WILDLIFE REPORT

 

Owners: Chris and Jan Patrick

 

Introduction

 

Woodland Springs is a peaceful haven for both people and wildlife.  Extending to some 11 acres the whole site contains a variety of habitats including a stream, wetland and wild flower areas, hedgerows, mature trees and a small ancient woodland that is carpeted with Bluebells in the late spring and alive with birds, Badgers and other wildlife.  Situated on the northern edge of Dartmoor there is moorland a short drive to the south and west and the spectacular Teign Valley to the east.

 

The site has been managed with wildlife in mind and on-going projects include woodland enhancement, wildflower areas and tree planting.  If you are interested in wildlife there is plenty to see right here on site.

 

What you can see on site

 

Trees, woodland and bird feeders on site attract a variety of birds and over 50 species have now been recorded here.  Typical woodland birds such as Blue Tit, Robin, Wren and Great Tit can be seen (use Dartmoor Pocket Guide – Woodland Birds to help with identification) at night you may hear the Twit-twoo of Tawny Owls.

Buzzards, large brown birds of prey are a relatively common sight in the south west but they are much rarer in the rest of the country.  They can be seen soaring high above you looking for rabbits, voles and carrion to eat.  Their numbers have recovered greatly over the last two decades following declines due to rabbit myxymatosis, which killed a lot of their prey in the 1950s.  You can see Rabbits nibbling the grass and see their burrows in the hedgebanks.  Sometimes you may glimpse a Fox which preys on them.

A small woodland accessible via a new avenue of trees planted around the edge of the site beyond the owner’s house is worth a visit.  Parts of it are too wet to walk in and here there is mainly Willow with carpets of Creeping Buttercup, Wild Angelica and Soft Rush but where it is raised and drier you can find indicators that the woodland has been here for a great many years and can be considered ‘ancient’.  Indicators include Bluebells, Pignut and Dog’s Mercury (use Dartmoor Pocket Guide – Woodland Plants for identification).  Bluebells have a European stronghold here in the south west of Britain.  There is also an abundance of Ivy, Honeysuckle, Red Campion, Herb Bennet and Golden Saxifrage.  Mammals present include Badgers, Grey Squirrel, Rabbits and possibly Dormice.

 There are almost certainly Dormice here, a nationally rare and declining species which has a stronghold in Devon and lives mainly in woodlands and hedgerows.  In the autumn they leave discarded Hazel nuts on the ground with a distinctive large neat hole where they have chewed the hard case to get to the soft nut inside.  This is often the only way you can tell these tiny elusive mammals are around.

Badgers are relatively common here in the south west and are protected by law because of persecution in the past.  They live in a family group in a sett, which is underground and consists of a series of tunnels and chambers.  There is a sett within the ancient woodland area.  Badgers have very strong front claws for digging and you can often see where they have been digging for their favourite food – earthworms.  They also eat insects and fruits, but they have a varied diet and will eat pretty well anything that takes their fancy.

A huge variety of trees grow on site, many of which have been planted in recent years.  Native species include English Oak, Hawthorn, Hazel, Ash and Holly (use Dartmoor Pocket Guides – Trees and Shrubs to help with identification).  A variety of Willows grow on site too, there are dozens of species native to the UK and are planted for a variety of purposes including basketry and hurdle-making.  The mature Oak trees are cloaked with lichens and the frondy and leafy varieties seen here are indicators of unpolluted air.  Some of the older trees are also mossy and have Polypody ferns growing on the branches.

Several areas around the site are marshy and here you can see typical Dartmoor wetland species such as Soft Rush, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Water Mint, Angelica and Marsh Thistle.  Willows thrive in these damp conditions.

 

The dog-walking area is a good place to see wild flowers in the summer months such as Knapweed, Sheep’s Sorrel, Yarrow and Field Woodrush (use Dartmoor Pocket Guide – Farmland Plants to help with identification of these and those in the wetland area).  Look out for the burrows of Field Voles in the longer grass.

 

One of the flower beds within the camp site has Buddleia, Mallow and Geraniums which all attract a variety of butterflies and bees.

 

Devon’s hedgerows are a great feature of the landscape and many of them are of Medieval origin and built on banks as seen here.  They are extremely valuable to wildlife as they provide feeding and shelter opportunities and are valuable wildlife corridors across the landscape.  Here the banks are home to a variety of plants including Foxgloves, Navelwort, ferns, Ivy, Honeysuckle and native tree species and the burrows of Rabbits, Bank Voles and Badgers can be seen in them.  Some of the hedges have undergone a restoration technique called ‘laying’ which involves part-cutting the tree stems and laying them down.  This helps to thicken up the hedge.

