A Batty Way to Spend an Evening?
After a rather wet day we were delighted that Saturday evening was calm and dry so that our walk with Harriet Baber from the South Bucks & Berks Bat Group could go ahead. Fifteen friends joined us to explore Fox Hill woods after dusk looking for signs of bats.
Harriet explained why bats are so special – for example, they are one of only 4 genera of animals that have independently evolved the power of flight (the others being insects, pterosaurs and birds). Bats are also incredibly long-lived for their size – although about the same size as a mouse which might live 1-2 years, a bat can live for 20 years or more! Through a quirk of evolution bats don’t age in the same way that other mammals do, having an ability to repair their DNA and to avoid the shortening of their chromosomes that normally result in tumours and other age-related illnesses.
An example of a rare Nathusius’ Pipistrelle
It is well known that bats use echolocation to detect their prey and find their way around. However the sounds that they make are beyond most people’s hearing range, so Harriet had brought along some bat detectors which reduce their high frequency squeaks down to a level that we can hear.
On our route through the woods we stopped a couple of times and listened with our bat detectors pointed hopefully into the trees and up into the sky. After a short while we were rewarded with several bats flitting around. Based on the frequency set on our detectors (35-45Hz) these were most likely pipistrelle bats (although which of the 3 UK species we could not be sure). They seemed to be emerging from local roosts to feed in the larger clearings and in breaks in the canopy near the bike jumps. After circling round a couple times they would then drop back into the trees to rest. With the detectors we could also hear the clicks speed up into a raspberry-like noise as the bat homed in on its insect prey.
A Noctule bat was detected when we pointed our detectors at the tree line along the pylon line.
As the light began to fade we ended up on the pylon line, mostly tracking pipistrelles in and out of the trees but Harriet also spotted a solitary noctule which is one of our larger native species. Bats can travel at around 12 mph and so are capable of travelling some distance in the course of an evening. Despite their use of echolocation for feeding they do have quite good eyesight, using visual clues such as hedges, roads, railways and, yes, pylon lines for navigation between areas. Our pylon line may well be a “bat corridor” between different roosting sites.
Everyone enjoyed their evening walk in the woods and learning more about these mysterious little creatures. We are extremely grateful to Harriet for providing her time and expertise and hope that it will encourage you to take a moment to watch out for bats in and around the woods on a summer evening.
Stag Beetles
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species is coordinating an annual Stag Beetle Count with other organisations across Europe. The survey takes place between 1st June and 31st July. For more information go to https://stagbeetles.ptes.org/stag-beetle-count/. You might also enjoy a Stag Beetle talk on June 16th in South Hill near Bracknell, see details here.
Stag beetles are the largest UK beetle and easily recognized by the male’s impressive antler-like jaws, which they use in dramatic wrestling matches to compete for the attention of females. While the females lack the prominent jaws, they are equally important, using their strong mandibles for burrowing into the soil to lay their eggs.
The larvae spend several years feeding on decaying wood beneath the forest floor. This crucial role in breaking down deadwood makes them vital decomposers within Fox Hill Woods’ ecosystem. Eventually, the larvae pupate, transforming into the adult beetles we hope to see during the summer months. The adult stage is brief, lasting only a few weeks, and is primarily dedicated to mating.
Fox Hill Woods, with its mix of mature trees and natural deadwood, provides a natural habitat for stag beetles. Adding to this are the “stag beetle hotels” constructed with help from the local Scout group, comprising a pit in the ground into which upright logs are buried. This design provides the ideal conditions for female stag beetles to lay their eggs at the base of the decaying wood. The submerged logs then offer a long-lasting food source for the developing larvae.
Please do let us know if you see a stag beetle on your walks around the Fox Hill Woods this summer!
By Popular Demand… Flapjacks!
At our conservation parties, a number of you have asked for the recipe of Steph’s yummy flapjacks. So, clean the oven and get down to Morrisons for ingredients, because here it is!
Fox Hill Working Party Flapjacks
Prep 20 mins, cooking 20-25 minutes
Double the quantities for a large working party
Ingredients
100g butter
75g golden syrup
75g soft brown sugar
225g rolled oats
A handful of raisins
50-60g chocolate
- Melt the butter, sugar and golden syrup over a low heat.
