News archive
December 2011
Thursday, 1 December 2011
RSPB Weald reserves update - December
· The whole of our Broadwater Warren reserve is now open again. Visitors are invited to come and see the large areas that have been opened up where heathland will soon begin to regrow. There are also some great views across the beautiful Wealden landscape. With binoculars St Swithun's Church in East Grinstead is visible from the east side of the reserve.
· At our Tudeley Woods reserve Sparrowhawks have been very obvious and presumably eagerly welcoming the arrival of small flocks of Fieldfare and Redwing. These will soon be in huge flocks wheeling around the nearby orchards where they enjoy the abundance of windfall apples.
· There are good numbers of Siskins sneezing from the tree tops and the occasional cheery chittery tinkle of Redpolls both at Broadwater and Tudeley. The Siskins are often joined by the larger and colourful common Crossbill at Broadwater and there have been several sightings of groups of Bullfinch. A group of five Mallards (our largest count yet) have been on the Decoy Pond.
· Buzzards are very active at Tudeley, Broadwater and Fore Wood.
· At our Fore Wood reserve, our Warden, Mathew, and three volunteers felled invasive Sycamore and have almost finished clearing one of the rides that had become overgrown with scrub.
· Wood cutters are well under way with much of this year's coppicing at Tudeley. These traditional style coppice workers are a real asset in achieving good woodland management.
· At Broadwater the new fencing has started going in. This will create a large (150 acre) enclosure for animals to graze the heath. Lots of gates will be provided and visitor access will not be affected. 5 Exmoor Ponies will arrive in April.
· At Tudeley our Sunday volunteers have made very good progress coppicing an area around the pond. This spot is often attractive to Fritillary butterflies and supports an interesting community of three orchid species. It will be very interesting to see how this area responds next spring.
· Most of the managed rides at Tudeley have had the annual cut by RSPB and Hadlow Estate staff. This ensures valuable nectar rich habitat in sunny open parts of the woodland.
· A reserve visitor to Tudeley found a new and interesting species of fungi for the reserve - Pea-shaped Bird's Nest Nidularia deformis. This find was particularly remarkable considering that so many species of fungi (over 1,100) have already been recorded at the reserve.
· iPod/iPhone users...The RSPB has created a couple of great Apps - Love Birds, and Love Nature, both available online now. We'd really love to develop some specific apps for the Weald reserves. Watch this space!
Please help support the RSPB by becoming an RSPB member or by gifting an RSPB Wildlife Explorer membership. Every membership makes a difference and helps us do more. Click here: http://www.rspb.org.uk/supporting/join
Best wishes and Merry Christmas