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 events page here. Come along and join us on Sunday 6th Jan for our first guided walk of the year at Highnam Woods - a 'winter wander' is the official title, but that might need to be re-named to 'winter splodge' as the trails are quite muddy at the moment - wellies essential! It makes a great opportunity to look for tracks though, with signs of both muntjac and roe deer around!
The rain over the festive period has resulted in more streams appearing in odd places at both reserves and even some pretty impressive waterfalls. The photo below was taken at Nagshead near Lower Hide as flood water poured off the reserve, under the road and into Cannop Brook. I will be clearing culverts again this week no doubt (seems like a weekly job at the moment!), hopefully the current dry spell will last a while giving the paths a chance to dry out.
Woodland waterfalls at Nagshead (Photo: Lewis Thomson)
The wet, mild weather has also resulted in some impressive fungi displays around the reserves. This stunning specimen was found on an oak tree next to Lower Hide at Nagshead just before Christmas and is aptly named Yellow Brain.
Yellow Brain fungi, Nagshead (Photo: Lewis Thomson)
The feeders at Highnam are proving a real attraction as always, with five species of tit seen yesterday along with squirrel. Raven, buzzard, woodcock and peregrine were all seen flying over too, and I got a brief glimpse of a mistle thrush too, as it perched in a tree to look down on me!