The bluebells here in the Surrey Hills have been late and a little varied this May. According to Patrick Mannix who owns local woodland, Sandhurst Copse and Sheepwalk, ”The bluebells are uncertain this year with a lower percentage of plants showing flower buds. A factor may have been the very[...]
Archive for the ‘Wildlife News’ Category
May 13th, 2012 - 9:19 am § in Wildlife News
Heard a Cuckoo? 2012
Have you heard a cuckoo yet? Our local cuckoo seemed to be late to arrive to our corner of the Surrey Hills this year and by the end of April we still hadn’t heard its springtime call. We were away last week but on our return we were greeted by enthusiastic cuckooing – the date [...][...]
April 7th, 2012 - 9:03 pm § in Wildlife News
Surrey Hills Toad Migration 2012 Numbers
This year’s toad migration, which started at the end of February, petered out by 24th March. It has has been a difficult year for toad collecting, although the days were warm, the nights were cold and these amphibians don’t like to move when the temperature is below 8c. So unlike other y[...]
March 13th, 2012 - 8:15 pm § in Wildlife News
2012 Surrey Hills Toad Migration
The weather during the daytime over the last week has been warm, but clear skies at night has meant that after dark temperatures drop. This has played havoc with the annual toad migration which has been on and then off over the last ten days. Visitors to this site will know that Woodhill, Shamley Gr[...]
January 8th, 2012 - 7:50 pm § in Wildlife News
Winter Ducklings Fighting to Survive
The unseasonably warm weather has confused the Indian Runner ducks that live on the lake opposite the cottage here at Shamley Green in the Surrey Hills. On 16th December five ducklings hatched to a mother who had been patiently sitting on her eggs since November. In the UK the normal time for any bi[...]
December 22nd, 2011 - 8:12 pm § in Farming, Wildlife News
Mistletoe at Christmas
There is quite a lot of mistletoe growing on trees around our area of the Surrey Hills, which is unusual as it is much less common in the South East than it is in the Midlands. The mistletoe capital of the UK is Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with most of what is sold around the country bought [[...]
October 2nd, 2011 - 7:43 pm § in Wildlife News
Snake in the barn
An unwanted visitor has taken up residence in next door’s barn, but don’t worry it’s a grass snake and not an adder. Surrounded by heathland and water, both snakes are common in our area of the Surrey Hills and in the summer it is wise to keep your eyes open for adders, especially [...]
August 14th, 2011 - 6:18 pm § in Video, Wildlife News
Red-Backed Shrike spotted in the Surrey Hills
A Red-backed shrike has been spotted at Woodhill Farm House here in the Surrey Hills. This is exciting news as Red-backed shrikes are now effectively extinct as breeding birds in the UK, with only 200 or so sightings recorded as they pass through the UK in the Spring and Autumn. The RSPB have been n[...]
April 17th, 2011 - 8:18 pm § in Wildlife News
Heard a Cuckoo or Seen Any Swallows?
Have you heard a cuckoo or seen any swallows yet? We have here at Woodhill Cottage, near Shamley Green in the Surrey Hills. We heard a cuckoo for the first time last Sunday afternoon 10th April and the first two migrating Swallows arrived yesterday 16th April. The arrival of both birds from Africa a[...]
March 27th, 2011 - 7:55 pm § in Wildlife News
Fewer Toads Recorded in 2011 Migration
The 2011 Surrey toad migration that started on 24th February and has continued on and off for six weeks is coming to an end. Only 40 toads were collected and recorded by the volunteers last night, indicating that most of the toads making the migration have now already done so. The final count is jus[...]
