6 minute read
Wildlife
The Winter Woodland Realm
As winter sets in, Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Reserves Ecologist Steve Masters urges us all to go down to the woods today
As winter’s cloak settles on the British countryside and wisps of mist float among the treetops, a walk among some of our oldest organisms is a must. Entering the woodland winter realm evokes a calming sense of contentedness. As you descend deeper into the recesses of canopy and understorey, you retreat from the elements outside, whether environmental or anthropogenic. Immerse yourself and let your imagination run wild with the history of these most ancient of habitats – the large herbivores of Britain’s past sheltering among the trees and grazing in woodland clearings; our distant relatives coppicing and working the woods for fuel and building materials; and for many of us of a certain age, Enid Blyton’s faraway tree, sheltering its magical folk. These old, mainly broad-leaved woodland habitats in Dorset are home to an incredibly diverse range of wildlife. The towering canopy of trees, often oak ash or beech, supports thousands of species. In winter, bird song is scarce, but the crisp air is occasionally pierced by the high-pitched peeping of troops of long-tailed tits, flitting from tree to tree in search of food. Although deer in some areas currently pose a threat to the natural regeneration of woodlands, winter is a good time to see and hear them, especially as they rut, as the vegetation dies back. As you walk, take time to contemplate the ‘wood wide web’ beneath your feet, a combination of fungi, bacteria and roots, all interconnected. This network allows the altruistic sharing of food and
communications between trees and other plants. In winter though, you may need to delve a little deeper for your wildlife fix and notice the more introverted of woodland species.
Fungi
An important cog in the woodland ecosystem, fungi are key to recycling organic matter and helping to lock up carbon. Each time you place your foot on the woodland soil you are standing on miles of underground fungal mycorrhizae – what we see above ground is just the fruiting body of the fungi. One spectacular iconic species to keep an eye out for at the moment is the fly agaric, with its bright red cap and bright white stalk. Its colour is nature’s warning of its toxic nature.
Ferns
These ancient plants, relics of times when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, are often overlooked. Their reproduction is reliant on moisture, so they often inhabit the shadier parts of woodland. Sometimes they will be perched high above your head, growing epiphytically on mosscovered tree branches. One of the most common species to look out for on your winter walk is soft shield fern, a typical shuttlecock form growing on the woodland floor. They can be large plants, but their surprisingly delicate fronds are divided several times to give a soft, feathery appearance.
Mosses and liverworts
One of the oldest lineages of plants on our planet, this diminutive floral is abundant across our woodlands, often forming cushioned mats across trees, rock and woodland floor. Their amazing structures are often difficult to see with the naked eye but are really brought to life with a magnifying glass. One species which you’re likely to come across is mouse-tailed moss, growing around the base of trees. It gives a lovely, cushioned spot to sit for that coffee break!
Find your nearest forest
We are lucky in Dorset to have a wide variety of woodlands. Dorset Wildlife Trust looks after a number of them: Powerstock Common and Bracketts Coppice in West Dorset; Kilwood and Stonehill Down in the Purbecks; Girdlers Coppice and Ashley Wood in North Dorset. So, take some time, find a spot where the signal is strong, connect yourself into the Wood Wide Web and down your load.
Find out more about Dorset Wildlife Trust’s woodland nature reserves: dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves
Fly agaric – if eaten it can cause hallucinations and psychotic reactions
A winter-active buff-tailed bumblebee, bombus terrestris, worker All images © Jane Adams
Winter bumblebees
Wildlife writer Jane Adams is on the lookout for a winter wild bee fix - even in December you can find them, she says
I’m not a massive fan of winter. With the onset of colder, shorter days and lower light levels, it isn’t long before I’m itching to see some summer wildlife again. I miss the insects. The very thought of bees humming and butterflies flickering across the veg patch is enough to make me feel warm and fuzzy inside. But did you know you can still get a wild bee fix in the depths of winter? Even on Christmas Day? You just need to go in search of winter active bumblebees. This isn’t as barmy as it sounds, I promise. Typically, bumblebee nests die out at the end of summer; the new queens have hatched, left the nest, mated, and gone into hibernation.
Surviving winter
But one species of bee has been trying something different. Since the late 1990s, people who study insects have been spotting buff-tailed bumblebees flying and feeding in the middle of winter. It appears that if they have a reliable source of food, a safe place to nest and a mild winter, some buff-tailed queens can set up a winter nest instead of hibernating. Although severe and prolonged cold weather would doubtless kill them, these tough bees can fly at temperatures of nearly zero degrees centigrade, so they can survive short cold snaps. One problem they do face is a lack of wild native flowers. But as luck would have it, we’ve been unintentionally solving this problem for them. Planted in our gardens, parks and around supermarkets, and bearing a mass of yellow pollen-rich flowers throughout winter, is a veritable bumblebee-buffet called Mahonia. It’s a common,
non-native, rather prickly, winter-flowering shrub. Now, if you were to trundle ‘up north’, you’re still unlikely to bump into a winter-active bumblebee. But in the climatechanged south, especially here in Dorset where we’re experiencing very mild winters, with fewer and fewer days of snow and frost, you stand a very good chance of seeing one. So, the next time you encounter some bright yellow flowers, take a closer look. You might find a black, white and yellow-striped reminder of summer softly humming to itself. Even on Christmas Day.
A rather soggy buff-tailed bumblebee queen
What to look for and where to see buff-tailed bumblebees in winter:
• Try to spot the large queens in October, November, and
December • Look for smaller worker (female) bumblebees from November onwards • Fairly small drone (male) bumblebees can be seen from January (did you know that male bumblebees don’t sting?) • Look closely at winter flowering plants such as Mahonia, various winterflowering heathers and winter honeysuckles where bees might be foraging for pollen and nectar • Look in town gardens, parks, carparks, around supermarkets, garden centres and various amenity shrubberies. • For the best chances of seeing one choose a bright, sunny but mild day.
