Wildlife at Radnor Wood

 

Mammals: The fox is considered to be a solitary animal and will only seek out a vixen in mid winter to mate. During April three to six cubs are born. The father will play with his offspring and at around one month old they will go hunting with their mother. They are quick to learn hunting skills and at two months old will be ready to leave their home. The fox hunts at night and will eat rabbits, rats, mice, voles, squirrels, hedgehogs and pheasants.
Grey squirrels are bigger than the red squirrel, being approx 10" long with a less bushy 8" tail. Grey squirrels attack trees in early summer gnawing at the main trunk, in search of the sweet sappy layers immediately beneath the bark. We have information about Roe deer and Badger

Birds: The woodcock is a native resident found in most regions of the UK. It has a mottled rich brown plumage which is very effective camouflage against a background of dead leaves or bracken. An adult woodcock is 34cm with a 8cm beak. The eyes of a woodcock are placed high up on sides of its head to allow it a complete 360 degrees field of vision. A woodcock male in the breeding season performs a strange display flight known as “roding” During dawn and at dusk time they can be seen striding across the open glades. As the woodcock flies it gives out a triple croak which can sound similar to a frog, followed immediately by a whistling “tsiwick” The wingbeats of the bird are similar to that of an owl. The breeding season begins in early in March with the building of a nest. This usually takes the form of a hole scraped in the ground, often among leaf-litter and lined with leaves. The young are quick to develop. Within a few hours of hatching they are capable of leaving the nest for short journeys for food. At between 2-3 weeks they are able to take short flights. Three weeks later they become independent.
Also, present in the conifer plantation area are the goldcrest. This is one of Britain’s smallest birds. They feed on insects and flies. The birds are green while the male has an orange crest, the female has a yellow one. The goldcrest population is affected by a long harsh winter and to counter this they usually lay two broods of 7-10 eggs in one season. The goldcrest builds a hanging nest of moss and spiders webs, attaching it to the underside of a conifer branch.

Insects and reptiles: The later summer months brings the common wasp to the bramble shrub to feed on the sugars contained within the berries. They bite through the skin of the individual fruits to reach the juicy flesh inside. Once the skin has been successfully pierced then other insects begin to swarm to the fruit. Both the metallic greenbottle flies and the grey-haired red-eyed flesh flies are visitors, they feed by dribbling saliva on to the fruit which partly digests the flesh which they can then suck up in the form of juice.
When the fruit of the bramble shrub has fully matured and become almost mushy they attract butterflies such as the commas, speckled woods and red admirals. Spiders whose webs can be seen shinning among the bramble tangles in the early autumn mists , feed on the flies attracted to the juicy berries.

Habitats: Bramble shrubs are found in even the most dense of woodlands. They can be erect, sprawling or rambling. Once the bramble is established a whole host of insects and birds visit and feed on the blossom and fruit. This habitat also provides sheltered accommodation for the smaller woodland mammals.

How to get there:
Radnor Wood is located on the A488 between Knighton and Presteigne

Local Weather Forecast (Multimap)

Activities:

	Open access for horse riders throughout this area.

Other places to go in Radnor
Nash Wood
Warren Wood
Smatcher Wood
Cwm Broadwell
Burfa Wood

Contact:
Nick Whythe
Local Area Manager
0845 604 0845
e-mail: nick.whythe@forestry.gsi.gov.uk