Roedean School Nature Trail

ROEDEAN SCHOOL NATURE TRAIL

Roedean Eco Council

Roedean School is home to an amazing variety of wildlife! If you are interested in wildlife and have a general love of nature, you may want to do something to help conserve it.

Eco-Council members have put together a selection for you to try to spot as you take a walk around the grounds. Here is a map with a suggested route.

You will only find certain species in certain seasons, so do go for at least four walks per year!

One really important activity you could take part in at Roedean School is to record and share details of the wildlife that you see.

To record what you have seen you’ll need to know what species you have found so please use this helpful booklet. By taking part in the nature survey you are gathering essential information to help protect and restore nature.

Identification Apps

Merlin (for identifying birds from their song)

Plant.net (for plant identification).

Nature Survey

Winter

Winter

Spring

Spring

Spring

Spring

Roedean School Nature Trail

WINTER - BIRDS

Winter visitors. A number of birds are present only in the winter here at Roedean. Others may be present at different times of the year, but are more likely to be seen in the winter months.

True winter visitors include Black headed gulls These are the smallest gulls you will see here. They have distinctive red legs and beaks and a shrill, shrieking call During the summer they have the black heads that give them their name, but in winter plumage they just have 2 black blotches behind their eyes that will help you identify them. They nest communally elsewhere so are often seen in large flocks. Here, you are most likely to see them roosting or feeding on the fields, usually set apart from the larger gulls.

Pied wagtails are small black and white birds with a piping call and long tails that they constantly flick (hence their name) as they search the ground for insects Most likely to see on lawns and short grass.

Chaffinches and greenfinches are winter visitors, but they remain until spring You can see and hear them in trees and hedges, such as those behind Keswick.

birdaware.org

www.rspb.org.uk

www.rspb.org.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

WINTER - BIRDS

Although present all year round, goldfinches get together in winter flo known as Charms, to feed on seeds. L out for them on teasels, around the minibus car park and other rough grassland areas, as these are their favourites. Facts: Goldfinchs are easi recognizable due to their colorful bod furs Male and female Goldfinches ar similar apart from the males having larger red patch on it’s face going beh the eye as well Their nests are somet decorated with flowers and are usually found at the end of branches or bushes

Mistle thrushes and sometimes song thrushes, are winter visitors here In early spring they begin to call with their often very early starting songs which are made up of short and sometimes unusual sounding bursts strung together. Most likely seen feeding on the grass like blackbirds, but usually near trees or hedges for cover. They also use what is known as an ‘anvil stone’where they will smash snail shells to feed on the snails. If you find a pile of broken shells this could be why

WINTER - BIRDS

From summer onwards you will see flocks of starlings begin to build up on the fields. Their numbers increase as the breeding season ends and by winter there may be many hundreds, or even thousands, of birds in total. As the winter progresses, their numbers are further swelled by birds from Scandinavia fleeing harsher weather. They get together to feed before they roost under the pier where they are famous for their incredible evening flights, called Murmurations, where hundreds of birds perform aerobatic displays. You may be lucky enough to see them do that here, but otherwise they’ll be forming noisy flocks often down on the sports fields. Starlings are also good mimics and will sometimes surprise you by sounding like a different bird or even a phone.

Roedean School Nature Trail

You may be lucky enough to see a family of herons down in the bottom left hand corner of the field is the area where woody waste is composted or in the field next to it. They may be feeding or they might just be sitting waiting for the tide to turn so they can try their luck in the rockpools at low tide.

As the name suggests, male blackbirds are entirely black in colour. Females however, are actually dark brown, with lighter brown streaks on the breast. Juveniles look similar to fully grown females but have copper streaks. Males have a bright yellow bill and a distinctive yellow ring around their eye

www.birdnote.org

www.rspb.org.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

WINTER - PLANTS

During the winter, some plants produ have their seeds distributed by birds the Euonymus hedges, with their pin hawthorn berries in hedgerows along black berries of ivy in the border that There are also Crab Apples and Sorb Sculpture garden. These are all great

Nature doesn’t totally hibernate in w Hellebores and the flowering shrub V border.

www.hedgenursery.co.uk

www.planetnatural.com

www.healthline.com

www.gardenersdream.co.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

WINTER - FLOWERS

From January onwards, the first bulbs are flowering These include the little Hoop Petticoat Daffodils and Iris reticulata as well as Snowdrops.

