Blog

Bailey's blog - Visitor Experience enhancements!

2023-04-07T10:31:00Z

Hi there, it's Bailey again!

It's been an exciting month or so at The Lodge. We have been working hard to make the site the best it can be and have managed to get some funding from an organisation called GrantScape, through a grant from the Landfill Communities Fund. This has been hugely appreciated by all of us at The Lodge and has enabled us to take on some big projects. We are now happy to say that they are up and running.

Two of the biggest new additions we’ve been able to implement are our two new screen-hides with ponds, both of which can be found near to the car park and shop. There is a new pond and screen hide in the play area that has been tailor-made to allow our younger visitors the opportunity to get a closer look at birds. There are bird feeders hung up just behind the pond which should mean that kids won't have to wait long for an interesting sighting. Our second pond and screen-hide is a little further down the woodpecker trail and has been designed with our avid photographers in mind. This pond may look a little odd, as it is a raised pond, but it will allow photographers to get an eye level shot of birds coming in to drink and eat around the water.

Next up in the play area is a ring of large wooden posts. These are in the same size shape and layout as an iron age roundhouse – a representation of the one found not too far from the wind turbine. Hopefully this will spark the imagination of both our younger and older visitors and should give people a snapshot of what life may have been like over 2,500 years ago.

Now if you’ve already been round our reserves before, you know that it’s quite nice to put your feet up and have a sit down after a long walk. Now there are even more opportunities to do so on both the Woodpecker and Buzzard trails. We have put up a number of hammocks along the Woodpecker trail! This may seem like an odd inclusion, but we thought that it would encourage our visitors to not only relax for a while but to also look up and take in the canopy views more. You never know what might be darting between the branches up there. And that’s not all, there are now four skywatching seats on site, which are all a very comfortable way of admiring the canopy. Two of these are on the Woodpecker trail near one of the screen-hides, and the other two are down the Buzzard trail.

Moving over to the Visitor Information Centre, we have managed to commission a new custom activities trolley! It has a display drawer filled with fossils and archeological finds, all discovered on the reserve. A variety of microscope slides can be viewed using a microscope and should give visitors a glimpse into a much smaller world. Small Discovery Backpacks can be rented from the trolley, containing some activity sheets, some bug hunting pots and brushes to collect bugs (as well as a sheet of instructions on how to do so), a magnifying glass and some binoculars.

Finally, we head back over to the café (still no opening date) and visitors can see the new garden that is going up. It has been designed with both nature and visitors in mind. Our gardener and volunteers have put in a massive amount of effort into the garden, and we are excited to see the garden in full bloom in no time.

We hope that you all enjoy these new additions to The Lodge, and hope that we see you soon.

Wild Isles – Native woodlands at The Lodge nature reserve, Bedfordshire

2023-03-15T16:32:00Z

Ancient woodlands and trees are brilliant for biodiversity but it’s a real balancing act to plant the right tree in the right place.(read more)

Bailey's Blog - wrapping up our winter work

2023-02-23T10:54:00Z

Hi all, it’s Bailey again. This time I wanted to take some time to talk about some of the work that has been going on at both The Lodge and Fowlmere, in particular the work that our volunteers have been getting involved with. Our volunteers, as always, have been giving up their time to help us make a real difference.

With spring on its way, and birds start to think about courtship and nesting, we are trying to get as much work done as possible. Once birds start to look for a suitable nest site, we have to cease much of our more disruptive work. Things like brush cutting, tree felling and scrub clearance can be very off-putting for breeding birds, and it might mean the difference between them nesting on site or them flying off to look elsewhere. This is why most of our disruptive work goes on during winter, as we don’t have to worry about breeding birds. Lots of this is the kind of work that our volunteers get stuck in with. Over the course of my time here, our wardens and volunteers have made a real noticeable difference to both The Lodge and Fowlmere.

Here at The Lodge, our work parties have helped to clear out large areas of birch saplings across our heaths. This helps to reduce the heather’s competition for sunlight and nutrients. It also opens up patches of bare ground, which can be really good places for things such as woodlark and lots of species of invertebrates. We do leave some saplings and trees in our heathlands however, as these can be great perches for birds. Having a few lone trees gives birds great vantage points over the relatively flat heaths, either for hunting or for projecting their mating calls over a larger area.

