heathland ramble

Features from Wildlife magazine Wildlife articles 2008 -- Spring 2008 -- ::Severn Barrage ::The Variety of life ::A year at Willsbridge ::Willsbridge comes of age ::Reaching out - Willsbridge ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2007 -- Autumn 2007 -- ::Thinking BIG ::Watery webs:the pond network ::Wildlife in the landscape ::Variety of life ::How to be a climate friend ::Seasonal stroll - Walborough ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2007 -- ::The Folly Farm appeal ::Weston Big Wood-biodiversity at its best ::The variety of life ::How to capture a butterfly ::How to get to know an orchid ::Seasonal stroll - WestonBigWood ::Reserves update -- Spring 2007 -- ::Folly Farm - a very special place ::Making a difference at Folly Farm ::How find the magic at Folly Farm ::Seasonal stroll at Folly Farm ::Magic spots at Folly Farm ::Batscapes ::Climate challenge ::Variety of Life - the Ponways project ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2006 -- Autumn 2006 -- ::The Severn Estuary ::Bird Watch results ::How to identify garden birds ::Making space for wildlife ::How does your garden grow? ::Round the reserves -- Summer 2006 -- ::Going for green ::Stand up and be counted ::Happy birthday NSLMP ::Holi day - a riot of spring colour ::Avon's species-rich grassland ::How to photograph dragonflies ::The Big Switch ::Round the reserves -- Spring 2006 -- ::How to identify winter water birds ::Make 2006 the year you... ::Invasive invasion ::Sowing the seeds: Willsbridge Mill ::Round the reserves Wildlife articles 2005 -- Autumn 2005 -- ::Indentify common funghi ::Build a hedgehog hideaway ::Big Bird Watch ::Champions for wildlife ::Round the reserves ::Seeds of the futre: Willsbridge Mill -- Summer 2005 -- ::Restoring Folly Farm ::How to become bee-friendly ::How to identify the butterflies of spring ::Save our seas ::The variety of life: hedgerows ::Round the reserves ::25 Ways to make a difference -- Spring 2005 -- ::The variety of life: water voles ::The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan ::How to take really good wildlife photos ::How to help your garden grow ::Round the reserves ::Seasonal strolls: Browns Folly ::Sowing the seeds: for wildlife for people ::Sowing the seeds: looking back

Round the reserves

Seasonal stroll

A visit to Goblin Combe takes you from the shady depths of the yew-lined combe to the sun parched slopes of the limestone cliffs and gives far-reaching landscape views across the North Somerset countryside.

This reserve is only accessible on foot and visitors can enjoy the delights of walking through the wooded valley of the combe before reaching the boundary of the reserve. Parking is limited to the small quarry car park on the left of Cleeve Hill Road near the Goblin Combe Environment Centre (signposted from the A370). From here walk back down to the road, bearing right and past the Centre on your left, following the footpath signs that lead you through a gate and into the combe bottom.

After almost a mile you'll enter the reserve as you pass through an old stone wall. As you walk along the combe you'll begin to notice the low scrub that has colonised the grassland slopes as well as the arching hazel overhanging the path. Majestic pollarded oaks tower over you, a shadow from a long-forgotten time when grazing activity kept most of the smaller scrub at bay. Further along the path the old gnarled yews grow in their own deep shade and it is here where the mysteriously named moonwort was first ever recorded. Butterflies such as speckled wood can be found as well as gatekeepers flitting within the dappled light. It is here that the uncommon white admiral may be seen
in July.

As the path divides, stay in the valley bottom, keeping to the route turning off left after 40m. Here the ferns of the combe are at their best with hart's-tongue and male ferns covering the greatest area and limestone fern can be found growing amongst the moss-covered scree. Winding your way up the footpath, follow the yellow markers on the trees that take you through an area with a high dormouse population. Eventually you'll come out onto the grassland where in the summer the site is full of insect life. Common blue butterflies, along with marbled white and silver washed fritillaries will be seen across the species-rich grassland, and in the purple heath areas both woodland and common green grasshoppers can be heard singing during July and August. In the shorter areas of turf and bare rock grayling butterflies may be seen occasionally and stripe-winged and mottled grasshoppers heard singing quiet hissing song.

Cross the grassland until you reach the entrance barrier and turning left just before this will take you along the path at the top of the grassland. This leads you onto the top of the combe - be careful here as the cliff to the left is very steep. The views from here take in the western end of the Mendips northwards across to the coast of South Wales. Ignore the air traffic from Lulsgate and look for the buzzards that freely orbit in the thermals over the combe, often joined by ravens, the largest member of our crow family. In the autumn family groups of crossbills can often be heard as they fly between the conifer plantations.

From the viewpoint follow the path to the right which takes you down across another stone wall and for a short period you are outside the reserve. Follow the path right to the bottom of the combe, taking care when walking down the steep flight of steps, and eventually reaching the point where you entered the site. Turn right at this point and follow the path back towards the Centre and the car park.

Goblin Combe is privately owned and part of it is leased to the Trust to manage as a nature reserve. The Trust is working in partnership through FWAG with Natural England and SITA to re-establish grazing at this site. We are also working with Goblin Combe Environment Centre and North Somerset Council to improve visitor access to this reserve via a series of paths and upgraded steps that link the whole combe. Improvements are also planned to the site interpretation which will inform visitors about the special wildlife value of Goblin Combe.