Roedean School Nature Trail

WINTER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

Can you find signs of overwintering invertebrates (without disturbing them) in the Bug Hotel?

There are about 5000 different ladybird species in the world but the most familiar is the North American seven spotted ladybird.

There are about 40,000 known species of spiders. Most spiders use a web to catch their prey, which is usually insects

On very mild days Queen Bumblebees will be out and the first butterflies venture forth as early as February

www.pexels.com

www.nhsn.org.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

Roedean School Nature Trail

SPRING - BIRDS

Spring is a really good time to see migrating birds. Roedean is a landmark for birds as well as people, and some birds make landfall here after crossing the channel. Lookout in the trees and hedges for warblers such as chiff-chaffs (named after their simple calls) and garden warblers You might see a goldcrest, Britains smallest bird, in the pines by the greenhouse and these and the surrounding trees are good for spotting small birds that will feed here for a day or 2 before continuing their journeys

One of the traditional signs of Spring is the first Swallow. Although they don’t breed at the school, they do pass through These and the other Hirondelles (with swifts and Martins) often make landfall here and so you can see them feeding and catching up with the rest of their flock in the skies when they arrive The fields over the farm are a favoured spot.

Down on the fields you might spot a flock of tree pipits. Small brown birds that hop across the grass in search of food. They stopover every year for up to a week, but sadly their numbers are well reduced from about 70 birds around a decade ago, to usually less than 20 now.

We usually get a family of wheatears feeding here for about a week on their spring journey They favour the sports fields.

www.allaboutbirds.org

www.bto.org

www.pexels.com

SPRING - BIRDS

Although they are here all year, it isn’t until the sunny days that you will hear the beautiful song of the skylarks. Look high into the air to try and see them. The song flight of the male can take him so high that you can barely see him They are visible and very much audible, along the perimeter of the school because they nest on the ground in the surrounding fields. If you listen closely enough you can identify individual birds and also guess their age because their songs become more complex with age.

Birds are nesting at this time of year as well as passing through. If you see a bird with moss or leaves or twigs in their beaks, they are nest building, and if you see birds with food in their beaks it means they are feeding their young If you stand back from the nestboxes you might see who is in residence. Don’t ever look inside or touch birds nests or baby birds because their parents will then abandon them and they will die.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SPRING - PLANTS

Spring is a lovely time of year for flow flower forms and colours to attract d naturalised red anemones on the ban D&T steps.

Leaves should be unfurling in the Sch blossom, although the trees are still v pollinators, usually bees, to form the

Apple trees are deciduous growing up shaped with a serrated shape. In the pale pink flowers appear.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SPRING - FLOWERS

Many of our wildflowers bloom in spring Here on chalk grassland we have many of the indicator species such as Knapweeds, (in longer grass), Birds-foot trefoil and wild thyme(alongside the steps to the Pavillion is a good place for this).

There are many other flowers here to see, from the common ones such as Daisies, to the extremely rare , extremely small and extremely difficult to spot Shepherds Needle. Last seen at the bottom of the steps in the bank that runs down the cricket field. Go on…try your luck at finding it! It is an incredibly rare plant and the school was one of its last known records locally If you are lucky enough to spot it, please let me know.

We also have 2 Orchids here, both Pyramidal Orchids (Anacampsis pyramidalis) one is at the top of the bank at the back of the Pavillion and one at the back of Keswick.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SPRING - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

On warmer days you will see the first butterflies of spring. These are usually the species that hibernate, such as Peacocks, Commas and Red Admirals, which have been overwintering as adults in sheltered places.

Queen bumblebees will also be looking for nectar to feed on and pollen to help them raise the next generation. Only the queens survive the winter, the new young bees are much smaller at first, although they will never grow as big as the queen

Look out for other bees, such as Mason bees in walls and Ground bees in soil. They can be found in farm, woodland edges, hedgerows and fieldland: anywhere there are flowers to feed on.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SPRING - ANIMALS

If we’re lucky, there may be frogspawn in the pond.

There will be baby rabbits along many of the banks and alongside hedges.You can see rabbits all year around, but you have to remember to be quiet. Behind the science lab and near the front gate are good places to look.

Sometimes you may see Weasels and Stoats, also with their eyes on baby rabbits. They are amazingly agile hunters, and stoats can even take adult rabbits that are far bigger than them.

