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| Bluebell | |
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The carpet of bluebells which cover the woodland floor between April and May is a fantastic spectacle.
The Bluebell is a protected species, with its brightly coloured bell-shaped flowers, does not easily colonise new woodlands. |
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| Dormouse | |
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This endangered species is very secretive, nocturnal and is the only mouse-sized rodent to have a fluffy tail.
Coppicing creates the ideal habitat for this mammal which uses aerial walkways of low branches when foraging for berries, nuts and insects. |
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| Oak Tree | |
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| An oak can contain up to 300 different types of insects and its acorns provide a good source of food for birds and animals. Both common and sessile oak are found in the wood. The common oak is also called the pedunculate oak due to the long stalks, called peduncules, on which it bears its acorns. The acorns on the sessile oak are stalkless, shorter and rounder. |
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| Greater Spotted Woodpecker | |
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This bird can often be heard drumming its bill on a dead branch to establish its territory.
The Greater Spotted Woodpecker is black and white with a red patch under its tail and nests in a chamber hollowed out in a tree trunk. |
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| Razor-Strop Fungus | |
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This fungus is also called birch polypore and lives on the silver birch tree. It is a bracket fungus and is light brown on top and white underneath.
The fungus dries very hard and was once used for sharpening razors hence its common name. It is not edible and kills trees. |
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| Tortoiseshell Butterfly | |
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| Often seen in gardens, especially feeding on buddleia. When resting it has its wings closed, but will open and close them rapidly, flashing their bright clourse to confuse and alarm predators. The adults emerge from hibernation on the first warm spring days. Their eggs are laid on the caterpillars favoured food plant, stinging nettles! |
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| Woodcock | |
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A large bulky wading bird with short legs, a very long straight bill and a wing span of up to 65cm. It is largely nocturnal, spending most of the day in dense cover.
The Woodcock population has been falling in recent years, which may be because of the lack of suitable breeding areas. |
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