Work Party Tuesday 31st May 10am-1pm

Meet at the Redwood Drive entrance. 

We will continue to lay path gravel at the Cedar Way entrance to improve this access point.  There are also some rotten boards on the boardwalk to replace.

Tools and gloves will be provided along with half time refreshments.  Please contact Will Holland on 07827 820465 if you have any queries.

Nature Notes April

 
A month of mixed weather; wind, heavy rain, sunshine, sleet and hail.  Despite these conditions, activity and movement was apparent on site.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crow, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzards, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Collared Doves, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Stonechats, Siskins, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Robins, Wrens, Goldcrest, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Swallows, Sand Martins.
Mammals:   Wood Mice, Grey Squirrels, Roe Deer, Fox, Mole activity, Pipistrelle Bats.
Plants in flower:   Common Gorse, Flowering Currant, Catkins, Amelanchier, Bird Cherry.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters, Whirlygig Beetles, Stickleback fish, Frog
Butterflies:   Large White, Brimstone, Red Admiral. Small White, Orange Tip.
Insects:   Buff Tailed Bees, Hover Flies, Midges.
Reptiles:   Common Lizards.

Many bird species have pressed on with nesting, egg laying and incubation despite changeable weather and air temperatures.  Observations indicate the quantity of eggs being produced in a clutch of Blue Tit eggs were halved from the usual 10 to just 5.
A Sparrowhawk has been observed constructing a nest in a tree on the northern side of Kingfisher Creek.
Both Swallows and Sand Martins have been sighted in flight over the site on several occasions.
A Treecreeper has chosen the crete nesting box along Kingfisher Creek to rear young.
Several Common Lizards have been seen on the boardwalk on warmer days, but no reported sightings of Adders or Grass snakes.
Pipistrelle Bats airborne in warm dry evenings.

Nature Fact

Treecreepers nest in slender cavities in tree trunks or behind a flap of peeling bark on a dead or dying tree.  The cavity usually has two entrances, or rather, one of them acts as the emergency exit!  They scurry upwards on trees, searching for insects and invertebrate animals using their finely pointed down-curved beak.  Their eyes are large and protected by unusually prominent eyebrows for a small, slow-flying bird.

Work Party Tuesday 26th April 10am - 1pm

Meet at the Cedar Way entrance.  We will be improving the access here as there is a low area of ground that floods.  We will be using a combination of path gravel and sleepers to raise the path making it easier for people to enter the Reserve. The wearing of wellington boots is recommended.

Refreshments, tools and gloves provided.  Contact Will Holland on 07827 820465 if you need further information.

Work Party Tuesday 5th April

We will again be concentrating on fence repairs. Meet at the Redwood Drive entrance at 10am, refreshments will be provided. Wearing of wellies advised.

Nature Notes March

March had a mixture of weather with heavy spells of rain, a warm dry week, strong winds and a storm.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Grey Heron,  Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzards, Tawny Owls, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Siskins, Stonechats, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Mistle Thrush, Wrens, Goldcrest, Female Blackcap, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreepers.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Fox, Roe Deer, Noctule Bats.
Plants in flower:   Gorse, Flowering Currant.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters.
Butterflies:   Comma, Brimstone, Red Admiral.
Insects:   Buff Tailed Bee, Hover Flies, Midges.

Despite periods of inhospitable weather, March appeared to be the start of an early Spring.  Several species of insects and butterflies were seen on warmer dry days.
A Grey Heron was seen on several occasions flying along the Hazelwood tree canopy, sometimes perching on a Pine tree.
The female Blackcap was seen numerous times along Hazelwood path, as were the Bullfinches.
A surprise sighting of two Noctule Bats early afternoon, in flight, over the southern area of the site. One of the largest bats, reaching eight centimetres, it is sometimes mistaken for a Swift as it hawks for insects at treetop height.
Bird song filled the air during the month, with many species selecting nesting sites and making an early start gathering nesting material.  Many of the nest boxes on site are now occupied.
The nest box survey was completed in early March, when the weather conditions were  more favourable.  16 nests were found , 6 were not used and 12 new boxes were installed due to damage or found to be missing.  A new Owl box was constructed and installed to replace a box which was destroyed when the tree on which it was located  fell down several years ago.

Nature Fact

The Grey Heron is the top bird predator of the freshwater food pyramid. It forages for a mixed diet of fish, eels, frogs, small mammals and sometimes large insects, such as grasshoppers and emerging dragonflies. Nesting takes place in large colonies in treetops.

Work Party Tuesday 15th March

Meet at the Redwood Drive entrance at 10am. We will be undertaking fence repairs. The wearing of Wellington boots is recommended as underfoot conditions are likely to be wet. Tools and refreshments will be provided

Nature Notes February

The weather remained wet on the whole, giving way to a drier spell in the last week.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Sparrowhawk, Buzzards, Tawny Owl, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Stock Dove, Collared Doves, Siskins, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Wrens, Goldcrest, Female Blackcap, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreeper, Grey Wagtail.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Fox, Roe Deer.
Plants in flower:   Gorse.
Insects: Several species of Bees.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore,

A female Blackcap was sighted along the Hazelwood West footpath, having remained during the Winter period instead of migrating.
Signs of Roe Deer on site, with tracks in soft mud.

Nature Fact

Roe Deer have cloven hooves that leave tracks (slots) in muddy places and on favourite paths.  Well-trodden tracks may sometimes be seen around a single tree or bush.  These are known as ‘Roe rings’ and may be related to courtship behaviour.  If disturbed, Roe make off in a series of terrific bounds and up to 16 metres may be covered in a single spring.

February Work Party

The February work party has been rescheduled to Tuesday March 15th. Details will be published here nearer the time.

Nature Notes January 2016

The weather continued to be wet and windy throughout the month, with only a few tolerable days and several frosty nights.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Buzzards, Tawny Owl, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Siskins, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Wrens, Goldcrest, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches, Treecreeper.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Fox.
Plants in Flower:   Gorse.
Insects:   Several species of Bees.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore.

A quiet month on the Reserve with not a great deal of movement.
Tawny Owls continued to call.
Many birds, in particular the Tit species, were seen in pairs.

Nature Fact

The Jay belongs to the Crow family. In Spring you may find gatherings of Jays known as ‘marriages’. These are probably courting birds trying to find a mate. On some occasions up to 30 Jays are present displaying and calling in great excitement. They are shy and restless birds and you may find it hard to get a good view. Most often you see them flying away when the large, white patch above the black tail is noticeable.

Nature Notes December

                                               

December was unusually mild with strong winds and heavy rain for  the majority of the month.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owls, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Collared Dove, Black-headed Gulls, Stonechat, Siskins, Redwings, Blackbirds, Robins, Song Thrushes, Wrens, Goldcrest, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Nuthatches.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels, Indication of Mole movement, Wood Mouse.
Butterflies/Moths:   Red Admiral.
Plants in flower:   Gorse.
Insects:   Several species of Bees.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore, Sickener.
Pond Life:   Whirlygig Beetles.

Tawny Owls heard on most nights.
A flock of Redwing at various locations on site, stripping Holly bushes of their berries.
Many bird species seen defending their territories.
The clearance of bird boxes of last years contents has been delayed, due to the hazardous weather and ground conditions on site.

WORK  PARTY
The December work party continued the coppicing of gorse and clearing overgrown vegetation from the fenceline bordering the dry heath area north of the Redwood Drive entrance. Accumulated cuttings were burnt. The next work party is scheduled for Tuesday 26th January, details will be published on this blog page shortly before this date.