So if you are lucky enough to see one, which is it? They’re very similar but stoats are bigger and have a black tip on their tails. Further north, they can also change colour to white in the winter, although here in the south winters are seldom cold enough, but sometimes they can partially moult and have white on their backs

As you will most likely see them running, a weasel runs close to the ground whereas stoats have a more bounding gait. Although they can turn up anywhere where there are rabbits, down by the main gate in the conservation area, the hedges behind Keswick and along the back fence of the farm are all good places to look

Spring evenings can bring the rather scary calls of foxes. They aren’t harmful, just noisy.

www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org

www.livescience.com

britishwildlifecentre.co.uk

www.thenational.scot

Roedean School Nature Trail

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - BIRDS

Many small birds may have more than one brood per year and during the summer you will see fledglings (baby birds) being fed by their parents. If you see birds such as robins and blackbirds with their beaks full of insects they are feeding young. If they have left the nest, you can watch the babies compete for the food their parents bring back..but don’t go and look at the nests themselves.

Robins can be seen around biology or along the fence by the entrance. They are usually quite round birds with red on the front. They can be seen all year round, although mostly in spring and usmmer. They can be sighted mostly in daytime Robins sing to defend their territory. Also, did you know that robins can fly at 1732 mph? A lot of young birds do not look like the adults For example baby robins do not have a red breast, they are brown and stripey. Juvenile gulls are brown too and you can hear them whining at their parents for food

www.pexels.com

Although there are no females around here, the male Kestrels will still defend their territory against other males. If you hear a sustained, piercing shriek from a bird, it could be the male Kestrel warning a rival After all, Roedean is a great patch and well worth defending. You will see them hunting by hovering, staying motionless even in the Roedean wind Other times they will be on the buildings and often on top of the lights on the Astro. Kestrels are common and widespread throughout the UK. The kestrel population has fallen significantly since 1970. They have a signature hovering technique when hunting Kestrels are a similar length to a sparrowhawk but with longer wings, and they glide less frequently. Their reddishbrown backs are speckled with black spots and their buffy breasts and bellies have rows of bold, black spots running down them, unlike the horizontal bars of a sparrowhawk.

www.pexels.com

SUMMER - BIRDS

Other raptors (birds of prey) you may see here are Buzzards, circling high in the sky with a mewling cry. Sparrowhawks- the male has a blue back and is much smaller than the female. They often fly low and fast along hedgerows hunting birds, but the last time I saw one here, it was on the roof of House 4, having just tried to catch a starling(it missed) Occasionally a peregrine passes through. Inland they feed mainly on Pigeons, but here on the coast their main prey is gulls The Peregrine falcon is the worlds fastest bird when it descends on its prey, known as ‘stooping’

On a summers evening you might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a ghostly white bird hunting across the fields near here. This is a Barn Owl. They are active at dawn and dusk as well as through the night, but you can sometimes see one in the evening while it is still light. Barn owls are distributed across Great Britain and Ireland. They live in open countryside and farmland, and can often be seen on roadside verges. Did you know? In some areas barn owls were known as 'demon owls', due to the harrowing shrieks they make. The Barn Owl, whose scientific name is Tyto alba is one of the world's most popular owls. It occurs in most continents, and although fairly common and adapted to life with humans,it is rarely seen by many due largely to its nocturnal habits.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - FLOWERS

Flowers of all shapes and sizes will hopefully be blooming in summer, both wildflowers and those in the gardens. It’s a great opportunity to see the different types of flowers and marvel at their variety.

Our native knapweeds are great butterfly plants which flower in summer.

If you smell a really strong perfumed flower , try looking (and sniffing)opposite Roedean House..it could be Privet. It’s a popular hedging plant, but this means its often cut at the expense of the flowers In the ‘copse’ opposite Roedean House it has grown to flowering size and its strong perfume can be smelt as far away as House 4 and the Pavillion.

Other scented plants include Catmint along the long border at D&T, Lavender in the bench border outside Keswick and Salvias in Horizons. Its no surprise that these plants are really popular with bees and butterflies.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

The Red-eyed Damselfly has dark red eyes and blue at the end of the abdomen for male, and brown-red eyes and green colouration on the sides of the thorax for female. It is typically seen on floating leaves, seeming to prefer lily pads but any floating leaf or debris may hold one You can find them in the pond next to the bug hotel from Mid-May.