- Add the raisins.
- Stir in the oats really well.
- Spread into a greased 20.5-30.5cm baking tray or tin.
- Bake at 180 ° C for 20-25 minutes.
- Leave in the tin to cool then ease out onto a cooling rack.
- Cover with melted chocolate.
- Once set, cut into squares.
- Store in an airtight container.
Tree-mendous Scouts!
On Sunday 10th March there was a tree planting session in Fox Hill organised by 1st Woosehill Scouts, in conjunction with Friends of Fox Hill and Wokingham Borough Council Countryside Services team.
In the bright, warm spring sunshine, over 20 Scouts, siblings and parents turned out to plant over 100 saplings of under-storey trees provided by the Woodland Trust as part of their community planting programme.
The species planted were:
- Hazel
- Blackthorn
- Rowan
- Elder
- Crab Apple
- Dog Rose – these were placed along the dead-hedges to trail through the brash.
Each tree was given a guard to prevent deer and other animals from feeding on the tender shoots. As you walk around the woods you will easily be able to spot the trees the Scouts planted as they all have green wire mesh guards.
To further improve the soil and give the young trees the best start, a mycorrhizal dip was applied to the roots. Hopefully this will help re-establish the “wood-wide-web” which has been disrupted by the rhododendron.
Although it will be several years before birds will be feasting on the fruit of the Scouts’ trees, it will be interesting to compare the growth of these small saplings over the coming months against the other slightly larger ones that the Friends of Fox Hill have planted this winter.
In areas where rhododendron has been cleared, native plants find it difficult to get a foothold even after many years. Through targeted tree and bulb planting we hope to create a more diverse ecosystem in the woods.
2025 AGM Report
We had a lovely time at the AGM, and many thanks to those who joined us… especially the bakers!
Jürgen Adam did a wonderful presentation about the Woosehill Meadows & Emmbrook Regeneration Project, and has a request for your input. We would like to register the plants we see in the area, and hopefully see an increase as the project progresses over the years. We would be very grateful if you could join the Woosehill Meadows & Emmbrook Group on PlantNet to share your observations in the Woosehill (Wokingham/UK) area.
We hope you enjoy this video, reminiscing over the last 12 months with Friends of Fox Hill.
Thank you all for your support, and we look forward to seeing you again.
Friends o Fox Hill Comittee
“Mom, what’s the big basket for?”
If you’ve visited Fox Hill since our last conservation party, you’ll have seen some beautiful woodland sculptures dotted around. While they may be works of art, they actually serve a purpose…
After receiving permission from WBC, we started the coppicing described in this post, and the “basket weaving” forms a ring fence that we hope will keep deer away from the new shoots. The fresh shoots will look very tasty to them otherwise.
Thanks to some advice from our own experts and our friends from Holt Copse, we made a good start on the project.
The bottom left photo shows how we have used Layering to start off new Hazel plants. The branches will take root at the point they make contact with the ground.
Coppicing in Fox Hill
Coppicing is a traditional form of woodland management where thicker multi-stem trunks are cut back to encourage healthy regrowth. Once coppicing is done once, it should be repeated for the life of the plant.
Traditionally it was used for fencing or stakes. We will use the stakes for dead hedging (below), the brash for hedge filling, thinner straight branches for pegs and thicker trunks for footpath edging. Coppicing these trees will allow more light to penetrate into the area and encourage the growth of native plants such as bluebells.
All the trees in Fox Hill woodland are covered by a Tree Protection Order. WBC have granted us permission to remove rhododendron ponticum as this is an invasive species and part of the Fox Hill management plan. In addition, we have permission via planning application 242932 to coppice some hazel trees, which we will complete in early 2025. Any wood removed will be used in our conservation work.
Fox Hill’s Ancient and Semi-Natural Woodlands
Did you know that Fox Hill is host to a large section of Ancient and Semi Natural Woodlands (ASNW)?