Without the help of our work parties, we would not have been able to get as much of this done as we have. They have also been working hard to remove all of these saplings after they have been pulled up. We use bonfires to deal with the masses of saplings, which may seem a tad unnecessary, but is actually a great way of helping out heathland regeneration. If we were to leave the saplings in piles, this would encourage bracken and brambles to grow on and around the piles, which would put pressure on our heather. By burning the removed saplings, it takes some of that pressure away from the heather, and prevents the lodge from being peppered with more bramble and bracken strongholds.

In other areas of The Lodge, and particularly at Fowlmere, our wardens and volunteers have been helping to open up our woodlands. If there are too many trees growing too close to each other, then they start to put more energy into growing taller. This is their way of trying to get access to as much sunlight as possible, which they need to grow and survive. After a while, this leads to woodlands with lots of closely knit, skinny trees with the majority of branches at the top. On their own, trees like this are not necessarily a bad thing, but when they are all grouped together, they are not offering much in the way of habitat for birds and insects. What is better is when trees grow more outwards, with nice bushy branches all the way up its trunk. What you also find when there are mostly tall, skinny trees is that the create a very thick blanket canopy, which lets very little light reach the ground. This means that lots of woods can often quite bare ground with very little growing.

What we do to help improve this is by cutting down a number of trees in our woodlands, we can open up the canopy and let light reach the ground. When we do fell trees, we make sure that the trees we cut are not all the same size. We try and encourage the woodland to have a range of trees, all in various sizes, shapes and ages. This creates habitat for lots of different species. It also means that when the older trees die, there will be other trees of a similar size ready to compensate. Having a mosaic of a habitat is perfect, and makes said habitat much more resilient to change. Without our volunteers, work like this would be much harder to complete effectively.

Our volunteers give up lots of their free time to come and help us make a real difference on our reserves. Their effort and dedication are greatly appreciated, and our reserves would not be what they are without them.

We look forward to seeing you at The Lodge or Fowlmere soon.

Bailey's blog

2022-11-24T12:52:00Z

Hi all, its Bailey again! Winter is nearing, and as the days draw colder and shorter, big changes are occurring across all our reserves. There are new fungi to see, different birds to hear and probably a few puddles to avoid (or not!). Winter brings a different feel to The Lodge and Fowlmere. There is something for everyone, and we have lots in store for you over these wintery months.

For all you avid birdwatchers out there, or for those who are maybe newer to the hobby, the winter months bring great changes to the birds you can see. All of our summer migrants will have now left the UK in search of their winter homes, and some birds have a longer journey than others. While this can be sad at times, we aren't being left without birds to see. Our winter migrants have been making their journeys over to the UK after their summer holidays abroad. Birds such as Redwings and Starlings have been making their way back to UK soil recently.

Starlings are actually present in the UK year-round, as there are resident populations who stay with us all year, but in winter they are joined by their migratory friends. These two groups of starlings mix into huge flocks over the winter and if you're lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, you could be witness to one of nature's great spectacles: a starling murmuration! This is where tens or hundreds of thousands of starlings take to the air in a massive flock, swooping and diving in unison. Eventually in the summer, the migratory starlings will begin their long journey back across Eastern Europe, while the residential populations will stay and breed.

Birds aren't the only animals who have been getting prepared for winter. Most terrestrial reptiles and amphibians will try to hide away, finding refuge where they can in warmer places like under logs, in burrows or other hidden places. Reptiles will enter a state of hibernation, where they slow their metabolic processes down to effectively ‘power down’ for the winter. While hibernating, the animal isn't actually sleeping the whole time, they simply slow down their body to conserve energy.

Natterjack toads are only active during the warmer months of the year (usually March-September), and will find shelter under mud and log piles for winter. They are also a very threatened species, and are heavily protected across the UK. This makes our small population of natterjacks present at The Lodge extremely important. We have to take special care when working in and around the natterjack ponds and must keep them as well maintained as possible.

We will soon be opening our new Robin Robin Adventure Trail, in celebration of our partnership with Netflix and Aardman Studios last year. At The Lodge, your inner robin will be tested in a series of small challenges as you follow our seasonal trail. Follow the podiums dotted around on the Buzzard and Seasonal Trails to find out how you can be the best robin possible. Robin Robin activity packs can be picked up for £3 each at either the shop or Visitor Information Centre.