Reserves update

September
An Indian Summer will keep the flow of migrant insects to our island at a steady stream. Our own population of migrant hawkers already on the wing can be increased dramatically with dragonflies coming in from Europe. At Dolebury Warren or Goblin Combe watch out for these small but agile hawkers gathering together in large numbers feeding on smaller insects as they hunt alongside the scrub and tree edges at these limestone grassland sites. At Weston Moor or Bathampton Oxbow a lucky observer may be lucky to see one of our largest predatory insects, the hornet robberfly. These large insects sit eagle-eyed on top of cowpats in cattle pastures waiting for passing insects to come within catching range!

October
If the water levels are down at Chew Valley Lake the end of the passage south of waders may extend into this month. Juvenile birds along with their parents can be seen feeding on the mudflats of the lakeshore. Dunlin, ringed plover and even little stints can be observed feeding alongside flocks of lapwing. Little egrets, a bird once uncommon in the area can also be seen here and along the estuary at Blake's Pools or Walborough. Its also at these coastal sites where the passage of finches, thrushes or larks, often interspersed with swallows, can be watched as the birds move south in search of safe feeding grounds and shelter.

November
In Weston Big Wood the last of the season's butterflies may be seen along the ride. Small tortoiseshell and red admirals can be seen feeding on the ride-side flowers in warm sun-filled glades. Dragonflies such as common darters may also be still on the wing and the song of dark bush crickets will continue to strike out from deep within patches of bramble. Dippers may well be seen at Willsbridge Valley feeding along the Siston Brook. Its rapid low-level flight is broken only when it alights on water soaked rocks as it prepares to submerge itself in search of food.

December
A good chance to encounter winter thrushes at Folly Farm or Brown's Folly with flocks of redwing and fieldfare found feeding on holly and hawthorn berries. Both of these thrushes can be determined by their flight calls with a loud 'chack-chack' telling the presence of the fieldfare compared to the high pitched 'seeep' of the redwing. The latter can also be heard migrating at night, with their high pitched call calling out to other flying thrushes as they pass overhead. Around Brandon Hill winter flocks of long-tailed, blue and great tit will often include coal tits and nuthatch as they roam around the hill in search of food. Reserves update

Making Hay in the sun
Everybody should be able to experience a hay meadow in full bloom and if you visit our reserves in June and July the meadows will be full of wildflowers such as yellow rattle, oxeye daisy, black knapweed and devil's bit scabious. However these species-rich meadows only exist because for a long time people have cut them every year, making hay which they can feed their livestock during winter. These days some of the smaller meadows don't provide enough of a crop to make it worth cutting hay as fodder but if they aren't cut and the standing grass is left then eventually the habitat will be lost. This is where we recreate the way the land was managed traditionally. Every year teams of volunteers don their sun hats, smother themselves in sun lotion and head out with scythes and rakes in hand to reserves such as Ashton Court Meadow, Tucking Mill, Weston Moor and Walton Common. This year's heatwave provided good weather for drying large machine-cut hay crops, but not so good when you're cutting and raking it up by hand.

Access for All
The big project for the summer has been at Folly Farm, upgrading the Access for All Trail that winds through Folly Wood. The completed trail is over 700m long and constructed to the exact specifications required to meet the national standards of full accessibility for disabled people. The trail provides a chance to experience both mature woodland and species-rich grassland. If you're lucky and visit at the right time you may see a range of bat species, badgers and even barn owls. The work has been made possible thanks to the Batscapes Project which was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Contributions of aggregate came from Tarmac Ltd and of time and hard work from our Estates Team and volunteers.

Sealing up the bat caves
The old Bath stone mines at Brown's Folly are an extremely important site for bats. All but one of the British bat species has been recorded there, including the endangered greater horseshoe bat. Hibernating greater horseshoe bats survive the winter months by going into 'torpor', a state where their heartbeat slows down and less energy is used. Once a day they awake from this state and emerge from the roost to feed. It is a fine balance, as they can't greatly increase their body weight like other hibernating mammals, otherwise they wouldn't be able to fly. This means that disturbance to bats in torpor is potentially life-threatening as they awake before it is time to feed, using up their relatively tiny energy reserves. For this reason access to the mines has always been strictly controlled. Metal grilles with built-in gates were installed over the mine entrances, designed to prevent disturbance by allowing bats to fly in and out but also give people access during the less sensitive summer months. Unfortunately continued vandalism and concerns over the safety of the mines has meant that all the gates have had to be sealed up. We hope that in the future controlled access can be re-introduced.

Upper Mill Pond Makeover
One of the main attractions at Willsbridge Mill has had a much needed makeover. Twenty years of constant dipping of the teaching pond has taken its toll. With at least an estimated half million pairs of feet treading the dipping platforms and surrounding paths the whole area was becoming seriously eroded. Generous grant aid from South Gloucestershire Environment Body and Biffaward has enabled a complete upgrade which was made possible by the loyal team of site volunteers. The finishing touches were put in place in August when we were helped by a volunteer adult scout group visiting from Swaziland. Thirty five tons of surfacing was wheeled in wheelbarrow convoy over four days to provide extensive wheelchair accessible areas.