There has been some opening up of small rides within the scrub, to provide an opportunity for bird surveying. The birds are caught in a fine net, then assessed, ringed and released. This is all done by experts, who are working alongside our conservation volunteers. Over time, this will gives us a much more precise account of what species we have (and don’t have!). We can direct some of our land management efforts into improving the prospects for birds within the reserve.
Recently, we made some clearance work in the Onley Lane glade, as a continuation of enhancing the wildflower propulation. It is these wildflowers that support the invertebrate population and diversification within the reserve, which in turns supports birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals. It turned out that the clearance also provided a good site for bird surveying. The picture shows a beautiful treecreeper, taken during the survey on Saturday 12th October. These birds often go unnoticed by the public, as they spend their time “walking” the deeply fissured tree trunks in their search for food.