ASNW is defined as areas that have been continuously wooded since 1600 (or 1750 in. Scotland). Ancient woods have been used by humans for centuries, providing timber and grazing for livestock.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) provide a website that you can locate areas of ASNW, as seen here:
Additionally you can look for clues as various features can help identify that a site has been wooded for a considerable length of time.
Some plant species are a good indication of ANSW and have been listed as ‘ancient woodland indicator plants’. The cumulative number is important – the more species you can find, the stronger the evidence. These include plants such as:
- Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)
- Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- Primrose (Primula vulgaris)
- Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia)
Ancient woodland indicators should be considered alongside other evidence, and other groups of species can also help indicate a continuity of woodland conditions. These include groups of invertebrates, such as insects associated with decaying wood and terrestrial molluscs, and lichens.
Remnant manmade features give clues about a wood’s cultural history. Some can suggest a wood is ancient, such as medieval wood banks, large coppice stools and old pollarded trees.
Fungi Walk Success
Many thanks to Keith Boseley local fungi and woodland expert for leading the fascinating nature walk yesterday. The exploration of fungi unveils a fascinating new dimension to appreciate in our woodland.
Fungi are vital to ecosystems for several reasons. They decompose dead organic matter, recycling nutrients back into the soil, which is essential for plant growth. Many fungi form mutualistic relationships with plants, known as mycorrhizae, helping them absorb water and nutrients more efficiently. In this way a tree may have up to 15 different fungi species as partners whilst one fungi species may have 4 or more tree partners.
Fungi is the backbone of the “wood-wide web” interconnecting trees within a wooded area and beyond.
The largest organism on Earth is the Humongous Fungus, a honey fungus (Armillaria ostoyae) that covers nearly four square miles in eastern Oregon’s Malheur National Forest, estimated to weigh more than 7.5 tonnes and around 3000 years old!
Here are some of the species we encountered yesterday, including the surprising Blue Elf Cups…
Earthball, Turkey Tail, Razor Strop Fungus, Trooping Funnel, False Deathcap (Cross section), Mycelium beneath bark (Possible Honey Fungus), Emerald Elf Cups.
Additionally, fungi contribute to the formation and maintenance of healthy soil structures. They also serve as a food source for various organisms, including insects and mammals, and some fungi help control plant diseases by outcompeting or inhibiting harmful pathogens. Their presence and activities help maintain the balance and health of ecosystems.
One thing we learnt from Keith is that fungi are not just present in dying or diseased trees but even exist in healthy tree saplings. Whilst the tree remains healthy the fungus lives passively within the structure of the tree, waiting for its opportunity to spread as soon as the tree becomes damaged or other viruses such as ash dieback take hold.
Keith also gave us some tips when identifying fungi: to avoid picking a fungi, carry a small mirror so you can see underneath the cap – whether it has gills or not and whether there is a ring around the stem.
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Call to Action! Public Rights of Way
Friends of Fox Hill would like to ask anyone who has walked within Fox Hill at any time during the last twenty years if they would be willing to assist in obtaining recognition of further routes as Public Rights of Way. We will need to prove routes have been walked for at least twenty years, but you do not have to have walked there for the full twenty years as we can join evidence together to show the public have used a route since 2004. If you can help, we will provide you with a copy of the required form plus a map to mark the route/routes you have followed.
We have learnt a lot from our previous application and now wish to focus on routes you may have walked between the entrances/exits at the edge of Woosehill to Highland Avenue. As part of the process, we are not allowed to provide guidance of exactly where you walked but we will issue potential applicants with assistance on how to complete the form. Of particular note is that we will only be applying for paths that are on private land as we enjoy a “Right to Roam” on the council land. As part of this we have now finally established the legal owner of the short footpath into Fox Hill at Kent Close, plus have agreed a suitable map to use for the application with Wokingham Borough Council.
Friends of Fox Hill have now safeguarded one path as a Public Right of Way within Fox Hill and would ask for help from anyone who has used paths within the woods so they can be protected for the future.
If you can assist us please e-mail your contact details to footpaths@friendsoffoxhill.org.
Many Thanks,
Tony Delliston
Vice Chair – Friends of Fox Hill