St. Ives Community Orchard initial survey and recommendations

Patrick Saunders of Kernow Ecology was requested on behalf of AONB Wheal Buzzy Project to visit the site to suggest habitat improvements for wild bees.

Summary

The site was visited on 18/7/18. The site is a large area of former open heathland and small enclosed fields, previously used as rough pasture going up to Penbeagle Hill. A small area of the site is managed as a community orchard and contains a greater diversity of habitats. Including tall grassland and cornfield annuals. A full survey was not undertaken.

The whole site has high community value. The Orchard group volunteers have clearly created somegood habitats within the orchard area and manage rides towards Penbeagle Hill. But the whole siteis very challenging as is large without enough infrastructure and resources for significant management. A significant proportion of the site is in succession to scrub habitats and is dominated by species poor bracken habitats of declining value for pollinators.

A small number of species were found in the orchard area. These included Grey-banded Mining Bee (Andrena denticulata), Colletes sp., Trimmer's Mining Bee (Andrena trimmerana), Black-horned Nomad Bee (Nomada rufipes) and Fork-tailed Flower Bee (Anthophora furcata). The actual orchard area is likely to support a range of common bee species. Although shading is likely to be an issue as the canopy of trees increases and open ground is reduced, this is likely to reduce the pollinator fauna, unless open unshaded habitats are created.

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Recommendations

Mini meadow in orchard. Annual cut and rake collect clippings of open grassland area in August and March. Sow Yellow Rattle of Cornish origin.

Encourage areas of tall tussocky grassland in orchard with Black Knapweed and Fleabane, cut and rake in September after seeding.

The "corn-weed" annual meadow was very good. Continue management and lightly rotavate or harrow in winter.

Conserve south facing bare ground and banks. Ensure tree cover does not shade them.

Create a mini meadow within at least one of the Bracken areas and manage rides in the Bracken habitats. Cut Bracken at least 3 times between May-July for 1 - 3 years. Then cut asa meadow, cut April and August. Possibly diversify by sowing Yellow Rattle.

Diversify Bracken edges and glades. The site could benefit the Red data Book Perkin's Mining Bee (Andrena rosae). Identify suitable glade area. Sow locally collected Angelica and cut early May and November annually in Bracken scrub.

More detailed management plan and full survey needed.

Broader site

The whole site including Penbeagle Hill needs a 5-10 year plan developed with the support of a variety of local partners including CC. This site needs great deal of support from other bodies to implement suitable management actions. Conserving the diversity of open habitats will require significant expenses of ongoing annual bracken and scrub management beyond the scope of unsupported volunteer work parties. The site with no interventions long term is likely to gradually become secondary woodland with a low diversity of pollinators. From the perspective of wild bees "Dewilded" rather than"Rewilded".

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Glade or clearing in Bracken in Community Orchard. Cut twice a year after Bracken control is succesful. Diversify taller Bracken edges for the Red data Book Perkin's Mining Bee (Andrena rosae) Sow locally collected Angelica and cut early May and November.

Range of grassland habitats in orchardManaged meadow in Orchard. Annual cut in August and March and collect clippings. Sow Yellow Rattle of Cornish origin. Leave some areas as autumn or winter cut only.

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Grey-banded Mining Bee (Andrena denticulata)A ground nesting bee specialised to use the Daisy family

Perkin's Mining Bee (Andrena rosae) A Red Data Book West Penwith speciality. It occurs in two broods on foraging scrub in spring and on Angelica in August

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Angelica Showing the plant in flower, one the of the plants in the photograph has green seeds which are ready to collect. Collect early Sept and sow into areas with slightly open disturbed soil or strimmed and then scarifiied. Avoid any cutting of Angelica between June to September.

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Plan of site

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats

Resources

Meadows

http://www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/wap17_meadowmanagement.pdf

https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/BBCT_Land_Factsheet_2_Managing_wildflower_meadows.pdf

https://www.floralocale.org/HomePage

Scrub for wildlife

https://www.rspb.org.uk/globalassets/downloads/documents/farming-advice/scrub-management-advisory-sheet-england_tcm9-207551-2.pdf

Bees

http://www.bwars.com/

Ground nesting and Bee Hotels

http://kernowecology.co.uk/beeflats.html

https://www.biodiversityinschools.com/build-a-solitary-bee-bank.html

Ragwort.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/69264/pb9840-cop-ragwort.pdf

https://www.buglife.org.uk/sites/default/files/Ragwort.pdf

Identification

Falk, S. J. (2015). Field guide to the bees of Great Britain and Ireland. British Wildlife Publishing.

Note this in some cases requires a microscope, as bees are difficult and many cases can't be identified by a simple photograph.

Brock, P. D. (2014). A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain and Ireland. Pisces Publications.

Photographic guide to UK bees.

kernowecology.co.uk saving bees and their habitats