Wildlife at Bedford Purlieus National Nature Reserve

 

Mammals: Water shrew, common shrew, pygmy shrew, wood mouse, and dormouse all live here. There have been polecats here since 1996, when the first dead one was found. There are also foxes, muntjac, fallow deer, badgers and even a sika deer. Rabbits and hares, grey squirrel, bank vole, short-tailed vole. We also have stoat and weasel. We have information about Fallow deer and Badger

Birds: Nuthatch, all three types of woodpecker, hawfinch occasionally, whitethroat, blackcap, garden warbler, chiff chaff, willow warbler, song thrush, mistle thrush, blackbird, mandarin duck goldcrest, siskin, fieldfare, redwing, tawny owl, little owl, buzzard, sparrowhawk, kestrel, French partridge, mallard, jackdaw, rook, starling, carrion crow, bullfinch, chaffinch, brambling - all can be seen here, if you are lucky! You'll also see red kites soaring over the wood. We have information about Red kite

Insects and reptiles: Slow worm, grass snake, common lizard, and all Three species of newt - smooth, great crested, palmate are found here. On calm summer days hordes of butterflies can be seen,including white admiral: large, small, Essex, dingy and grizzled skipper; marbled white; small copper; small heath; common and holly blue, white-letter hairstreak, purple hairstreak, brown argus; plus numerous other common butterflies. We have information about Adder

Habitats: Again, there is a huge variety of habitats, including birch scrub, limestone grassland (we are restoring some of this), a small patch of heathland, plenty of small-leaved lime, hazel coppice & lime coppice, oak woodland, 4 ponds, areas of living elm, plus temporary wet woodland!

How to get there:
There is a car parking area on the farm track between the A47 and the Wansford to Kings Cliffe road, just off the A47, on the left hand side.

Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)

Contact:
Northants Office

01780 444920
e-mail: northants@forestry.gsi.gov.uk