We look forward to seeing you at The Lodge and Fowlmere soon.

Images courtesy of Ray Piercy & Aardman Studios.

Bailey's Blog

2022-11-01T15:49:00Z

Hi there, I am Bailey and I have been a new edition to the RSPB team. I am currently completing my university placement year with the RSPB and have been studying Ecology and Wildlife Conservation at the University of Reading for the last two years. Over my first two months as part of the team I have been able to get stuck in with many different projects, both at The Lodge and Fowlmere. I have learnt lots about conservation as a whole and about what it takes to be part of the RSPB and have really enjoyed my experience so far.

As the days grow colder and autumn sets in, one of the long running tasks that starts up again is that of tree popping in the heaths at The Lodge. This is where smaller birch and scots pine trees/saplings are removed from the heath, piled up and then burned. While this may seem to be nothing more than a destructive task that does little good for nature, there is logic behind it. Heathlands require soil that is very poor in nutrients and is fairly acidic. Plants like bracken and brambles find it hard to grow here, which leaves room for other species which can tolerate the poorer soil. Heather in particular can be very easily outcompeted by bracken and brambles, but can thrive here thanks to the lack of competitor species.

Gorse and broom are also adapted to grow in poorer soils, and are regular heathland species too. The issues arise when these plants die off and break down to release their nutrients back into the soil, or animals introduce their own nutrients in their droppings. This will create areas of higher quality soil where bracken, brambles and other species can grow, outcompeting the heather. This will cause the heathland to shrink, as areas of thick bracken begin to take over, eventually allowing trees to root and a woodland to form after many years. So, by regularly removing smaller trees or saplings using a tool called a tree popper, hence the name, we can help to remove excess nutrients from the soil and give our very important heathland the best chance possible to thrive.

Over at Fowlmere, you may have noticed our six stabilizer cows, grazing happily on site. These cows aren't just there to look happy; they are actually performing an important job. Their constant grazing helps to maintain a healthy level of grasses, reeds and other plants in our meadows. When cows graze, they mostly rip plants out rather than biting and cutting them. This helps to create an uneven and natural level of grasses, which is perfect for varies species of invertebrates and birds such as curlews and redshank. They will also create bare patches of earth, called scrapes, which can appear to be devoid of life. These scrapes however, are perfect for certain species such as lapwings and snipe. These birds nest in scrapes, and are both species in decline, being classed as red-listed and amber-listed species respectively. Therefore, our six cows are doing a terrific job at creating nesting habitats for these threatened birds without even knowing it.

One of the things that makes the RSPB what it is are its volunteers, people giving up their spare time to help out on projects and give a little back to nature. Volunteer work parties can be the backbone in helping to maximize how effective a task can be, as 6-8 people can cover a wider area than just a warden and myself. It also creates a nice opportunity for volunteers to meet new people, and everyone is welcome. Tree popping is a regular activity for The Lodge’s work parties, which makes all the difference in speeding up the task and making as big an impact as possible. The Lodge work parties have also been replacing rotten steps around the site and our Roaming Ranger volunteers regularly check up on the site as a whole to help keep us aware of any issues or places for improvement as they develop.

Over at Fowlmere, work parties have helped to mow large areas of meadow, clearing built up sediment out of our waterways around the boardwalk, and have very recently begun the big task of replacing the existing bridge over the River Shep. The old bridge was in dire need of being replaced, and we have all been hard at work constructing the best bridge possible. This has meant that the path around Fowlmere has been disrupted, but the bridge is coming along nicely and hopefully is not far off being open to the public, all thanks to the amazing effort from our volunteers and staff.

Hopefully this will not be the last time you hear from me, as I plan on making regular updates on what is going on at The Lodge and Fowlmere over my placement year, and all of us at the RSPB look forward to seeing you soon!

Images courtesy of Bailey and Robin Gilmore

The Lodge ponies are leaving soon! - end of July 2022

2022-07-28T08:11:00Z

To say it has been very hot recently is an understatement. Record temperatures were smashed in many places right across the UK with highs of over 40 degrees. Just a couple of days of that heat would have been manageable for us at the reserve, but it is the lack of rainfall in a very long time that is proving to be the most difficult situation to work with. Sadly, there doesn’t seem to be rain forecast expected any time soon.