Damselflies are smaller and more delicate than dragonflies They rest with wings folded over their bodies and have eyes separated on either side of their head.

Dragonflies are larger than damselflies and stronger fliers. They rest with their wings spread out from their bodies and their eyes meet at the centre line of their heads

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

Brown Hawker unsurprisingly has a brown body and brown tinted wings It is the only larger dragonfly with coloured wings and is therefore distinctive and easy to recognise, particularly as it is most often seen in flight. It seems more wary than other Hawkers and generally sees you before you see it. However, sometimes it will perch and allow a close approach.

The Emperor Dragonfly our largest dragonfly and one of the largest insects found in Britain. Males are a bright blue and difficult to confuse with any other species. It generally prefers larger ponds and other water bodies but often visits gardens to investigate smaller ponds. It is highly territorial and will constantly patrol a pond and chase away not just rival males but also other species of dragonfly. The female is green and will generally only visit a pond to lay eggs She will land on floating vegetation and lower the tip of her abdomen into the water to insert her eggs before moving to another suitable piece of vegetation

We recorded 16 species of butterflies here last year. See how many you can see? A number of the larger species feed on flowers in the gardens, but the best place to see the smaller species such as the Blues and Skippers, is the mini meadow behind the greenhouse.

british-dragonflies.org.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

Red Admiral

A large and strong-flying butterfly and common in gardens. This familiar and distinctive insect may be found anywhere in Britain and Ireland and in all habitat types

butterfly-conservation.org

Gatekeeper

It is widespread in southern Britain and its range has extended northwards in recent years. Its range is far more localized in southern Ireland.

butterfly-conservation.org

Comma

The species has a flexible life cycle, which allows it to capitalize on favourable weather conditions. However, the most remarkable feature of the Comma has been its severe decline in the twentieth century and subsequent comeback It is now widespread in southern Britain and its range is expanding northwards.

www.rarebirdalert.co.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

Common Blue

The Common Blue is the most widespread blue butterfly in Britain and Ireland and is found in a variety of grassy habitats.

www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk

Small White

This common butterfly is found in a variety of habitats, particularly gardens and allotments where cabbages are grown.

Cabbage White

The Cabbage White Butterfly lives in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and heath.

Marbled White

www.pexels.com www.pexels.com

In July it flies in areas of unimproved grassland and can occur in large numbers on southern downland. It shows a marked preference for purple flowers such as Wild Marjoram, Field Scabious, thistles, and knapweeds.

Adults may be found roosting halfway down tall grass stems.

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

Brown Argus

This small butterfly is characteristic of southern chalk and limestone grassland but occurs in a variety of other open habitats as far north as north Wales and Yorkshire It is a close relative of the Northern Brown Argus, which is restricted to Scotland and northern England

Wall

butterfly-conservation.org

The Wall favours short, open grassland, where turf is broken or stony.

Small Skipper

Prefers open places with long grass, such as unimproved rough grassland, downs, road verges, field edges and woodland glades.

www.dorsetbutterflies.com

The Holly Blue is widespread but undergoes large fluctuations in numbers from year to year. It has expanded northwards in recent years and has colonised parts of midland and northern England.

www.dorsetbutterflies.com

butterfly-conservation.org

Holly Blue

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - INSECTS & ARACHNIDS

Peacock

The peacock is found in a range of habitats.

Painted Lady

This common and widespread migrant likes dry open areas but can be seen anywhere in a good year.

butterfly-conservation.org

butterfly-conservation.org

Small Heath

The number of broods and the flight periods are variable, and adults may be seen continuously from late April to September on some sites in southern England.

