Nature Notes November 2018

Date Published: 03-12-2018

A generally mild month dominated by strong winds and heavy rainfall with a few dry sunny days and occasional overnight frosts.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crows, Magpies, Jays, Buzzards, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Heron, Tawny Owls, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves. Nuthatches, Wrens, Goldcrest, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Dunnocks, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals:   Grey Squirrels.
Insects/Spiders:   Midges, Bees, Garden Spiders, Sheet Web Spiders.
Plants:   Holly Berries, Ivy Seed heads.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters.
Fungi:   The Blusher, Bay Bolette, The Sickener, Cauliflower Fungus, Many-zoned Polypore, Birch Polypore, Lichen.

A quieter time has now descended on the Reserve.
Tawny Owls were vocal when darkness fell.
Many of the Fungi were quick to deteriorate, following a few cold frosty nights.
Lichen has formed well during the month.
Many species of birds are now beginning to form Winter roosts.
Three Bat boxes have been very kindly donated by a member of Ferndown Council, Cllr. Paul Graham. These have been installed in woodland on the south east of the site.

NATURE FACT
Greenfinches, up to several hundred strong, roost in trees – often conifers such as Lawson’s and Leyland cypresses.

Recorder: C Wilcox

SITE MANAGEMENT
The work party thinned out and burnt gorse in the drier heath area. British White cattle returned.