Some of you may know that a woodlark has been heard regularly singing over the central part of the heath over the past month…well, now we have a pair! Woodlark is one of our target species for heathland management so we're absolutely thrilled that they seem to appreciate the hard work we've all been doing over the winter. We are hoping that they will nest here and are most likely to use the newly cleared and scraped area on the southern side of the tumulus.
Woodlark by Gareth Hughes
Woodlarks are very rare and are incredibly vulnerable to disturbance, so to give them the best chance of success we've taken the decision to temporarily close off the central part the heath, initially for one month, to prevent disturbance while they settle. We'll be monitoring their progress and will revisit the need for keeping it closed after that. We are mindful that the heathland trail has lots of other wildlife interest for visitors later in the season, so it may be that we open the trail but keep a smaller area fenced off.
Woodlark are legally protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife & Countryside Act, which means you need a special permit if you need to do anything which may disturb their nests. There are now about 3,000 pairs in the UK following dramatic population declines in the 1950s. The loss of heathland from the middle of last century meant the loss of feeding and nesting habitats. The decline in grazing on heathland, particularly by rabbits (following myxomatosis in the 1950s) was also a problem, as they need very short vegetation amongst which to find food. They nest on the ground, sheltered by scrub, bracken or grass, or sometimes at the base of a tree stump. Little is known about what woodlarks need in winter, but they appear to move southwards within England, or across to the Continent.
Whilst many heaths are common land, this area of heathland at Wiggonholt is privately owned and is part of the RSPB nature reserve. We will of course be keeping the public rights of way - the footpath and bridleway- open, alongside the permissive path that we have created that takes in a circuit of the heath. The Triangle also remains open, however we may review this if the woodlark are recorded using this area. Black Wood and Hail's View has the usual access arrangements so is open for visitors but closed to dogs.
If you're keen to see or hear the woodlark, who has a beautiful flute-y descending song, then I'd suggest taking a seat on the southern side of the tumulus, looking south across the the South Downs.
Thank you for your understanding.