News and updates

The longest day is now behind us and summer is in full swing! On the heath the heather will soon start to flower along with heath speedwell and eyebright. A characteristic sound of the heath in mid-summer is the crackle … Continue reading →

The last newsletter was posted in March before the lockdown, so there’s a bit of catching up to do on the wildlife front. Stover’s residents had the Park pretty much to themselves during the end of March and early April … Continue reading →

Just as winter is at its dreariest the wildflowers are starting to pop up. Snowdrops and celandines have been in flower for several weeks, and in sheltered spots keep an eye out for dog’s mercury and primrose. Coltsfoot and sweet … Continue reading →

With the shortest day thankfully behind us, spring isn’t far away. Spring is signalled in the form of birdsong. The usual communication calls of birds are joined by the songs of territorial birds claiming their space and advertising for mates. … Continue reading →

Stover’s autumnal gold’s and red’s, which have been spectacular this year, are finally fading and falling now that winter has descended. The woodland birds will now have fewer daylight hours in which to feed. Normally many insects have gone into … Continue reading →

November is the month when old man’s beard covers the trees and hedgerows. Late-flowering ivy, scabious and michaelmas daisy provides nectar for many insects before they hibernate for the winter. During October the weather stayed unseasonably mild with butterflies still … Continue reading →

October is the month when the trees are in their full autumn colours. With the shorter days and less powerful sun, the trees are no longer running efficiently and are reabsorbing the green chemical chlorophyll, leaving the brown, russet and … Continue reading →

The leaves on the elder trees are just starting to turn yellow indicating that autumn has finally caught up with Stover. Horse chestnut and beech are usually the next trees to don their autumn colours. For the next month the … Continue reading →

The quiet month of August, with the bird song all but over, heralds the start of the bird migration. Stover’s migrants will start to put on weight in the next few weeks in preparation for their long journey south. They … Continue reading →