Summer is here, the days are getting longer, and that means The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth is seeing an influx of seasonal feathered visitors.
At a time when many bird species are under threat from habitat loss, their birdsong is not just a joy to hear, but a sign that our Sidmouth sanctuary offers important resources for our native birdlife.
Set in the heart of the East Devon countryside, The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth contains everything from grassland to woodland, hedgerows and barns. This variety of habitats makes it the perfect home for an array of bird species.
Among these is the skylark, whose distinctive song can be heard over the grassland where they make their nests. These small brown birds, which raise their characteristic crests when alarmed or excited, are now a Red List species following the dramatic decline in their population.
Safeguarding bird biodiversity
The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth is playing a crucial role in building up the skylark’s numbers, but there are also plenty of other birds benefiting from our efforts to create a mixture of safe and suitable habitats.
Many of the donkeys’ fields and paddocks are surrounded by hedges, some of which have been planted or laid by our Ecology and Conservation team with the invaluable help of their volunteers.
Beyond providing the resident donkeys with forage, shade and shelter from the elements, these hedges offer homes and food for bird species such as willow warbler, whitethroat, blackcap, dunnock, wren and chiffchaff, all of which have been recorded on breeding bird surveys carried out by our ecologists.
It goes without saying that dung is in regular supply at The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth. Invertebrates break down the dung which helps nourish the soil, in turn providing a feast for pipistrelles, serotine and even greater horseshoe bats, as well as insectivorous birds such as goldfinches, yellow hammer and linnet.
Swallows, house martins and swifts perform their aerial acrobatics above the Sidmouth sanctuary’s buildings and barns, which also serve as sheltered nesting sites, while blackbird, robin, chaffinch, great tit and house sparrow species are regular visitors to the gardens.
Then there are the acres of woodland surrounding The Donkey Sanctuary Sidmouth, home to song thrush, nuthatch, tree-creeper, firecrest and great spotted woodpecker.
A sanctuary for donkeys and wildlife
While the countryside location of the Sidmouth sanctuary already lends itself to providing a haven for wildlife, we are making a deliberate effort to find ways to integrate the health and wellbeing of donkeys and the natural environment on sanctuary land.
Our Ecology and Conservation team works to increase biodiversity and improve habitats for donkeys and wildlife through sustainable habitat management, species monitoring and volunteer programmes.
The result is an enriched and resilient environment that can support rare species of wildlife, including birds, as well as the resident herds of donkeys.
Photo credits: RSPB-images.com
