Friends of Hillhouse Wood (in conjunction with the Woodland Trust) once again invite you to attend their annual Bluebell Open Day, timed to catch the Bluebells at their best, on Saturday 25th April 2015. Having achieved major media credits in the past few years with The Times (April 2013) saying it was:
A superb springtime wood with a flood of bluebells enhanced by the light created by coppicing of hazels. If you’re lucky, you’ll hear blackbirds and nightingales.
… in an article featuring 30 of the best wild days out in Spring, The Telegraph this year saying:
One of the Top Ten spots to see bluebells in the UK
and then, the BBC featuring the bluebell woods in the BBC2’s show “Great British Garden Revival”, it is really worth a visit.
As ever, Steve Hallam will lead the guided walk, starting at 2pm (weather permitting) from the Old Church to see the bluebells and other spring flowers, butterflies and spring bird life, perhaps including early nightingales.
Maps, nature trail guides and flora and fauna guides can be collected from the Friends’ Information Point at St Mary’s Old Church. Refreshments will be available from the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church.
Next Saturday 7th February, sees the first guided walk of the year in Hillhouse Wood, lead by Steve Hallam in and around the wood, walkers can expect to see a range of resident woodland and meadow species as well as some winter visitors. Who knows what you might see but, to quote the Essex Wildlife Trust talking about Essex Woodlands:
Our woodlands come alive at dawn – tawny owls hoot to each other, and wrens, blackcaps and warblers fill the air with song. Great spotted woodpeckers, treecreepers and jays visit broadleaved and mixed woods, while goldcrests and rare crossbills flit between the trees of conifer forests.
On Saturday 27th September, Steve Hallam will lead a guided ‘autumn walk’ to seek out berries, soft fruit, nuts and seeds, that are now out in abundance, along with any flowers and birds that we see along the way. He will explain how these fruits have been used by humans and animals, the folklore about them, which ones should not be eaten – and what will happen to you if you do! You should expect to see around 20 types of berries, fruits and nuts.
The walk will take in Hillhouse Wood and surrounding hedgerows, and will thus be a little longer than normal. Meet at the Old Church at 2pm (weather permitting); strong boots or wellies should be worn, as we may encounter long wet grass!
The Friends of Hillhouse Wood, in conjunction with Woodland Trust, invite you to join Join Steve Hallam for their annual Bluebell Open Day and Spring Nature Walk. As the Woodland Trust say:
Hillhouse Wood is a mosaic of different woodland types making it particularly interesting. It has two ponds and two streams running through, but volunteers have been busy creating footbridges and drying out the path edges. A carpet of bluebells in Spring.
Starting at the Old Church at 2pm on Saturday 19th April, you will see the bluebells (looking like being a great show this year), and other spring flowers, butterflies and spring bird life, possibly including early nightingales.
You can collect your map, family nature trail, and flora and fauna guide from the Friends’ Information Point, by St Mary’s Old Church. Refreshments are available at St Mary’s Old Church.
The long awaited information boards have now been installed at all three entrances to Hillhouse Wood. The main board was erected at the entrance off the track that runs past the church whilst the two smaller boards were positioned by the Woodland Trust’s Site Manager, Tony Chadwick.
Thanks goes to the Woodland Trust for designing, making and installing the boards and to Colchester Borough Council and The Friends of Hillhouse Wood for providing funds for the project.
All those attending the Bluebell Open Day and Spring Nature Walk on Easter Saturday should have ample opportunity to see them together with everything else that will make this a great afternoon event.
Weather permitting, Steve Hallam will lead a winter bird walk in and near Hillhouse Wood, offering a chance to see resident woodland and meadow species and some winter visitors. Stout footwear and warm clothing are advised, as well as a flask of hot drink.
If you want to join Steve then meet him at the Old Church at 09:30.
One of the Friends of Hillhouse Wood‘s younger members has decided that, for her Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award, she will spend the next 6 months or so going through Hillhouse Wood collecting litter and making observations. Her first two visits have now been recorded on her online diary, part of the Hillhouse Wood sub-site, and can be followed here.
Steve Hallam reports on this year’s Dawn Chorus walk in Hillhouse Wood.
Dawn seems very early
There are times when 3.45 am feels like a truly mad time to go for a walk. Such times are generally around 3.15 am, when the alarm sounds. And, as the guide for this year’s Dawn Chorus walk, I couldn’t help wondering if anyone else was going to be mad enough to turn up this year. As it turned out, my timing was such that I arrived at the old church right on time (close enough to prompt some concerns by Andrew Savage concerning the reliability of the Hallam alarm clock). As I drove down the lane to the church I saw one car (phew – someone’s turned up), then another, and more, and then lost count. I then saw what looked like a small army standing by the bench. Had a coach party turned up?
