Tudeley Woods - Blog

Signs of winter are starting to appear on the reserves now. It’s a good time to look out for flocks of wintering thrushes, redwing and fieldfare can often been seen feeding on berries or on the woodland floor at Tudeley. Also look out for small flocks of finches or tits, often you can get something special in these flocks with brambling being seen with chaffinches or even a lesser spotted woodpecker being seen with flocks…

Its a quiet time of year for birds at the moment.  So its a good time of year to turn your attention to some of the other wildlife found on the reserve. Look out for silver washed fritillary butterflies and white admirals in the woodlands.

Look out for several of the dragonfly species that use our rides and ponds. A recent survey of the new pond on Brakeybank meadow found 7 different species using it! Which is amazing…

Spring has arrived on the reserve in the last few weeks. Willow warblers are singing across the reserve and we had our blackcap in the Plants. Woodpeckers continue to drum across the reserve with the rarer Lesser Spotted Woodpecker being seen near decoy cottage Other species seen in the woods include lesser redpoll, siskin, bullfinch, treecreeper, goldcrest and marsh tit.

Across the heathland area 1 woodlark was heard…

The Fungi Foray walk at Tudeley recorded 46 species including a new record for the reserve Entoloma sordidulum bringing the total number of fungi recorded at Tudeley to over 1140!

Species seen this month include marsh tit, redwing, fieldfare, bullfinch, siskin, buzzard, kestrel, tree creeper, nuthatch, goldcrest and mixed flocks of tits. 

Please let us know of any sightings you may have. 

With summer now upon us, we have seen the last summer migrants return to Tudeley. Nightjars can be heard churring on the heath and spotted flycatchers can be seen catching insects in Brakeybank.

It is a good time to look for flowers at Tudeley in the summer especially on the meadows and woodland rides. In the last month several have come out in flower including greater butterfly orchid (below left) and twayblade (below…

Tudeley is a lovely wood to walk through in spring time. The woodland floor is beginning to carpet with newly emerged bluebells, wood anemones and early purple orchids. Primroses can be seen emerging along the rides and you will start to experience the aroma of wild garlic along the woodland streams.

Birds seen in the woodland in the last few weeks include woodcock near decoy pond, small mixed flocks of marsh tits…

The survey season is coming upon us quickly. Volunteers are out across the reserve listening out for the elusive lesser spotted woodpecker at the moment. They are the smallest of our 3 native woodpeckers (the other 2 being Greater spotted and green woodpecker) and are normally found at the end of branches or tops of the tree rather than on the main trunk. You can listen to their drumming on the RSPBs website or their…

A Dartford warbler was seen this week on Pembury heath, this is the second winter in a row that it has turned up, also present was a stonechat perching on some of the smaller pines.

A tawny owl was seen flying out of the woods near Pembury heath. Buzzards and kestrels continue to be seen flying over Yew tree and Sandhill farm field.

Flocks of tits have been seen throughout the wood, made up of long tailed, blue, coal…

 Two hobbies were seen flying around the woodland on Pembury heath this week. Kestrels and buzzards continue to be seen hunting over Sandhill farm field. Spotted flycatchers have also been seen near decoy cottage.

Brakeybank meadow is alive with flowers and insects at the moment with Common spotted orchid flowering in large numbers. A large grass snake and several slow worms have also been seen along the paths on the…

This week I carried out a Nightjar survey at Tudeley Woods, the results being 2 churring males on Pembury Heath. I had amazing views of them performing their mating displays including them wing clapping.  

At Decoy Pond the spotted flycatcher has been seen carrying out its typical aerial feeding forays from perches on some of the surrounding trees.

Several species of fledged chicks have been seen across the reserve including…

Spotted flycatchers have been seen around decoy pond as well as several great spotted woodpeckers.

Pair of woodlark was seen on yew tree field as well as 2 juvenile green woodpeckers. A pair of kestrel and buzzards have been seen hunting over the fields at Tudeley Woods. Garden warblers continue to sing from Brakeybank meadow.

Brakeybank meadow is filled with Common spotted orchids at the moment and in the wetter areas…

3 pairs of spotted flycatchers have been seen across the reserve including one near the decoy cottage and pond. A tree pipit was heard singing in Pembury Heath and a lesser spotted woodpecker was seen on the adjacent woodland. In the woods marsh tits have been seen copulating in the Plants area, and tree creepers and nuthatches have been seen in Brakeybank. A garden warbler continues to sing in Brakeybank meadow.

