Wilder Kent Blog

Hothfield's evening bat and amphibian walk revealed pipistrelles, newts, and a nightingale's song, while rare heath spotted and Southern marsh orchids bloom in the reserve's acid bogs.

Hothfield Heathlands is abuzz with life in June! In the sky, on the ground, above the water, and under the surface - the reserve is busy, and so are our volunteers.

The glossy green spears that pierced dense leaf litter in late winter are now transformed into sheets of violet-purple-blue in the woodland edges of the reserve. The magical bluebell weeks began fairly early, a soft scent and a flood of colour that changes with the light and is tricky to catch accurately in photos since the flowers are not one solid colour.

We are into full nesting season including the birds who nest on the ground or very low down in scrub, which is over half of Britain’s breeding species including the stonechat, robin, blackbird, skylark, yellow hammer, tree pipit and chiff chaff, not to mention the migrants such as whitethroats who will arrive from the South in May.

It’s all happening, and unlike February, this month you can see and hear the signs, including the welcome trickling of water thanks to leaky dams and, yes, an awful lot of rain, so the squelch of mud on paths as well. Birds are calling, to defend territory, attract a mate, claim their space in roosts or just celebrate the dawn.

Long-time volunteer Margery Thomas explores the wildlife at Hothfield Heathlands in February, where reedmace tells a story...

If December was a merry berry month for humans celebrating mid-winter festivities, January and February are serious berry months for birds and mammals aiming to survive winter...

In our December instalment about Hothfield we focus on mosses and lichens on the reserve. Read on to find out more.