Winter has begun to arrive at the heath with some beautiful frosty mornings. The heather and gorse has been coated in white and glistening in the sun. On these mornings, the heathland has looked truly stunning and we’ve felt so grateful to work here! This month also saw the first snow of the season, transforming the heath into a winter wonderland and the Rangers into children again!
Winter is a fantastic time for bird watching as our feeders in the wildlife area are extremely busy! This month we’ve seen greenfinches, goldfinches, great spotted woodpeckers, bramblings, coal tits, fieldfares and many more! For days when it’s too cold to sit out in the hide, you can also watch the feeders from the live camera screen in the Visitor Centre which is kept nice and warm thanks to our log burner. Out on the heath, there has been lots of wildlife sightings too from frogs and roe deer to red kites and buzzards. We love hearing from our visitors about the wildlife they have seen so do pop into the visitor centre and let us know what you’ve spotted!
Now that our resident reptiles are hibernating and our birds have finished nesting, our Rangers have been able to get on with the all-important pine clearance. Removing this invasive species is vital for the conservation of the heath as it prevents heathland species like heather and gorse from growing which our rare wildlife rely on to survive. Learn more about why removing pine on heathlands is important.
As well as pine and ditch clearing, our Rangers and volunteers have also been getting ready for a very special visitor in a red suit and carrying a sack full of presents. His grotto is now built and glittering with fairy lights ready to welcome children and their families as the countdown to Christmas begins.