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Winter wonderland, RSPB Nagshead (Photo: Lewis Thomson) During the recent week of snow, it was brilliant to get up to Nagshead and walk the paths looking for animal tracks. I managed to find signs of Fox, Wild Boar, Fallow Deer, Grey Squirrel and a couple of rodent tracks on a stroll around the Long...

We would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year, hopefully 2013 will be packed with exciting wildlife encounters and will be a little drier than 2012! We hope to see you all out enjoying the reserves in the coming months, don't forget to keep an eye on the Nagshead events page here and the Highnam...

After all the recent rain a crisp, sunny spell of weather was very welcome on the reserves. Woodlands always look spectacular on frosty, clear sky days, especially at Nagshead with the bare ancient oaks standing proud while sunbeams filter through to the woodland floor. The frosts also meant that wellies...

We regularly get a post breeding Kingfisher v isiting the ponds at Lower Hide from mid-July through to autumn. Undoubtedly it just takes a short D tour from the Cannop Brook across the road around 100 metres away. This year I was looking forward to bumping into the Kingfisher on the reserve again as...

All of our migrant breeding birds have now returned to Nagshead . Spotted Flycatchers arrived in early May and finally the first Nightjar was heard 'churring' on May 14th. We currently have three male Nightjars on the reserve, hearing their eerie churring song as darkness falls is a real highlight...

The cold wet weather hasn't made the best of starts to the season, but I think all the species have now been ticked off on the reserve lists, with one nightjar so far recorded at Russell's Inclosure. An unexpected bonus for Lewis when out looking for these over the weekend was a barn owl hunting...

The weather may not back up such a claim, but if you venture out in the sunny spells or simply ignore the sky you will find that Highnam Woods is in the midst of spring. The bluebells are out, so it must be true! The cuckoo flower (lady's smock) has been out for a while now too, and is providing...

Well, it has been a very exciting start to spring at Nagshead . Our first Chiffchaffs arrived on March 21st followed by Blackcaps on the 26th. We were all pretty shocked by the early arrival of a male Pied Flycatcher on March 31st though! This is the earliest ever record for Gloucestershire! Congratulations...

It has been a fantastic week on the reserves and looking at the list of sightings you would be forgiven for thinking we were in a remote area of Eastern Europe or Scandinavia rather than Gloucestershire! Hawfinches performing courtship displays, Brambling flocks feeding on beech mast, nest building Crossbills...

With the weather being so up and down in the past two months I was convinced that our first nest record at Nagshead would be an early Robin or Mistle Thrush but, to my complete surprise, I was lucky enough to witness a mating pair of Crossbills last week and watch the female busily collecting nesting...

It's a little chilly out there, but very beautiful with the winter sunshine out on both reserves. The tits at Highnam were out in force, so I was glad I was able to top the feeders up for them. A nuthatch was eager to snaffle some of the seed and successfully kept the table to herself for a while...

Despite some pretty heavy downpours yesterday morning I couldn't help looking out the office window and wishing I could be outside, so at lunchtime I escaped and headed for Highnam. I took a walk up the hill onto the public footpath, admiring the piles of brash in the recently felled coppice plot...

Firstly we would like to wish all of our followers a Happy New Year. Hopefully 2012 will be a fantastic wildlife packed year for all! The weather so far this winter has been quite remarkable, the past week has felt more like early spring than the beginning of January. Mistle and Song Thrushes have...

The two Hawfinches from the previous post have now increased to a flock of at least eight! They are still feeding on the same blackthorn and hawthorn bushes at the start of the entrance track up to Nagshead visitor centre giving our visitors a very warm and exciting welcome to the reserve. As you pass...

At least two Hawfinches have been feeding on sloes and hawthorn berries along the entrance track to Nagshead for the past few days. They are such incredible birds and high on many peoples must see list. It has been a real privilege to watch them behaving naturally and even having scraps with Blackbirds...

As well as following our antics on the blog, you can now follow us on Twitter @RSPBnagshead for all the latest news, events and sightings from Nagshead and Highnam Woods !

I've just returned to the office from Nagshead and have to share the wildlife spectacle that I have just witnessed. First let me set the scene, it was rotten earlier today with heavy rain and strong winds, but this afternoon the wind dropped and the sky cleared, the low sun lighting up the yellows...

I've just come in from Nagshead reserve. We need the woodburning stove going this morning, so I popped in on my way down to start it, and went for a walk while it got going. As I headed up the main path I just had to stop. The colours against the pale blue sky were just amazing, and everything felt...

Today was one of those special autumn days, starting with a weak veil of mist which the sun quickly burned through to reveal the stunning scene below. Everywhere you looked the Beech and Oak trees were glowing gold, we couldn't have asked for a better backdrop to the opening day of our refurbished...