Visiting the gardens or simply walking around the reserve, it is obvious how dry it is, with grass crunching with each step. Many of our ponds’ water levels have dropped dramatically and several have dried completely.

The extreme heat and lack of rain reduces the amount of food available and influences the birds and other wildlife you’ll see at the reserve. Whereas fully wild animals can move to pastures new, rebuild their homes or even choose different food sources, our six heathland grazing ponies, generously loaned to us by the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust (DPHT), don’t have that freedom.

Our Dartmoor ponies have been hard at work all spring and summer, doing a tremendous job on the reserve, eating and trampling vegetation, helping to create a healthy heathland. Our dedicated team of volunteer pony checkers have ensured they have had great care during their stay. The ponies have plenty of shade under bushes and trees, and the water troughs are kept full, but they are semi-wild animals and reliant on natural vegetation for food.

As a resilient breed they might cope until the return of rainfall and fresh growth for them to eat, but for the time being there’s no sign of rain, and without rain their food plants aren’t growing. We don’t want to put their well-being at risk, so have had to adjust our plans. After speaking to DPHT, we have agreed that the ponies will return to Dartmoor early. The date is Saturday 30^th July, but this is dependent on it being cool enough to transport them.

We had hoped to keep them on site for longer this year, but we hope you all understand our reasons. Please do visit in the next few days if you haven’t seen them yet!

Just a reminder – please do not feed them! We have planned their return so that they leave well before they run out of food. Feeding them won’t help them do their work on the heath and could harm their health. We look forward to seeing them back early next Spring.

The ponies return!

2022-04-29T14:42:00Z

You may have read about it on social media or heard from one of our team on-site already, but our team of 6 handsome Dartmoor ponies have returned. Thanks to the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, Kevin, Pook, Thomas, Black Magic, Roger and Podkin have all returned for another year. This group of fantastically named ponies aren’t here for a holiday though and we are putting them to work!

The Lodge Reserve is a special place for several reasons, but one of its appealing characteristics is its heathland – a rare habitat in this part of the country. For the most part, this heathland was not here when RSPB acquired the site and has instead been carefully coaxed back by staff and volunteers over the decades.

By recreating heathland in this area, we aim to provide a haven for specialised birds such as Dartford warblers and nightjars, as well as other species such as natterjack toads. This can be arduous work though, with a lot of manpower focused on seeding and clearing the area; this is where our team of four-legged friends can help!

Dartmoor ponies are a native breed and are very hardy, able to cope with the variety of conditions they are likely to experience. That hardiness also makes them ideal workers as they are more than happy to eat plants other ponies might struggle with. Encroaching birch saplings, bramble and grass can quickly overwhelm the heathland, but the ponies will keep them in-check through grazing. Even just wandering around, they will trample bracken that might otherwise threaten to overrun the heathland.

The benefits do not stop there either! The manure from the ponies will help invertebrates and fungi develop on the heathland as well. Dartmoor ponies often poo in concentrated areas, which will allow populations of insects to thrive, providing food for other species.

To summarise, these 6 ponies will allow us to:

Keep encroaching vegetation off the heathland
Encourage a more diverse array of wildlife to thrive at the site
Save time, money and effort by reducing human-led land management

All of that is achieved by supporting a declining native breed, to simply do what it naturally wants to do!

After last year’s success, we are delighted that the ponies will be able to stay at the reserve for longer this year. You will be able to see them working the heathland until around September/October this year. The exact date for when they leave will be dependent on weather conditions, as a drought might kill off a lot of their food supply.

The best way to spot the ponies is from the Buzzard Trail. We even have a raised viewing mound that overlooks a water trough - a fantastic spot to see them. These are semi-wild ponies though and we would like to remind everyone to not feed or touch the ponies. Doing so might scare them or even make them ill – a scared pony might kick or bite and even food like apples can cause colic. Like with other species at the reserve, we ask you to enjoy them respectfully and at a distance.

We do hope you get the opportunity to come and see them in action. Please do keep sending us your favourite photos of them as well, we love to see them!

Vincent Wright

Visitor Engagement Manager, The Lodge & Fowlmere

Photos courtesy of Robin Gilmore

Storm aftermath - new beginnings

2022-02-22T16:05:00Z

The Lodge, like many reserves, was forced to close its doors to visitors when Storm Eunice hit. It was touch-and-go but we were just about able to keep open when Storm Franklin came to visit a couple of days later.

