Newsletters

May is the month when the rhododendron, azalea, and yellow flag start to flower; the trees come into leaf; the last of the summer migrants return, and when the dawn chorus is at its peak. Nightjars usually start arriving from … Continue reading →

April is the month that the woodland plants have been waiting for all through the winter. Bluebell leaves are emerging along with ramson leaves; and violets, primroses, dog’s mercury, wood anemone and celandine are all in flower. All these plants … Continue reading →

Spring has arrived at Stover and it won’t be long before many of the animals that have hibernated over the winter will start to emerge. Look out for the white blooms of blackthorn (blackthorn flowers before it comes into leaf) … Continue reading →

Just as winter is at its dreariest the wildflowers are starting to pop up. January has been a mild month with few frosts and snowdrops and celandines have been in flower for several weeks. In sheltered spots keep an eye … Continue reading →

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 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 … Continue reading →

Stover’s autumnal golds and reds, which arrived later this year due to the mild weather, are finally fading and falling now that winter has descended. The woodland birds will now have fewer daylight hours in which to feed. Most insects … 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 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 →