Blitz on Lincolnshire buckthorn

I think this is utterly disgraceful. I used to ring birds on Seacroft Golf Course up to a few years ago until 10 hectares of Sea Buckthorn was removed at the advice of Natural England. Long-eared Owl and Nightingale had just become established as breeding birds and the area provided refuge for countless thousands birds on migration. Amongst many migrating birds I ringed Olive-backed Pipit, Greenish Warbler, Wryneck, Hawfinch, Red-backed Shrike several Wood, Yellow-browed and Icterine Warblers, Fitrecrest, Ring Ouzels, Long-eared Owls etc. The idea was to encourage dune plants, but after several years they accepted that this had failed and the area, I am told (I'm too upset to go and look!), is now being grazed by cattle. I believe that NE has failed in its duty to comply with the European Birds Directive and this onslaught against Sea Buckthorn and other bird-loving scrub is detrimental to both breeding and migrating bird. What a waste.

In the 17 years I have been visiting Saltfleet it's been noticeable how Buckthorn has spread across the dunes and beach, it certainly needs controlling but of course we need some to remain.
At Donna Nook the Buckthorn was seriously knocked back by the North Sea surge of 2013 but has since recovered.

I share John’s misgivings. Natural England will doubtless have the best of intentions, but the risks to birdlife are all too obvious. In Cleethorpes, buckthorn on the coastal nature reserve and adjacent to the saltmarsh is a habitat much used in winter by yellowhammers, reed buntings, various finches and occasionally Nordic thrushes. Its eradication would be very detrimental to birds.

NE ought to conduct a consultation before proceeding with the project, but I fear contractors will move in suddenly and too late for any change of decision.

What do the RSPB and the Wildlife Trust have to say?

an article by Joan Gibbons in Flora of Lincolnshire stated the comments of Rev John Ray confirming the presence of sea buckthorn on the coastal dunes of Lincolnshire in 1669 so to state its non native seems at least strange if not incorrect.
From common bird census data and bird netting data at Saltfleetby nnr 1978 to current the dune scrub has by far the highest density of breeding birds including several species in steep decline of any habitat in the UK, as well as providing food and shelter for migrants and wintering birds and many mammals reptiles and amphians and a large quantity of insects.
The hundreds of acres quoted must be a national target as there is probably less than 300 acres on the Lincolnshire coast
Sea Buckthorn was designated native and important for its breeding birds in Lincolnshire by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee
regards John

A HUGE project to eradicate hundreds of acres of sea buckthorn from the Lincolnshire Coast is due to be undertaken next winter.

It is part of an ongoing UK-wide programme, funded by the National Lottery, known as Dynamic Dunescape.

Natural England has decided that scrubland should be forfeited in favour of a range of wild flowers that are currently unable to flourish because of lack of light and growing space. The project could also benefit creatures such as sand lizards and natterjack toads.

Controversially, it might also open up areas for dog-walking and other recreation, such as motorbike-scrambling, by residents and holidaymakers.

Another potential downside is that important feeding, roosting and nesting habitat will be lost to migrating and overwintering songbirds (including, warblers, chats and members of the thrush family)

In Lincolnshire, the stretch earmarked for buckthorn removal runs from Cleethorpes to Chapel St Leonards.

North East Lincolnshire Council's ecology officer, Mike Sleight, briefly made reference to the initiative in a talk to birders, including some from the Lincolnshire Bird Club, earlier today.

He noted that sea buckthorn was not a native sand dune plant.

It is understood Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is giving guarded support to the scheme, but the position of the RSPB is awaiting clarification.