Nature Watch

The weather during this period has been very mixed with persistent heavy rain followed by dry days with sunshine and cold frosty nights.

SIGHTINGS : Jackdaws, Crows, Gulls, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Buzzards, Magpies, Jays, Heron, Redwing, Mistle Thrush, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Blackcaps, Bullfinch, Siskin, Brambling, Stonechats, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Song Thrush, Goldcrests, Wrens, Dunnocks, House Sparrow, Blackbirds, Robins, Blue/Great/Coal/Long-tailed Tits, Roe Deer, Frog spawn.
A Heron has been seen collecting wet leaves and twigs for nest construction.
A large number of Snipe have been visiting the Reserve during this Winter period with 10 to 12 seen at any one time.
A pair of Bullfinch are resident in Hazelwood West hopefully to breed here in the Spring.
A pair of Blackcaps remained for the Winter in Hazelwood West, again, hopefully to breed in the Spring.
March will be the last chance to spot Redwing, Brambling, and the Winter resident Siskin before they depart for the North and Scandinavia.

Birds are now visiting the nest boxes on site to establish ownership for breeding. A Robin has already built a nest on the fence line of Hazelwood West and laid one egg in the second week of March. It is believed that birds will only lay as many eggs to produce chicks that they can provide food for. Obviously food is not plentiful enough at present to support a larger brood.

Nature Fact

The Bullfinch prefers a woodland habitat, especially coniferous forest. They rarely move more than a few miles from home territory. Adult Bullfinch with their short, stubby bill is ideally suited to eating buds of trees and shrubs although they feed their nestlings on large quantities of insects and spiders as well as seeds as the young grow. Many of these beautiful birds were trapped or shot to prevent damage to orchards in Southern England.

Nature Watch

The weather during this period has been cold and mostly dry with a few snow flurries and the occasional milder day. Much of the wildlife which frequents heath land and the perimeter woodland has spilt into surrounding areas with more birds visiting gardens.

SIGHTINGS/OBSERVATIONS
Great Spotted/Green Woodpeckers, Jays, Buzzards, Black headed Gulls, Heron, Redwings, Fieldfare, Pheasant, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Stonechats, Crows, Wood Pigeon, Siskin, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blackcap, Blue/Great/Coal/Long-tailed Tits, Dunnocks, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds and a group of Mallard Ducks flying in formation over the site. A small number of house sparrows have been seen along the fence line of Hazelwood/Hazel Drive. On the open bog good numbers of Snipe are still feeding. Grazing by the cattle last year has opened up the tussocky grass providing excellent conditions for this secretive bird.

The Great Spotted Woodpeckers have paired and are often seen in each others company.

A trial of feeding the Stonechats with mealworms during the harsher weather conditions has proved sucessful. Suitable winter food continues to be supplied at the feeding stations for the woodland birds.

Blue Tits continue to night roost in the camera nest boxes.

One of the earliest ground nesting birds on open heath is the Woodlark which start singing from the tops of scattered pines in February. Recordings of this bird are rare at Slop Bog so please let the Ranger staff know if you are lucky enough to see or hear one (telephone 01425 483809; e-mail w.holland@dorset.gov.uk).