Andrew, being Andrew, was doing a head count – 32 people! Amazing, and a Personal Lifetime Best!
Which, of course, raised the stakes for being able to find everyone some good birds to see and hear. We had a guess regarding the first species we would hear (not withstanding the Tawny Owls that had been heard already). The suggestions were Cuckoo and Nightingale – both good ones, as these birds have previously achieved this status.
First call from Whitethroat
In previous years we have heard something almost as soon as we’d started off. This year, however, we were past the site of the hurdle maker’s cottage before we heard our first bird. To make up for the delay it came from the hedge right next to us. It was a single blast of Whitethroat, perhaps complaining about its sleep being disturbed. They don’t normally sing this early (not that I have a robust ‘data bank’ to base this opinion on).
An opportunity to catch some late bluebells as well
Things continued to be quiet as we approached the wood, such that I was starting to worry what to talk about. However as we reached the main entrance a solitary Robin struck up its fluid song, and (relief!) we could hear a Nightingale singing lower down the wood. As we stood and listened at least two Tawny Owls were calling at each other from either side of the wood, while the first Blackbird also started. The Blackbird is sometimes referred to as ‘the poor man’s Nightingale’, so we had a good opportunity to compare the two. The first Wrens also entered the fray at this point, while a Pheasant called somewhere in the dark.
Nightingale still singing
We moved on into the wood and took up position around the top pond (it was noticeable how many torches came into use as the group negotiated the narrow path to the pond!). The Nightingale was continuing to sing and could now be heard more clearly. Here we also heard our first Rooks and Wood Pigeons as they woke up. We moved on down the hill to where we had arguably the highlight of the walk: the Nightingale that we had first heard had continued to sing throughout the walk so far. By now we were only a few yards from its bush, but it continued to sing unabated. Everyone in the party was able to thoroughly familiarise themselves with a Nightingale in full cry. At the same time one of the wood’s Blackcaps finally woke up close by. To complete the noisy ‘soundscape’ some Blue Tits started their incessant calling on the other side of the path.
Surprising Goldcrest
Moving on down to the stream at the bottom we heard a singing Chaffinch, some Canada Geese noisily flying nearby, the first Chiffchaff of the walk and the major pleasant surprise of the walk – a singing Goldcrest. What he was doing there I have no idea, as they normally live in conifers. He was near the large Alder trees, so maybe these were acting as a substitute habitat. Reaching the lower pond we had our second surprise – a pair of Mallards. They are presumably looking for a quiet place to breed – they may not have chosen wisely. But it is an implicit comment on the relatively good state of the pond this year that they are even considering setting up home. Whilst here we also heard our first Jackdaws and Great Tits. At this point I (and hopefully at least a few of our guests) heard one call note from a Buzzard somewhere overhead. As we continued round the rest of the wood things started to wind down, but we heard a Nightingale singing in a thicket that I’d not heard occupied before, along with both resident species of woodpecker.
Missing Song Thrush
So what did we fail to hear this year? There are always some species that inexplicably keep quiet. Our ‘roll of shame’ is headed by Song Thrush and Dunnock, while I was also hoping to hear the Nuthatches. The solitary Cuckoo in the area failed to call, whilst it appears that the Yellowhammers who usually live by the track have disappeared. Overall, though, a tally of 21 species was very respectable.
Steve Hallam will be leading the ever popular ‘Dawn Chorus’ walk offering a chance to see nightingales and many other brilliant dawn choristers. The walk will be through Hillhouse Wood and will start from the Old Church.
If you haven’t tried this you’ll find it a rewarding and delightful experience at a very special time for the wood’s
varied birdlife.
Please bring warm clothing, stout footwear, a flask of hot drink and a torch. The walk will go ahead only if weather permits.
The Friends of Hillhouse Wood’s popular Bluebell Oen day and Spring Walk is taking place on Saturday 4th May, a week later than originally intended, due to the wet winter and early spring.
The guided walk will be lead by Steve Hallam, starting outside St. Mary’s Old Church, Hall Road, at 2pm. The Friends’ Information Point, there from 2pm, will also have a supply of maps, nature trails and family quizzes.
Within the church, refreshments will be provided by the Friends of St Mary’s Old Church during the afternoon. In addition, there will also be an art exhibition there.
Bluebell walks at Hillhouse Wood were recently recognized by The Times as one of the top walks through woods in their Weekend Spring Special on 13th April.
Don’t forget to dress appropriately to the weather!
Hillhouse Bluebells 2015
