Cows help bee orchids return to nature reserve

A species thought to be extinct from Spurn Point National Nature Reserve is blooming for the first time in 30 years.

Staff believe the revival of the bee orchid is due to a new grazing policy.

The cows were monitored using GPS collars and were only allowed to feed in specific areas. They were not allowed to roam freely in areas where they were naturally attracted to sweet flowers.

It helped create the “right conditions” for a wide variety of wildflowers to grow on the reserve’s Chalk Bank meadow, which Reserve and Naval Officer Rosie Jaques said was a “great result”.

Bee orchids, so named because of their resemblance to the bee, were observed in very small numbers at Spurn Point in the 1990s.

But they were not seen again until this year, when Yorkshire Wildlife Trust staff counted 21 new plants.

Originally, bee orchids were confined to grasslands in the south and south-east of England. They have gradually expanded their range northwards, particularly in the north-east of England, where they have spread along the coast.

They are plants that adapt well, especially to rising temperatures. According to the foundation, some believe that this is a good indicator of changes in the climate and landscape.

Ms Jaques said she was “absolutely delighted that the work we have done at Spurn has led to a revival of the bee orchids” and said she “hopes the population can grow in the coming years”.

Situated at the northern end of the Humber Estuary, Spurn is home to other important and rare species including the pyramid orchid, sea holly and narrow-leaved bird’s-foot trefoil.

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