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Nature Watching
When we first purchased the site there was very little wildlife to watch. However as the years went by I started to notice more and more birds and insects moving around me as I worked. An explosion in the number Hedge-Brown butterflies, in the summer of 2005, prompted me to note down, as well as I could, the increase in the variety and number of the species now present.
Sections on this page:
Butterflies.
We have planted a number of shrubs and flowers that are attractive to butterflies. In addition, invasive weed species, such as stinging nettle and thistles also provide larval and adult food plants.
Over the past 8 years we have recorded 17 species of Butterfly. Both the number of species
and the number of individuals are showing an upward trend.
2007 was particularly good for Orange-Tip and now Ringlet butterflies. However the very poor summer has meant a serious decline in most species. The Speckled Wood, a later flying species, seems to have come through the year better than most.
The following Butterfly species are present on our site:
Moths.
Sadly, moths are proving a bit more of a challenge to monitor than butterflies. They don't fly much during the day; the moth-trap that I have purchased still languishes in the bedroom; and my attempts at beating for caterpillars has so far resulted only in squashed larvae and a few irritated ladybirds.
Ladybirds.
Ladybirds seem very attracted to hazel. We often encounter them in our coppicing operations
and seem to be forever moving them out of harms way. We have recorded 7 species of ladybird
altogether.
Birds.
One of our aims in creating a woodland plantation area is to provide a good quality habitat for birds.
This has proven more complicated than we first thought. Not only do we have to consider the new
species of birds attracted to us,(e.g. Bullfinches:who like to tear all the new buds from the wild plum trees), but also the farmland birds who were here originally (e.g. Yellowhammers).
We have therefore left around 20% of our site as open pasture. The grass is left to ripen through the summer and then cut in the autumn. The cut grass is then left for a few days to turn to hay. When we rake the grass into piles, most of the seed falls on to the ground ready for the birds to eat.
I used to put out birdseed on to feeders, but a war of attrition soon developed between myself and the
local crow population. They would watch to see which feeder I went to and then swoop down as soon as my back was turned. I had some of the fattest corvids in Leicestershire. Nowadays I simply plant lots of
sunflowers each year.
The bird population seem remarkably camera-shy. I put this down to using a silver bodied camera. The light seems to reflect from the casing, causing the the little darlings to take wing as soon as I line up for a shot.
The following bird species are present on our site:
Raptors Songbirds
- - Blackbird
- Buzzard - Bluetit
- Sparrowhawk -
- Chaffinch
- Chiffchaff
- Cuckoo (incredibly loud at close quarters)
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- Goldfinch
- Goldcrest
- Greenfinch
- Great tit
- Linnet
Owls - Long-tailed tit
- Marsh tit
Little Owl - Reed Bunting
- Redwing
- Robin
- Songthrush
Others - Swallow
- Tree Sparrow
- Great Spotted Woodpecker - Yellowhammer
- Lapwing
- Pheasant (unfortunately)
- Partridge
Odonata.
We have at least 4 species of dragon- and damselfly, although I am not usually quick enough to photograph them. They seem to breed in the overgrown drainage ditches on our boundary and then hunt for prey within the wood itself: not necessarily along the paths and rides but in among the trees and shrubs.
The first decent day of sunshine after several weeks of rain had brought forth myriads of flies and insects swarming everywhere. Shimmering among them are the wings of damsel- and dragonflies on hunting expeditions.
I have only ever read of dragonflies living around water, but they seem to be all over the wood at the moment. Each of the small rides has a pair of dragonflies on patrol, and the smaller damselflies are amongst the shrubs.
Having said that I encountered a Southern Hawker 15' up a Cherry tree. I am not sure who was the more surprised
2007 has been a good year. Sightings of Common Darter dragonflies have outnumbered those for butterflies, with groups of 4 or 5 females sitting on the old seedheads of cow-parsley.
The following species are present on our site:
Damselflies Dragonflies
Emperor
Banded Demoiselle
Amphibians & Reptiles
A particular feature of late summer 2008 and 2009 has been an abundance of frogs. They seem to be everywhere. The smaller ones have interfered with the mowing of the rides and meadow as I try to wait for everyone to cross out of harm's way. Larger specimens appear, as if by magic, under any pile of prunings that are left overnight. Toads of all sizes are adept at imitating fallen leaves and only move when about to be trodden on.
In August 2009 I found the sloughed skin of a grass snake measuring approximately 27". It is presumably dining on the huge numbers of frogs around the place.
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The following species are present on our site:
Amphibians Reptiles
Frogs Grass Snake
Toads