Nature Fact

The Roe Deer male(Buck) have short antlers up to 30 centimetres long. The antlers drop off at the end of the year and grow back again in February. In this respect they are different from other species of deer who lose their antlers in Spring and grow them again in Summer. When the Roe deer's antlers first grow, they are soft and tender and covered with a thin velvety skin. This thin skin is rubbed off against the trunks of trees. Look out for markings on the bark approx 1 metre from the ground

Site Management

Cutting down Rhododendron and Laurel. Clearance of growth along the Wet Wood stream bank. Installation of Tree Creeper nesting box

Nature Watch

Ongoing poor weather conditions during the past month has contributed to the lack of wildlife sightings. The very recent rainfall has waterlogged a number of paths and filled the peat ponds to overflowing. Most of the inhabitants of Slop Bog are presently in hibernation or sheltering from the elements.

The following have been recorded on monitoring visits:-

Birds- Magpies, Jays, Seagulls, Nuthatch, Great Tits, Blue tits, Coal Tits, Long Tailed Tits, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Song Thrush and Snipe.

Fungi- Common Puffball and Polypore

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Photographs courtesy of Christine Wilcox

Nature Fact

There are more than 450 families of fungi worldwide containing 6000 genera and an estimated 1,600,000 species. All habitats support fungi of various types eg woodland, dunes, heathland, meadows, grassland, parks, gardens, marshes, bog, burnt ground and even the dung of herbivores.