Small Copper

Widespread through Britain and Ireland, and occasionally visits gardens

butterfly-conservation.org

butterfly-conservation.org

Roedean School Nature Trail

Hornet Moth adults can be found resting on poplar trunks after they have emerged in June.

butterfly-conservation.org

The 6 Spot Burnet is widespread in England and Wales, rarer in Scotland where it is mainly found near the coast.

butterfly-conservation.org

The Hummingbird Hawk Moth is found in many habitats from coastal areas to gardens, woodland rides and urban areas Have you seen a Hummingbird Hawkmoth? They are a day flying moth that really does look like a Hummingbird. They hover around flowers with their proboscis extended whereas most butterflies and moths retract theirs in flight Their favourite flowers are Lavender, Buddlejas and Salvias in the gardens and the Valerian flowers in the wilder areas. They are really lovely insects..but it can be a challenge to try and photograph them.

butterfly-conservation.org

SUMMER - ANIMALS

On warm days,in sunny patches, look for slow worms and lizards.They’re ‘solar powered’ so they like to bask and are therefore sometimes seen on paths, or open places with cover nearby. Slow worms look like little snakes, but they are lizards without legs Lizards (with legs) can sometimes be seen, but they are very fast at getting out of the way if they spot you. I saw a baby lizard alongside Horizons last summer so they are obviously breeding here.

Slow worms have a very different diet to snakes, making a meal of much smaller prey. Slow worms snack on a variety of invertebrates, including slugs, snails, spiders and earthworms. Although they pick mainly slowmoving prey, their backward curving teeth are perfect for keeping hold of any wriggly or slippery critters.

butterfly-conservation.org

If you see little tunnels in the longer grass, these are made by voles and you can sometimes hear mice and voles rustling in the undergrowth and longer grass

Roedean School Nature Trail

SUMMER - ANIMALS

Old mouse nests are a favourite place for Bumblebees to nest.

Boarders, or those at the school around dusk onwards could try standing in the Cloisters to see if you can catch a glimpse of the Bats in the Belfry They do not hibernate as such, but will only come out on mild evenings so summer is one of the best times to spot them.

Also in the evenings and at night, foxes and their cubs can be seen and heard. The cubs are very playful, like puppies.

www.pexels.com/

ibats.org.uk

www.rspca.org.uk

Roedean School Nature Trail

Roedean School Nature Trail

AUTUMN - BIRDS

The same birds that pass through here in the spring, also come back this way in the autumn on their return trip to avoid our winter. In the autumn we say goodbye to the Hirondelles Swallows, Swifts and Martins

From late summer, through autumn flocks of House Martins stop over around the main school to feed. They can range from a handful of birds, to large colonies.

Swallows are usually in smaller family groups and do not stop for as long,mostly just flying through in a very determined manner, often lower than Swifts and Martins..

Swifts can be seen and heard, but sadly not in the numbers of past years They fly high and have a screaming call and their silhouetthe is one of sharp, angular wings and a longer body than the House Martins, but a shorter tail than a Swallow They rarely land and can even mate and sleep on the wing!

If you look out to sea, there are many birds on the move. Small mainly white birds(from here) are Terns, usually Common or Sandwich Terns. They can be seen hovering and then diving for food. Larger white birds that dive will be gannets Long lines of dark birds, flying low over the waves in straight line flocks are usually Guillemots, a type of Auk . They nest in large colonies on cliff edges. These and the closely related Razorbills are seen at the end of the breeding season, but s

www.allaboutbirds.org

www.animalspot.net

AUTUMN - BIRDS

Pheasants arelarge, long-tailed game birds The males have rich chestnut, golden-brown and black markings on their bodies and tails, with a dark green head and red face wattling. Females are mottled with paler brown and black

Adult Herring Gulls have light grey backs, white under parts, and black wing tips with white 'mirrors' Their legs are pink with webbed feet and they have heavy, slightly curved bills marked with a red spot Young birds are mottled brown. Their legs are pink with webbed feet and they have heavy, slightly curved bills marked with a red spot Young birds are mottled brown. This species is on the Red Listdue to ongoing population declines and wintering population declines.

A Green Woodpeckers wings are dark green, with a paler breast and a yellow rump The cheeks are black with a prominent red cap on top. Males have a red streak below their cheeks, but females do not.

www.pexels.com

www.pexels.com

www.discoverwildlife.com

AUTUMN - FLOWERS

The Dog Rose’s flowering season is from May to August, and they are found in hedgerows and at the woodland edges They also have eye-catching red fruits which ripen around September to October. Dog rose hips are also a good source of vitamin C and are used to make tea and syrup.

Roedean School Nature Trail

Male badgers are called 'boars' and female ones are called ' sows. They have black and white-striped face, grey fur and short furry tail. It is one of the UK's most recognised and popular mammals

Roedean School Nature Trail

Created by the

Roedean Eco Council

ROEDEANSCHOOL NATURE TRAIL