The severe temperatures in the latter part of December and into the new year forced much of the wildlife on the Reserve to keep a very low profile. The landscape has offered many stunning Winter views with heavy frost on the ground, trees and foliage whilst the peat bog channels were frozen over. The feeding stations at Kingfisher Creek have been regularly supplied with appropriate food for the season in a bid to support the many tit species and woodland birds in that area. There has been good news concerning the foxes earth in Hazelwood as it appears to have been dug out recently, enlarging the inner chamber, with all signs of prospective parents being in residence.
All the Winter resident birds seen have been recorded in the woodland area and on the open heath. A pair of Reed Buntings were spotted at the West end of the boardwalk. Despite the harsh weather conditions, a Dartford Warbler and a Stonechat were sighted on a cold but sunny morning in the first week of January. Wrens and Goldcrests are much in evidence with their very distinctive sounds being heard. A small flock of Crossbills appeared fleetingly over the enclosure near Redwood Drive and a Jackdaw was seen flying across the heath.
The mammals are still proving elusive.
This month we feature two more spiders found on the 2008 spider survey undertaken by George and Mark Dunkling:-
The Water Spider(Argyroneta Aquatic) lives in a bell shaped home attached to underwater plants. They only venture out to collect air or capture food which consists of tadpoles, small fish and other small aquatic insects.
The Raft Spider(Dolomedes Fimbriatus) is most often seen along the boardwalk from April to October. The females grow to 22mm and the male to only 10/13mm. They usually wait for insects to alight nearby then run swiftly along and grab them. Another tactic is to sit on a floating leaf with its front legs on the surface of the water waiting for vibrations caused by struggling insects thereby locating its prey