On…

Summer migrants continue to return to Tudeley Woods with Spotted flycatchers being seen at decoy cottage and in brakeybank. A turtle dove was also seen in the plants a rare site these days, please report if you see any of these declining birds.

Several Treecreepers and Nuthatches have been seen around Brakeybank and the Plants as well as small numbers of Marsh Tit.

A red kite was seen flying over the reserve last week…

The first common whitethroat was seen on yew tree field during the week as well as the first swallows being seen flying over the reserve. A pair of stonechat continues to be seen on Pembury heath. A garden warbler was heard singing in Brakeybank meadow on Wednesday.

Willow warblers have started to be heard singing along Pembury walks with several males displaying. Nuthatches and treecreepers have been seen in good numbers…

Spring has started to arrive at Tudeley Woods with the return of summer migrants and emergence of woodland plants such as wood anemone, primroses and early purple orchids.

 (Early purple orchid) 

Willow warblers have started to be heard singing on Pembury heath and the Plants as well as several blackcaps and marsh tits. Chiffchaffs are being heard across the woodland as well as a lesser spotted woodpecker that was…

Woodlark have been singing for the first time this year on Yewtree field and one was singing on Pembury Heath this morning. Also on the heath was a male Stonechat, a male Sparrowhawk was seen hunting yesterday over Pembury Heath as well as 3 Buzzards soaring over the woods.

Keep your eyes and ears open for Lesser Spotted Woodpecker as one has been seen flying across the field into the woods.

Several Treecreepers and…

Fortunately the remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo had passed by Wednesday 22nd and we were greeted with a lovely autumn day for our return to Valley Mire. Having made decent inroads into the scrub last winter the re-growth to be tackled during our first session in the area, was not half as daunting. We set to, concentrating on the removal of those stalwarts of scrub - birch, pine and bramble. Our intention to have a thorough…

For our Sunday 26th October Work Party I decided our small but willing group of Volunteers would benefit from a more contained task, than returning to Valley Mire which might have proved a little daunting. It was therefore the ideal opportunity to revisit a project we began at the end of summer but had to curtail once full scale habitat management resumed in September - remedial works to a flight of steps on the Black…

Wednesday 8th October arrived with a deluge of rain from the out set.  Knowing we would be working amidst water retaining, waist high heather and bracken and that wet conditions would last on and off throughout the day, the decision was taken to postpone our Work Party.  I believe this is only the second time since our September 2012 re-launch, the previous time being when a blanket of snow concealed temporary irrigation…

Wednesday, 10th September saw the Work Party revisit The Heathland Ridge for a second day of bracken control, with Jean deserving extra credit for attending both sessions!  Weather conditions were perfect for the task, pleasantly warm without glaring sunshine, with beautiful, mellow autumn light towards the end of the afternoon.

It was nice to welcome back Nigel who was soon getting stuck in.

Who'd have thought bracken…

Bracken control was the order of the day on Wednesday's Work Party.  For the next few sessions we will be concentrating our efforts within the Heathland Ridge enclosure.  This area is ecologically important, not only are we striving to preserve it as valuable heathland, but in doing so, encourage specialist species such as Nightjar and Meadow Pipit to breed there during the summer.  Unfortunately bracken favours the heathland…

Despite the holiday season being in full swing, we had a decent turn out on Wednesday for the first of two August Work Parties.  All the glorious sunshine, warmth and occasional rain has caused an explosion of growth throughout The Reserve.  This has impacted on some of the Trails and Public Footpaths.  We are gradually getting around to ensuring these are accessible to our visitors, so please bear with us if you find an…

The July Work Party on Wednesday, 2nd saw the return of warm, sunny conditions and a good turn out of willing volunteers.

The object of the day was to ensure that the Green and White Trails on Brakey Bank were passable to visitors, by manually removing any bracken, brambles and branches encroaching on the paths.

Dividing into two teams, Colin, Dave, Michael and Peter created a butterfly friendly corridor between the…

You may recall last year's Blog entries chronicling the replacement of the scrubby island bed in the middle of the Car Park with meadow planting.

I am delighted to report that following the success of the annual 'nurse crop' that provided such excellent impact last summer, we now have a good show of perennial species.

With all the warmth and rain of late, the meadow is growing well and looking fresh and…

Dry by eleven........

At least that's what Gabrielle had us believe as we met in a showery Car Park on Wednesday 4th June, with the day's forecast looking less than jolly.  I'm glad to report Gabrielle was almost right, things did brighten up pretty quickly until Tom's arrival earned him the 'bringer of rain' title for the day.  Thankfully the downpour didn't last too long and conveniently coincided…