Windspeeds reached over 70mph, ripping up trees and rattling the buildings. Staff and volunteers spent days afterwards checking and clearing trails, removing fallen branches and trees and ensuring The Lodge was safe for visitors again. The trails are all open again now due to their hard work.

It can be sad to see so many trees flattened, particularly as some have been on the reserve for many years. One of the saddest outcomes of the storm was the damage inflicted on the champion strawberry tree in the gardens. The strong gusts tore off several of its main branches. The strawberry tree did fare better than scores of other trees across the reserve, some of which were uprooted. However, there are reasons to be optimistic.

Snapped branches on the strawberry tree

Walking around The Lodge, even before the recent storms, you might notice that the woods are not too tidy – when it’s safe to do so, trees are left where they fall. This is a deliberate decision made by the reserve team and not an oversight!

Fallen trees can provide wonderful opportunities for wildlife to thrive. The huge, downed pines you can see from the bridleway have created sunlit holes in the canopy above, letting in light that encourages new saplings to grow in their place. The warden and volunteer team had previously planted blackthorn, aspen, crab-apple, oak, hornbeam and hawthorn in such locations, where they have better chances of thriving with open access to sunlight and rainfall and are home to a variety of different species.

The warden inspecting fallen trees

The decaying fallen trees become a crucial part of the ecosystem, creating homes for thousands of ‘saproxylic’ (deadwood) invertebrates. Beetle larvae, such as those from the longhorn family, feast upon the rotting wood, boring through the trunk and helping to break it down, adding nutrients to the soil. These invertebrates in turn are predated on by larger creatures.

It is not only invertebrates who make a meal out of the deadwood. The Lodge has had over 600 species of fungi recorded on the reserve, making it a fantastic site for toadstools, slimes, mushrooms and moulds. Again, the fungi are vital in breaking down the larger matter into nutrient rich soil and play a crucial role in the ecosystem.

Even the standing dead trees have something to offer. They are the preferred home for lesser spotted woodpeckers and make fantastic perching spots for spotted flycatchers to hunt flying insects from. Bats and bees often reclaim vacant holes left by woodpeckers, ensuring that trees continue to provide shelter long after they have died.

If you do visit The Lodge, why not take a minute to look at a fallen or dead tree. See how many signs of new life are on it.

A spotted flycatcher. Photo courtesy of Robin Gilmore

Celebrate your inner Robin on our adventure trail this Christmas

2021-11-12T09:39:00Z

We’re delighted to be partnering with Netflix and Aardman on Robin Robin, a half-hour, stop-motion, festive story for the whole family, about a young robin trying to fit in. It’s debuting on Netflix on 24 November – get the date in your diary!

To celebrate, we’re inviting you to join exclusive Robin Robin-themed adventure trails right here at The Lodge nature reserve this Christmas season.

Over 30 RSPB nature reserves around the UK, including us, are running bespoke family trails to help you be your best robin. Our trails include an exclusive Robin Robin and RSPB activity pack, with a trail booklet, robin-related activities, a bird food recipe card, and much more. These fun-filled trails will allow your whole family to experience the festive joy of Robin Robin, all while spending time in the great outdoors together.

Credit Aardman/Netflix

Running from 24 November to 10 January, the adventure will mean you all learn to sing like a robin, find your very own superpower, and use all your senses to connect with your robin within. An activity booklet will help you complete all the challenges and be rewarded with a certificate for completing the trail and becoming a brilliant robin.

We’ve also got an audio trail available, voiced by Bronte Carmichael, the voice actor for Robin Robin and nest building in our natural play area.

Our shop will also have Robin Robin books, an exclusive Robin Robin pin badge and products on offer to help families look after robins and other wildlife at home this winter.

Credit Aardman/Netflix

We are excited to be working with Aardman and Netflix to celebrate the festive magic of the robin with families. Robins are one of the UK’s most beloved birds and a true Christmas icon. Our new trails will immerse you in the Robin Robin story and bring it to life in our reserve’s special greenspaces. We hope the film and our adventure trails can inspire everyone to discover robins and the other wildlife that they share their homes with, and to enjoy exploring nature. Our Robin Robin activity pack also includes activities and ideas on how you can help robins and other wildlife at home this winter.

