Nature Watch

A month of very mixed weather for our area. Heavy snow fall, frost, wet and windy, with only a few dry milder days.

SIGHTINGS

Hazelwood- Nuthatch, Wrens, Chaffinches, Siskins, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, all Tit species, Goldcrests, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrush, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Male Pheasant, Female Tawny Owl.

Wet Wood- All Tit species, Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Song Thrush, Blackbirds, Robins, Sparrowhawk, Wrens.

Beaufoys Plantation- Great Spotted Woodpecker, Siskins, Goldcrests.

Western Enclosure- Green Woodpecker, Dartford Warbler.

Eastern Enclosure- Pair of Snipe, pair of Stonechat, Dartford Warbler, Green Woodpecker, first sighting of Pond Skaters on the surface of the acid pools(12/3).

Beaufoys Bog- Pair of Snipe, Dartford Warbler, female Roe Deer.

Buzzards Carr- Buzzards.

Wild Wood- Jays, Bramblings.

Dragonfly Drop- Flock of Redwing, Buzzards.

Roe Deer footprints found in snow and soft mud. Several Raptor strike remains have been found on site.

The Blue Tit study is ongoing. Daylight activity has increased to 12 hours and the bird continues to night roost. Will it choose to use this box for nesting with a partner?

The spider shown this month is the Heath or 4 Spot Orb Weaver, another specie observed during the Summer 2008 survey. This large brightly coloured spider lives on grassland, heathland and hedgerows. The abdomen may be yellow, orange, green, red or brown. It spins a large vertical orb-web built low down among ground vegetation. It catches mainly grasshoppers, crickets and other jumping insects

Nature Fact

The Common Pond Skater moves rapidly over the surface of still, slow moving water using the front legs to grab other insects. Winged individuals often fly far from water to hibernate.

Site Management

The application of the wire netting to the surface of the boardwalk has now been completed. Repairs to several nest boxes has been undertaken ahead of the nesting season.

Nature Watch

During the severe weather conditions , the following sighting were made on monitoring visits:-
Female Grey Wagtail, male and female Sparrowhawks in chasing flight, Blue/Coal/Great/Long tailed Tits, Robins, Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Jays, flock of Redwing, flock of Siskin, Goldfinch, Nuthatch, Wrens, Goldcrests, Song Thrush, 6 Reed Buntings, female Stonechat, Buzzards, Heron, Woodcock, Red Admiral butterfly(seen on a much milder January day), female Roe Deer, Yellow Brain fungus.

Look and listen for the flock of Siskin. They favour roosting in trees in the area around the enclosure gate where the interpretation board is located, also along the Hazel Drive fence line. The flock are frequent visitors to a feeder situated in a Hazel Drive garden.

Many tracks and foot prints of birds, foxes and Roe deer have been apparent in the soft mud and snow covered ground.

The study of the winter roosting Blue Tit in a nest box has continued. Departure and arrival times have been variable. Departures are now between 7-7.15am but on particularly dark mornings it has been as late as 7.45am. The most significant change is in the afternoon return to the box - now as late as 5.15pm. It's noticeable this occurred when snow was laying which may give a reflection, thereby increasing light levels, thus delaying return to the roost.

The Wasp Spider (Argiope Brucennichi as pictured below) was another specie found on the 2008 summer survey. Females grow to 25mm, males to 7mm. This spider spins a large vertical orb-web usually with a zigzag band down the middle. It is built low down in vegetation eg heather and purple moor grass. They feed on grasshoppers, crickets and low flying insects. The female spins a large egg sac before dying in the Autumn. The eggs hatch in the Spring.

Nature Fact

Siskins are mainly winter visitors to our area with northern breeding birds moving south and others arriving from Europe. They feed on seeds found on Spruce, Pine, Alder and Birch trees. Feeders stocked with Niger seeds will attract these birds into your garden.

Site Management

The boardwalk, situated at the east end of the site, has had wire netting applied to the boards. Only a small length remains to be completed at the next work party. This improves visitor safety as the surface was previously very slippery during wet or frosty conditions.

Nature Watch

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

Nature Fact

During a recent study of an overnight roosting Blue Tit in a nesting box along the Hazel Drive fringe, it was recorded that in November, December and into January roosting commenced on the dot of twenty past four each afternoon. The bird vacated the box each morning between 7.20 and 7.40. It was established that weather conditions did not change the times but it was noted morning departure was connected to light levels as on darker days departure was delayed. An overall time of fifteen hours roosting was the norm. The photograph of the Blue Tit, as above, shows that a bird really does tuck the head under its wing when asleep.

Site Management

The Christmas/New Year work party continued burning brush in Hazelwood from trees felled in the Autumn.

Nature Watch

After a period of wind and heavy rain at the end of November, the weather changed to clear, sunny days and hard frosts on most nights. A quiet time on the heathland with only larger birds sighted ie Magpies, Jays, Crows and Woodpeckers. The smaller all year resident birds can be seen on most days especially at the feeder tables on the embankment of Kingfisher Creek. The only recordings of the more elusive birds on site have been a Mistle Thrush, Snipe and a female Grey Wagtail in the North West corner of the Reserve. No mammals have been seen for some time - it is possible they are keeping to the shelter of woodland areas. Fungi are sparse with only a few Bracket showing on birch trees.

Two further photographs of spiders, taken by George Dunkling during the Summer survey, are shown below.