Your wild winter

The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it.

Did you know Hampshire has one-third of Britain’s remaining lowland heathland, more than any other county? Thanks to your support, we’ve been able to protect, restore and monitor internationally important lowland heathland habitats in Hampshire.

WINTER SPECTACLE

Heathland havens

As summer fades so does the palate of our heaths. The heathers revert to their dun winter coats after the summer’s blaze of purple. As the days shorten, the bracken and grasses add rusty tones, punctuated by the clean white lines of birch.

Heathlands evolved when wild animals grazed across the landscape, long before they were replaced by people and their livestock. As little as 250 years ago heathlands were commonplace across Hampshire and the Island. Today, much of this wild landscape has disappeared; in fact, we have lost up to 85% of our heathland in the last 150 years.

This precious habitat is threatened by fragmentation and climate change, with more frequent and severe wildfi res destroying huge swathes at a time. Thankfully, heathland strongholds exist in the New Forest and north Hampshire, and we are committed to restoring this internationally rare habitat, which is so crucial for wildlife.

Large grazing animals are an essential element of healthy heathland ecosystems and, though we cannot recreate the past, we can fi nd contemporary ways to ensure that cattle and ponies help to restore our surviving heaths to good health. Find out more on page 22.

EXPLORE A HEATHLAND THIS WINTER

 Hook Common and Bartley Heath These two adjoining nature reserves in Hook are a fi ne example of expansive, open, wildlife-rich heathland. Read more on page 8.  Ancells Farm and Foxlease Meadows Renowned for its variety of fl ora and fauna among important heathland, this nature reserve near Fleet was saved from development in the 1980s.

GUY EDWARDES / 2020VISION

Visiting redwings gorge on holly berries in winter.

Providing birds with a winter feast

Even the briefest of winter walks brings an opportunity to enjoy wildlife.

Trees and shrubs are natural larders, carrying the bounty of summer into winter in their berries, hips and haws.

Resident blackbirds and thrushes are joined by relatives from the continent to enjoy this seasonal abundance. Redwings descend in vast fl ocks to gorge themselves on holly and hawthorn berries and other hard fruits.

These visitors are not fussy about the habitat, they will take what they fi nd, be it a country hedge, woodland holly or the landscaping of a council car park.

By spring, every twig will be picked clean and so the birds help the trees distribute their seed.

Gardeners can support this food supply by choosing what we plant and how we prune.

We can all do our bit by encouraging the people who maintain public green spaces to be mindful of the simple needs of the natural world.

Animal footprints are much easier to identify in snow.

URBAN FIELDCRAFT

Identify winter animal tracks

For nature detectives, winter is a wonderful time. Ground that’s covered in mud or snow is ideal for tracking signs of animals, as it acts like a fresh canvas for studying footprints either found in the wild or in your garden.

When attempting to identify which animal created a track, record the size, shape and the number of toe or claw marks in the print. Taking a photo will also help with identifi cation when back at home.

The Wildlife Trusts website has some useful tips for decoding various animal tracks at wildlifetrusts.org/

how-identify/identify-tracks

Above: Nuts nibbled by dormice.

As well as footprints, animals leave other clues of their presence in the wild, such as dung, fur snags and their nests or dens.

It’s also possible to identify the presence of small rodents by examining any nuts they have nibbled. For example, a hazelnut chewed by a dormouse is distinguishable from one that a wood mouse or vole or squirrel has feasted on.

All you need now is a good animal tracks fi eld guide, a magnifying glass and an inquisitive eye!

SEE THIS

A red squirrel’s rusty coat will brighten up the dullest of winter days. See them at Alverstone Mead on the Isle of Wight.

SIAN ADDISON

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT Barn owls

Masters of stealth, these predatory birds have evolved many impressive adaptations that make them expert hunters of small mammals.

HEAR THIS

December to February is mating season for foxes. You may hear the harrowing night-time screeches of females, known as the vixen call.

JON HAWKINS / SURREY HILLS PHOTOGRAPHY

Starlings

These characterful birds produce one of nature’s most remarkable phenomena: murmurations – and winter off ers the best chance to see them. These breathtaking aerial stunts see a mass of birds swooping in unison, forming mesmerising shapes in the sky. Witness the spectacle at dusk at Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve.

RUSSELL SAVORY

Silent hunters

With its heart-shaped face and ghost-white feathers, the barn owl is one of the UK’s most recognisable birds of prey.

An old country name for this much-loved countryside bird is ‘hushwing’, which perfectly describes its silent, stealthy fl ight that helps it ambush unsuspecting prey.

Among several extraordinary adaptations this bird possesses, the trailing edge of its wing feathers are covered in soft, comb-like serrations that trap air and absorb noise.

Barn owls also have incredible eyesight specialised for hunting at night, camoufl aged plumage and long legs, toes and talons for snaring prey lurking in deep grass.

Their heart-shaped facial discs, meanwhile, help funnel sound into a pair of highly sensitive inner ears that allow the birds to detect tiny movements at ground level.

See them this winter

Winter can be a great time of year to look for barn owls as they often extend their hunting hours into daylight to fi nd the extra food they need to get them through the colder months.

Barn owls can be spotted gliding through farmland, grassland, marshes, fens and cattle-grazed coastal fi elds, and they will even hunt alongside busy main roads. Generally, the best time to see them is at dawn and dusk on still days.

Hockley Meadows Nature Reserve in Winchester, Arreton Down on the Isle of Wight and Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth are known to attract barn owls – the latter also hosts short-eared owls.

Always remember to watch and photograph birds responsibly by keeping a good distance from wildlife, leaving no trace, and keeping dogs on leads at all times when visiting nature reserves.

Dark-bellied brent geese

Up to 25,000 of these striking geese make the 2,500-mile journey from Siberia to the Solent every winter, seeking food and warmer climes. Farlington Marshes Nature Reserve is one of the best places on the south coast to observe them.

Redshank

As their name suggests, these birds’ distinguishing features are their bright orange-red legs. Redshank feed in shallow water around lakes, marshes, mudfl ats and coastal wetlands, and Testwood Lakes Nature Reserve is a successful breeding ground for these birds.