Dan Ojari and Mikey Please, co-creators and directors of Robin Robin, say: “It’s a dream come true to be partnering with the RSPB, bringing our Robin into their wonderful reserves and helping families connect with the wildlife around them. The story of Robin Robin plays with a misunderstanding between ‘the Who-mens’ and birds and we’re thrilled to support any effort that will help bring our two worlds closer together.”

Full information on our Robin Robin events and activities can be found here!

For full facilities details and our Christmas opening times check out our website.

The Hide at RSPB The Lodge Reserve

2021-09-03T14:06:00Z

Many of our supporters have fond memories of the Meadow Hide and have been asking questions regarding it since the start of the pandemic. We wanted to update you all on our plans for the hide at The Lodge.

Our much-loved hide at The Lodge has been closed since the first lockdown, following Covid-19 guidance from the government. Sadly, with many staff and volunteers no longer on-site, the hide became an easy target over the past 18 months; vandals broke the door, lit fires on the wooden surfaces and floor, sprayed walls with paint, and broke windows and woodwork.

Despite our best efforts, it has been vandalised multiple times since that first break-in and is now in a very poor condition as a result. Unfortunately, the damage done by people has left the hide open to the elements and rot has started to set in, making it structurally unsafe to reopen. Due to this, we have made a difficult decision with the hide scheduled to be demolished in Autumn 2021, and so it will remain closed until then.

We expect to remove the hide this Autumn, possibly in September 2021. It is in such a poor state as a result of the damage that we don’t want anyone to get hurt, including those who have vandalised it, so it needs to be demolished sooner rather than later.

Image: Two great spotted woodpeckers as seen on the reserve. Credit: Robin Gilmore

Having been built in about 1995, the damage done would be expensive and difficult to repair, and a complete replacement hide would cost tens of thousands of pounds. Repeated break-ins highlight that it is now a known target for vandals, and we fear that further damages could be made in the future we were to build a new hide in the same location. Whilst this might be disappointing news for many of you, we hope that you understand our decision and reasoning behind the review of our hide.

How can you get involved?

We are now actively considering how to provide alternative secure and accessible places to enjoy wildlife, suitable for all visitors, including birdwatchers, families, and photographers. We hope to involve you, our valued members, followers and visitors, in the process, and welcome your ideas at this early stage. We’d love to hear your ideas either via comment, message or email: TheLodgeReserve@rspb.org.uk.

Pony poo for conservation!

2021-04-15T15:56:00Z

As you may remember reading in this blog, we’ve had plans here at RSPB The Lodge to have some new four-hooved team members join the reserve for quite some time. While Covid-19 put our plans for Spring 2020 on hold, we’re delighted to announce that six Dartmoor ponies joined our reserve this April and have set to work grazing the heath.

Teaming up with the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust, the ponies, named Kevin, Podkin, Pook, Barramoor Tom, Black Magic and Roger, arrived at our site earlier this month to help to restore the nature reserve through their natural grazing habits.

Image: our ponies arriving at The Lodge. Credit: Ben Andrew

Why are the ponies at the Lodge?

Dartmoor ponies are prized for their hardiness, even temperament, and ability to eat plants that other ponies and horses might balk at. Their day to day habits of browsing vegetation and trampling it as they go will help prevent plant life taking over the heathland here at The Lodge, creating a range of different habitats for invertebrates and making the reserve an even more attractive home for everything from bugs to birds.

Not only this, but Dartmoor ponies tend to poo in the same area, creating ‘latrines’ which attract a whole host of invertebrates and insects to nest and lay their eggs in. These are, in turn, food for reptiles and bird too – the power of pony poo for conservation!

We are so excited to have Dartmoor ponies on the reserve to benefit wildlife in this way, as before their arrival, we had to mimic much of these habitats and natural processes using diggers and mowers. Other sites across the RSPB’s reserve network have already made great use of Dartmoor ponies in this way, including RSPB Minsmere and RSPB Labrador Bay.

We can’t wait to see how they reinvigorate the reserve and are hopeful that their work as the newest recruits here could benefit birds such as woodlark and nightjar to name but a few.

Image: the 6 ponies beginning to graze the heath. Credit: Beth Aucott

Can we visit the ponies at the Lodge?

Our 6 new recruits will be hard at work grazing the heath, but you might be lucky enough to spot them from the footpath around New Heath. The ponies’ water troughs are also in sight of viewing mounds on the Buzzard trail, so hopefully visitors will get great views of the ponies in action.