 

Notable Habitats

 

Ancient woodland, wetland, stream, mature trees, grassland, hedgerow.

 

Notable Species

 

Badger, Buzzard, Bluebells

 

Wildlife sites within 10 km

 

East Dartmoor SSSI – contains the largest area of heather moorland remaining on Dartmoor with a colourful combination of dwarf shrubs such as Common Heather, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Bilberry and Western Gorse.  It is largely unenclosed, treeless and grazed by cattle, sheep and ponies. There are also areas of grassland dominated by Purple Moor-grass, Mat grass, Sheep’s Fescue, Common Bent and Bristle Bent.  The valley bottoms are waterlogged with Sphagnum Mosses being common.  In the wet pools grow Bog Bean, Marsh Lousewort and Bog Asphodel.  Moorland birds include Red Grouse, Snipe, Curlew, Wheatear and Whinchat as well as Ring Ouzel.  The Emperor Moth, a spectacular day-flying moth with eye-spots on its wings is also found here, its caterpillars feed on heather. The Two Moors Way passes right through this site.

 

North Dartmoor SSSI – is one of the largest areas of upland semi-natural habitat in southern Britain.  It is particularly important for western blanket bog and mixed valley mires and supports a diverse upland breeding bird community.  Within the site lies Black-a-Tor Copse National Nature Reserve, a high-altitude oak woodland, which is of national importance for lichens.  Blanket bog with mainly Sphagnum Mosses and Purple Moor-grass as well as Hare’s Tail Cotton Grass, Cross-leaved Heath, Round-leaved Sundew and Bog Asphodel occupies the highest ground.  Mires in the valleys are home to Bogbean, Soft Rush and various sedges.  Drier areas of moorland are dominated by Heather, Purple Moor-grass, Cross-leaved Heath and Western Gorse.  Unusual plants on this site include Cranberry, Fir Clubmoss, Lemon-scented Fern, Tunbridge and Wilson’s Filmy-fern and the rare Bog Orchid in some places. The only regular breeding colony of Golden Plover and Dunlin in southern Britain occurs here as well as the largest breeding colony of Ring Ouzel in southern England.  Also present are breeding Whinchat and Wheatear (see ‘Dartmoor – a special place for moorland birds’ leaflet).  Although most of this area is common land and open for access there are several military ranges on this site and few paths so check your map and firing dates and times carefully before going out.

 

Rushford Wood SSSI – is a fine example of Pedunculate Oak and Hazel woodland and includes areas of ancient oakwood.  Other trees include Beech, Rowan, Silver Birch, Holly, Hawthorn, Crab Apple, Elder and Alder at the stream-sides.  Trunks and branches are covered in many lichens, mosses and ferns.  Over 130 species of lichen have been recorded.  Ground flora includes Wood Sorrel, Common Cow-Wheat, Greater Stitchwort, Enchanter’s Nightshade, Yellow Archangel and Primrose.  There is no public access.

 

Teign Valley Woods SSSI – a fine example of upland Oak and Hazel woodland typical of South West England is home to a variety of rare species.  Species found here include the rare Wild Service Tree, an ancient woodland indicator, and good populations of Wild Daffodil.  Birds include the summer visitor the Pied Flycathcer and Redstart as well as resident Kingfisher.  Insects include the rare Marsh Fritillary, High Brown Fritillary and Wood Cricket and an abundance of nests of Wood Ant.  There is excellent access along the banks of the River Teign.  Starting points include Steps Bridge, Clifford Bridge and Fingle Bridge.  The Dartmoor Way passes along the river at the eastern end past Castle Drogo and on to Fingle Bridge and there is good access from Steps Bridge through Dunsford Wood DWT Reserve.

 

Whiddon Deer Park SSSI – owned and managed by the National Trust this site was originally built in the mid-16^th century by Sir John Whiddon as an enclosure for fallow deer.  The site can be seen surrounded by a stone wall from Castle Drogo on the opposite side of the river valley.   Oak, Beech and Ash trees are set within open pasture which is an important wildlife sanctuary with a rich variety of lichens and insects.  In order to protect this site and its rare wildlife there is no public right of way through the park but a footpath passes along the lower north end near the River Teign.