DEAN GREEN TEAM

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

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10 April 2012

Abbots Wood

Grid Ref SO660114

 

 

This was our first visit to Abbots Wood and it is a delightful place where butterflies have been regularly seen in the past. Most of the work was to clear out damaged trees in a copse and along a ride to allow the sunlight to infiltrate. There were bluebells about to bloom, Lady's Smock in flower and Wood Spurge. Deer were seen crossing the ride as we left the site.

 

 

 

 

 

A Long-tailed Tit nest

The nest of the Long-tailed Tit is constructed from four materials - lichen, feathers, spider egg cocoons and moss, over 6000 pieces in all for a typical nest. The nest is a flexible sac with a small, round entrance on top, suspended either low in a gorse or bramble bush or high up in the forks of tree branches. The structural stability of the nest is provided by a mesh of moss and spider silk. The tiny leaves of the moss act as hooks and the spider silk of egg cocoons provides the loops; thus forming a natural form of velcro. The tit lines the outside with hundreds of flakes of pale lichens - this provides camouflage. Inside, it lines the nest with more than 2000 downy feathers to insulate the nest.

 

 

 

 

This tree is has clearly damaged bark and the double handed saw is used to take it down.

 

 

 

 

 

Badger or Boar!

This little pit was found next to the ride we were clearing. The paw prints on the left would indicate that a boar had been there. We wondered if it had been dug out by a badger but, as there were no badger setts nearby and the prints were from a boar, we thought it was not likely. A boar could have been digging down for insects, roots or even a wasp nest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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