife Reserve which is designated as a Local Nature Reserve (LNR).

Once common throughout the UK, reedbeds form marginal habitat; occupying the transitional zone between water and land. As reedbeds age, the plant litter that dies off each year builds up and causes the habitat to become degraded as the area dries out. This eventually leads to successional processes and the development of scrub and woodland. The traditional harvesting of reedbed stems for thatch helped to slow this transition and maintain a diverse and thriving habitat. Since this practice rescinded and, historically, large areas of land were drained for agriculture, many reedbeds across the UK have been lost.

Reedbeds are a UK Priority Habitat and healthy reedbeds can support many nationally rare bird species which are restricted to this habitat for breeding, including marsh harriers and bitterns, as well as providing a crucial roost site for many overwintering birds. Reedbeds also provide habitat for a variety of mammals and invertebrates, many of which are reedbed specialists. The cover reedbeds provide mean it is often difficult to see the abundance of wildlife within, and while the keen eye may spot reed buntings; other species such as warblers and water rails can more easily be heard than seen.

Healthy reedbeds should be dominated by common reed (phragmites australis) and there is little botanical diversity within the habitat, but wetland plant species such as gypsywort (lycopus europaeus), brooklime (veronica beccabunga) and water mint (mentha aquatica) can be expected.

The habitat needs to be managed to provide diversity in age and structure of the dominant common reed, and a project was undertaken in Angus to restore a reedbed at Montrose Basin Local Nature Reserve.

At the west of the Reserve, where the Mill Burn joins the River South Esk as it enters the estuary, lies Millburn Reedbed. The Reserve supports a relatively extensive area of reedbed managed by Scottish Wildlife Trust and, working in partnership with Angus Council, a priority area was selected to focus restoration effort. A 2.8ha area was chosen where a cutting rotation was introduced to ensure not only the dominance of common reed, but also diversity in the age and structure of the reedbed. To achieve this, plots were cut strategically at intervals to provide a mosaic of open areas for foraging and nesting habitat for a variety of species. Specialist amphibious reed cutting equipment was used over a 5-day period to remove dense stands of reeds from the plots, totalling a quarter of the reedbed cover within the project area. This allows for a four-year rotation meaning common reed can develop to its peak growth whilst the area still supports younger reed and creates that all important structural diversity.

The area, which is popular with bird watchers, will be monitored keenly over the coming months to determine the success of the restoration project.

Anna Cowie, Project Officer – Environment Officer with Angus Council