Nature Watch

The latter half of January was a quiet time on the heathland,bog and wooded areas. Evidence of Sparrowhawk strikes were discovered at various locations within the woodland. The 1st February erupted in bird song throughout the woodland with male songbirds in fine voice, declaring their territories and advertising for mates. Many species of the Tit family are visiting the nest boxes on site, either seeking out potential homes in readiness for the breeding season or as overnight roosts during the colder nights. The three bird feeding tables have frequent visitors where a selection of suitable winter food is provided at regular intervals. The discovery of hair and evidence of grubbing for food at the base of a gorse bush has indicated the possible visiting of Badgers to Slop Bog.

The following bird sitings have been recorded:- a Snipe, Wrens, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Tree Creepers, Great Tit, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Goldcrests, Robins, Song Thrush, Blackbirds, Magpies, Jays, a female Reed Bunting, a pair of Dartford Warblers, a flock of Redwing passing through, a buck and a doe Roe Deer. Territory and mate calling by the Tawny Owl has been heard at night as has the barking of foxes. Frogs have emerged from hibernation so look out for spawn in the pools bordering the boardwalk in the coming weeks. The Gorse bushes are bursting their buds providing a cheerful glow of yellow on the darker winter days

Nature Fact

The amount of time that birds spend looking for food is scarcely believable. The Great tit spends 75% of its waking hours on this task, the Blue Tit 85% and the Coal Tit 90%. The smallest of our birds, the Goldcrest, spends literally all day feeding. Help birds visiting your garden by providing food. A fat crumble is easy to make by rubbing 4oz/115g of cooking margarine or lard into 8oz/225g of plain flour-unlike us, birds can consume large quantities of fat without any adverse effects.

Site Management

Slop Bog Guardian volunteers have continued to assist the D.C.C. Countryside Rangers in the clearing and burning of brush wood from the winter felling of trees. A second donated owl nesting box has been sited in the woodland area at the rear of Hazel Drive. A further two chimney style boxes have been constructed by the volunteers, to be installed within the woodland corridor, where the Tawny Owls are known to have their territory. This , we hope, will provide them with more choice of location and style of box to reside for nesting.

Notice boards have been positioned at the four entrances to Slop Bog Nature Reserve.