Bog Myrtle & Peat

Coming across a stack of scrap wood last week, I decided to set about building some grit trays for the red grouse. I spread out some grit at various stations last spring, but the majority were ignored altogether and few were regularly used. In order to raise the grit up to a conspicuous spot, I cut turves out of the peat and turned them upside down before scattering tiny flint shards across the exposed earth. It worked reasonably well, but by the middle of spring, the undergrowth had shot up so high that I lost several of them.

Wooden grit trays should be more conspicuous, and once set up in the right places, I hope that they will be regularly used. As a safety measure, I have staked them into the ground with two foot wooden rods so that they won’t blow away or get kicked around by the sheep. I don’t have the cash for medicated grit at the moment, but if I can get the birds used to taking from artificial dumps, it will be much easier to control their medicated intake when I can afford to buy it.