These native, hardy ponies have grown up on the Dartmoor moors and are therefore perfectly conditioned to graze our heathland. They are semi-wild ponies however, so we ask that visitors don’t try and feed the ponies as this can be damaging to their health. Feeding or trying to pet the ponies may also scare them or encourage them to approach visitors to the nature reserve - they have plenty of the right foodstuffs right here at the reserve and are best admired from a distance, so please give them plenty of space.

The ponies have settled right in and will be with us until the end of Summer when they will return to their Dartmoor home. In the meantime, we hope you’ll enjoy seeing our new additions as much as we are enjoying having them here!

Image: a pony grazes at The Lodge. Credit: Ben Andrew

Woodland management - Winter work update

2021-03-03T15:01:00Z

In January we had forestry contractors come onsite to carry out work to improve our woodlands, including working on areas of former pine plantations. Pine plantations are planted at high density and volume with the sole purpose of producing large volumes of timber for future harvesting. This is why, when you look at our woodlands which consist of areas of former plantations, they contain a dense number of pines. When you look closely, you also begin to notice that a lot of the pines are very skinny and only have a very small canopy with many actually starting to die, due to the lack of light and space. It tends to only be those on the edge of the woodland which tend to be bigger and contain a large, healthy canopy, as they have more space to grow in and exposure to light. In a lot of these areas it is also apparent that there is no understorey and very few new tree shoots coming through, due to the combination of a lack of light and deer grazing. Having a woodland that consists of trees of all the same species and age is not very healthy and restricts the biodiversity of the habitat.

Unfortunately wet ground conditions prevented our contractors carrying out all of the targeted work, but they were still able to thin out some of these areas. These areas are now visibly more open, allowing a lot more light to penetrate the high canopy and reach the ground. This will help create the conditions to encourage new growth for the next generation of trees. Several glades and rides have also been created within the woodland. These are open spaces, which will be managed to improve the diversity of the ground flora (which is currently dominated by dense bracken), which in turn should attract an array of invertebrates e.g. bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies. We have still retained a healthy number of pines as well as a lot of the standing dead pines. Both standing and lying dead wood is an essential habitat for birds, bats, invertebrates, fungi and lichen, so a lot of the felled brash has also been left. This may look messy, but it will provide the perfect home for thousands of insects and mammals, including nesting wrens and robins.

To accompany the natural regeneration of trees, we will also be planting a variety of native woodland scrub and broadleaved species, which have been grown here in Bedfordshire including blackthorn, hawthorn, oak, hazel, aspen, hornbeam, rowan and dog rose. The first stage of planting has just been finished, with our amazing team of volunteers planting 200 saplings within one of the thinned compartments. These have been erected with accompanying tree guards to help protect them from grazing. Unfortunately these are plastic guards, with a lot of them coming from existing stock that have been recycled. In future planting, we will be looking to switch to an environmentally friendly alternative.

Overall this work should help establish a healthy, diverse and structured woodland, consisting of a variety of species to form a ground, shrub and canopy layer to benefit the biodiversity of the site.

Written by Alan Kell

Lockdown - Jan 2021

2021-01-08T18:20:00Z

In line with government guidance for lockdown, The Lodge and Fowlmere reserves remain open for local, essential, daily exercise only.

The Lodge car park, trails and toilets remain open. The visitor centre, shop and hide are closed and no events will be running during this time.

At Fowlmere, the car park and trails remain open. The visitor welcome and hides are closed.

We strongly urge you to follow the legislation around non-essential travel and please visit your most local nature reserves and green spaces only.

If visiting The Lodge or Fowlmere for exercise, please follow all current Government guidance around social distancing, group sizes, hygiene and follow all signage on-site.

We know that for many of you, The Lodge and Fowlmere reserves provide enjoyment and solace in the natural world throughout these challenging times, so we will continue to bring you updates of the reserves, until you can return to visit us again. Thank you for your continued support and patience. Stay safe everyone.

For the latest RSPB Covid-19 updates please visit: www.rspb.org.uk/reservesupdate

Skylark Trail temporary closures

2021-01-01T15:13:00Z

What’s happening here?

