Eye Spy
A closer look at the High Weald landscape reveals a myriad of interesting features, some of which are unique to the area. If you have ever wondered about lumps and bumps in woodlands and strange concrete blocks on roadsides then this is the section for you!
Happy landscape detecting.
Common Dormouse The Common Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) is small, bright golden coloured with a thick furry tail and big black eyes. It spends three quarters of their life asleep but still manage to be one of the most evocative creatures of its native home of deciduous woodland and thick, overgrown hedgerows. It is thought to prefer mixed hazel coppice woodland which provides a varied diet throughout the year. Read more |
Unimproved grassland Unimproved, or wildflower, grassland has been grazed/cut for hay for 1000 years. It has a great variety of grass and flower species and supports lots of insects and other animals. This type of grassland can only feed a small number of animals per hectare. Read more |
Barns The largest building in most farmyards is the barn. Very few farm buildings other than barns survive from the medieval period. One of the reasons for this may be that barns were built by professional builders and carpenters, while many other buildings would have been constructed more cheaply, perhaps by the farmers themselves. In arable areas, barns were used solely for the storage and threshing of arable crops. Such barns are often very large. However, the High Weald was an area of relatively ... Read more |
Nightjar Look and listen for the Nightjar, Caprimulgus europaeus at dusk on warm, still summer evenings. During this time the Nightjar feed on moths and beetles, and with their wide mouth, they are able to catch their prey in flight, and are exceptionally agile fliers. Listen for the churring, a strange mechanical trilling and watch the male during courtship; clap his wings behind his back, showing the white wing spots and white tail, creating a sharp cracking sound. Nightjars are migratory arriving ... Read more |
