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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...

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...

Well, it did anyway whether we liked it or not - there was me thinking that moving 400 miles south might mean I escaped the white stuff. I'm secretly glad it hasn't, it was such a beautiful morning, it's always great to get out and see what tracks I can find! The sunshine this afternoon seems...

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...

A fantastic number of thrushes can currently be seen around Nagshead feeding on the abundance of berries. There is a small rowan at the back of the car park which is being defended by the Mistle Thrush below. The Mistle Thrush has a real battle on its hands, I watched at least five Blackbirds raiding...

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...

I had a wonderful morning at Highnam Woods this morning. The mist cleared to expose beautiful blue sky, which is just lovely to see at this time of year. Although the spectrum of colours in the coppiced woodland isn't quite as striking as that at Nagshead , but the sense of space and open air is...

Many of our winter birds have already arrived, with two Bramblings , eight Fieldfares and 30 Redwings seen at Nagshead today! The Bramblings were feeding on Beech mast with three Hawfinches and a small flock of Chaffinches along the main forestry track between Campbell Hide and the heath area. Redwings...

Autumn is definitely underway here at Nagshead . The leaves are changing colour and the recent gales have brought a lot of them down already. A few migrant birds are still with us, Spotted Flycatchers , Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs have been the most noticeable. Other migrants are just starting to arrive...

Many of our summer visitors have started their return migration to southern Europe and Africa. The last Pied Flycatcher finally left the reserve around the 8th August, a very late date for Nagshead. Some migrants can still be found though, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps may still be heard singing on sunny...

I thought I'd start the day with a quick walk around the short trail. As the breeding season draws to a close I have little idea what to expect to see and hear as I walk around. The now familiar sound of nuthatches accompanied my walk, with tits, wrens and robins joining in from time to time. ...

Some fantastic birding at Nagshead today, with at least four Hawfinches feeding on the berry laden Rowan trees in the small clearing at the furthest point on the Short Trail. Other species that can be seen feeding here include Bullfinches and Blackcaps . Hawfinch Coccothraustes coccothraustes , RSPB...

On the surface it may seem a little on the quiet side at Nagshead at this time of year, but some great wildlife has been seen recently. There has been a family party of Hawfinches hanging around the car park area for a week or so and Crossbills can still be seen around the heath on the Long Trail. Look...