Delights in every season

Crystal Maw is the Site Manager for RSPB Scotland's Wood of Cree nature reserve. In this blog, she takes us on a stroll through the seasons of this enchanting woodland.

I work at the RSPB Wood of Cree reserve in southwest Scotland, not far from the town of Newton Stewart. The reserve is mostly Atlantic Oakwood and is probably best known for its wonderful display of Bluebells in May and June. I take great joy in walking through first thing in the morning, seeing the rays of the early sun beaming through the trees, and surrounded by a sea of purple.

Bluebells carpet the woodland floor from late spring into early summer. Credit: Crystal Maw.

At this time of year, the woodland is bustling with life. You can hear birds like the Pied Flycatcher, Wood Warbler and Redstart singing their hearts out to attract mates and keep territories, Great Tits and Blue Tits buzz and chirp constantly, and everywhere you go the sweet Treecreepers are ‘tseeping’ as they flit from tree to tree in search of insects. The blossoming Crab Apple and thorn trees lend a freshness to the earthy and damp smells of the rest of the wood. You’re never far from a tumbling burn and might be lucky enough to hear the metallic jingle of a Dipper as it speeds along the waterway. The waterfall pools are a favourite for Otter mums and pups, and every surface in the wood is covered in luscious moss, it really is a Celtic rainforest.

But the beauty of this woodland isn’t in its vernal offerings alone. As we move into summer, the purple haze gives way to the yellow hues of the semi parasitic Common Cow-wheat, and the strong dawn chorus bows out to the cheeps and peeps of clumsy fledglings as the tree canopy closes in over the top like a blanket.

My favourite time of year is autumn. A season of drastic change. My survey work is finished; the migrant birds have left, and the melancholy fluting of the Blackbird and Robin come to the fore. My focus shifts to the now kaleidoscopic woodland vegetation and the fruiting bodies emerging from nooks and crannies.

Clockwise from left: Pipe Club, Green Elf Cup and Hazel Glue fungus. Credit: Gavin Chambers.

Clockwise from top: Candlesnuff, Chicken of the Forest, Birch Bracket fungus. Credit: Gavin Chambers.

As the leaves of the trees drop to the floor, we are left with a surprising feature; in some years it is so prevalent it looks like someone has decorated the woodland with baubles.

A tiny leaf roller beetle, just 5mm long, spends the warmer months cutting a sinuous line through a leaf, curling it into a cigar shape, and laying an egg inside. She’ll do this multiple times. The rolled leaves stay on the trees and protect the developing larvae from predation. This means come autumn you’re left with quite the festive display of insect ingenuity.

Left: Deporaus betulae and the rolled leaf protection it has created. Right: Weevil made Hazel decoration, protecting their precious contents from predation. Credit: Crystal Maw.

Winter has its charms too. The waterfalls I mentioned - after heavy rainfall they roar down over their precipices. The power and elegance never fail to amaze. This is the time of year the reserve team carries out habitat work, not only is it safest in terms of causing minimal disturbance to wildlife and visitors, but it also keeps us warm! Whilst trees are dormant, we’ll plant saplings where we want to see woodland cover expanding, we’ll perhaps reduce or fell trees that are overhanging a track or car park dangerously. We’ll be able to spot the muddiest patches along the trails that need repair, and have a laugh when someone loses a welly to the bog.

Tumbling burns often become roaring waterfalls in winter. Credit: Crystal Maw.

I love the Wood of Cree for its seasonal delights, and how the seasons affect its residents; the veteran Oaks, the moss-covered stone walls, the winding ravine routes. Checking in on these old friends reveals something new about the wood every year. For me, working here is the perfect mix of opportunities to learn, to be humbled, to be challenged and comforted. I can’t think of anything better.

To learn more about Wood of Cree, visit our website.

Header image shows the dawn sun filtering through the trees to the moss-covered forest floor, while a narrow stream trickles through. Credit: Crystal Maw.