Sherborne Woods, 14th December 2024

Sherborne National Trust estate falls largely into three habitats – tenanted arable farmland, water-meadows and woodland/wood-pasture.  Having walked round the second of these last year, eleven of us met to walk around the wooded part; given Storm Darragh the previous week, we wondered what we might find.

The walk started at the top of the hill with wood-pasture and a mixture of Beech, Lime species and Ash grouped in shelterbelts and an avenue of mature trees.  There were small flocks of Redwing and Starling moving around, and skulking Wren and Chaffinch.  We’d already heard a Green Woodpecker from Ewe Pen car-park without managing to locate it.  At a larger open field we came upon a loose herd of Roe Deer numbering about 20, coming into and out of view from the dead ground as we passed by.

When we moved into the wooded Pleasure Grounds, Yew and Elder became more prevalent, also some Box, and we found Jelly-ear fungus and Nectria (Coral Spot).  Later. other fungi included Witches’ Butter, Velvet Shank and King Alfred’s Cakes.  Nuthatches were occasionally heard as were Goldcrest, and, briefly, a Bullfinch. 

A large fallen Ash showed some of the damage the storm had done.  The tree was otherwise healthy but had been snapped off close to its thick base.  Further on an even larger Beech had been uprooted and had brought down a nearby conifer; although the Beech was sheltered in the woodland interior it had a noticeably shallow root system.

Sherborne Broad Water lies at the bottom of this hill.  It was originally ornamental but now left wild and eventually feeds into the Windrush.  Here we found about 60 Wigeon.  These were difficult to count as a large flock was spooked by something and wouldn’t settle – normally the Sherborne Wigeon will graze on the grass and then lift off only as far as the water if disturbed.  We were alerted to two Little Grebes by their call, and then saw a Kingfisher perched by the weir. 

The walk back produced a Marsh Tit in a village garden and a plantation of Larches in Ragged Copse.  Surprisingly for this area it was a morning without a Red Kite.

Andy Lewis


Blackbird Turdus merulaBlue Tit Cyanistes caeruleusBullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula
Buzzard Buteo buteoChaffinch Fringilla coelebsCoot Fulica atra
Little Egret Egretta garzettaGoldcrest Regulus regulusGreat Tit Parus major
Green Woodpecker Picus viridisGrey Heron Ardea cinereaJackdaw Corvus monedula
Kingfisher Alcedo atthisLittle Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollisLong-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Mallard Anas platyrhynchosMarsh Tit Poecile palustrisMoorhen Gallinula chloropus
Mute Swan Cygnus olorNuthatch Sitta europaeaPheasant Phasianus colchicus
Raven Corvus coraxRedwing Turdus iliacusRobin Erithacus rubecula
Rook Corvus frugilegusStarling Sternus vulgarisWigeon Anas penelope
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes  
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensisRoe Deer Capreolus capreolus 
Ash
Fraxinus excelsior
Beech Fagus sylvaticaBlackthorn Prunus spinosa
Box Buxus semprivirensCedar of Lebanon Cedranus libaniElder Sambucus nigra
Hawthorn Crataegus monogynaHazel Corylus avellanaLarch Larix decidua
Lime Tilia sppPedunculate  Oak Quercus roburPrivet Ligustrum spp
Candlesnuff Xylaria hypoxylonCoral Spot
Nectria
cinnabarina
Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae
King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentricaSulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculareVelvet Shank Flammulina velutipes
Witches’ Butter Exidia glandulosa  
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