Our forestry contractors are onsite to carry out work to improve our woodlands, including working on areas of former pine plantations. Pine plantations are planted at high density and volume with the sole purpose of producing large volumes of timber for future harvesting. This is why when you look at our woodlands which consist of areas of former plantations they contain a dense number of pines. When you look closely, you also begin to notice that a lot of the pines are very skinny and only have a very small canopy with many actually starting to die, due to the lack of light and space. It tends to only be those on the edge of the woodland which tend to be bigger and contain a large, health canopy, as they have more space to grow in and exposure to light. In a lot of these areas it is also apparent that there is no understorey and very few new tree shoots coming through, due to the combination of a lack of light and deer grazing. Having a woodland that consists of trees of all the same species and age is not very healthy and restricts the biodiversity of the habitat.

Our contractors will be thinning the woodland, to allow light to penetrate the high canopy and reach the ground. This should help create the conditions to encourage new growth for the next generation of trees. We will also be creating several glades within the woodland. These are open spaces, which will be managed to improve the diversity of ground flora (which is currently dominated by dense bracken), which in turn should attract an array of invertebrates e.g. bumblebees, butterflies and dragonflies. We will still be retaining a healthy number of pines as well as a lot of the standing dead pines. Both standing and lying dead wood is an essential habitat for birds, bats, invertebrates, fungi and lichen, so a lot of the felled brash will also be left. This may look messy, but it will provide the perfect home for thousands of insects and mammals. To accompany the natural regeneration of the trees, we will also be planting a variety of native woodland species, which have been grown here in Bedfordshire including blackthorn, hawthorn, oak, hazel, aspen, hornbeam and dog rose. These will be planted with tree guards to help protect from the grazing. Overall this work should help establish a healthy, diverse and structured woodland, consisting of a variety of species to form a ground, shrub and canopy layer to benefit the biodiversity of the site.

See the map for the parts of the Skylark Trail that will be temporarily closed from 4 January while this work is carried out.

Dartford warblers!

2020-12-08T14:13:00Z

After a 16-year absence since the last record of this species on our reserve, an overwintering female on the Old Heath, we are delighted that we have not one, but two Dartford warblers currently wintering on the site.

From a glance (which many a visitor has discovered, is quite often the only views you get), the Dartford warbler can appear as a small, brownish bird with a distinctively long tail. However, for those who are treated to that characteristic tail-cocked pose, you can soon see the detail that makes this bird rather striking (especially if you're lucky enough to see one in spring). The distinctive red eye ring, the greyish head and that cherry red breast.

Dartford warblers are a lowland heathland specialist, that requires mature heathland (tall, dense heather and gorse) to breed in, making them one of the latter beneficiaries to any heathland creation or restoration works. They are a species that feed on insects alone and are often seen darting around the heather and scrub in search for scrumptious spiders and other insects.

This species of warbler is a year-round, UK resident and therefore does not migrate abroad in search of warmer climates over winter, like so many other species. As a result, their numbers and population trends are closely related to the UK weather. Unfortunately, the Dartford warbler is very susceptible to cold winters and especially periods of prolonged snow which drastically reduces their food availability. Unsurprisingly, the UK distribution of Dartford warblers is heavily concentrated south of the Thames due to the warmer climate and available habitat, with sites like RSPB Arne and RSPB Farnham supporting good breeding and wintering populations. It is in these cold spells where they become dependent on areas/blocks of dense gorse to provide the necessary shelter and warmth to survive.

The recent mild winters of the past few years has likely resulted in an increased population as more adults survive and enter the breeding season. This naturally produces more fledged birds, who then spill out in search of their own territories and in this case, with us at The Lodge, at the northern fringe of their range.

Both birds were recorded within a day of each other. The first bird was located on the 16th October and can be seen or heard from the Skylark Trail, having taken up residency in a dense block of bramble within one of the arable fields.

The second bird, first sighted on the 17th October, can be seen from the seasonal Heathland Trail on our New Heath. This is an area that just days before, was cleared of dense, encroaching birch by our amazing team of volunteers. Both birds are often seen alongside stonechats, which is a species they tend to associate with. We will be closing the seasonal Heathland Trail come January as we look to reduce disturbance to the heathland in the hope of attracting breeding woodlark to the site. So why not come down and see if you can spot this cracking bird!

Image: Dartford warbler from Skylark Trail 2020 by Steve Rooke

Blog by Alan Kell, Warden