Winter 2011 Newsletter

Reserves Round–up

Cleaver Heath

Encouragingly young heather is now growing in most of the areas damaged by fire in 2010 and rosebay willowherb and hundreds of tiny birch seedlings have been removed to encourage this. CWT volunteers have removed an area of very tall and dense birch, non-native trees and gorse on the west side of the heath. Recent sightings have included great-spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, kestrel, jays and a juvenile sparrowhawk mobbing a young buzzard.

Young heather shoots at Cleaver Heath.

New Ferry Butterfly Park

This last year has been the most successful visitor season with 1639 visitors. Although there was a 30% decline in butterfly numbers due to a cold summer, Holly Blue, Brimstone and Small Copper numbers held up. Also a new species was recorded - a black darter dragonfly. Maintenance work is ongoing: the brick-pit pond has been cleared and the calcareous meadow has been scythed.

Black darter dragonfly. Photo: Wikipedia