June Wildlife

Some images from my travels around the Forest of Dean, so far during the month of June.

Frog
Toad
Butterfly
Dragonflies
Wild boar
Roe deer
Fallow deer
Birds

Frog

Wild boar

Tortoiseshell butterfly

Roe deer (doe)

Toad

Male broad bodied chaser

Four spotted dragonfly

Fallow deer (doe)

Emperor dragonfly

Common lizard

Wild boar

Wild boar sow

Wild boar sow

Juvenile wrens

Juvenile wrens

Wild boar

Oh Deer!

A Fallow & Roe Encounter

The past few nights have been encouraging and although I was actually out tracking wild boar, I did manage some nice fallow deer shots and a fleeting roe encounter.

I did stumble (literally) upon two young male boar sleeping, but before I could raise the camera they were bolting through the forest, weaving through the trees like two torpedoes.
If you have ever seen a wild boar run you will understand that when they take off, they can reach speeds up to 20-25mph within a second or two and in dense woodland, all you can do is watch them fade away into the shadows.
Another encounter was of a sow, but yet again it was of her bum disappearing into some dense plantation. There is no point following as it is too dense and you would just disturb them for no purpose.

Moving on and covering approximately 5 miles in total I did find some handsome fallow bucks, which were a little more accommodating.

I never tire of seeing deer, but there is one species that I adore and that is the roe deer, Britain's true native deer species.
There were 5 in total and although I get a massive buzz every time I see them, I couldn't have picked a worst location as they were right next to a old, half collapsed Forestry fence and the sun was in my face. 
Unfortunately you can't predict when and where you are going to have your encounter, so I made the best of it that I could.

Roe Buck

Here we have forest ecology at work; wild boar diggings deep in the forest. To some, this looks unsightly when it appears on the road verges, but I dare anyone to prove that this is actually bad for the forest?
This activity unearths dormant seeds and cultivates the soil, revitalising and regenerating it after centuries of being compacted.
The wild boar are partly responsible for creating our living landscape, from when they lived wild throughout Britain centuries ago. 

Boar Rooting, Deep in the Forest

And what better than a natural fertiliser! There were absolutely loads of boar turds like this strewn throughout the boar diggings, with most already trodden into the exposed soil.

Ask any farmer what muck spreading does for their land as this is what is naturally happening throughout our forest every year. 

Wild Boar Turds

I couldn't leave you without showing a cute humbug shot!

Oink Oink!

And finally, it may feel like we have missed spring this year, but the signs are still out there!

Spring Lamb

Rob

The Weeks Ahead

Over the coming weeks I have a few meetings, which will definitely keep me busy!

I am soon to meet with the Forestry Commission to work out the best plan of action regarding the wild boar. I'm not expecting them to implement my suggestions, but I do hope they will listen. The wild boar require management, but only when absolutely necessary and this is something I am hoping to help them with, to get a better understanding of boar numbers throughout the area, so that a more accurate guess can be made when a cull is imminent.

I will also be attending a talk on ash die back, to hopefully better understand what is going on within our forests. Huge amounts of larch has been felled and is still being felled throughout the UK and the sooner we get on top of these issues the better.

Then a meeting with Forest of Dean District Council regarding Northern United (Northern Area Action Plan).

As I have been surveying and monitoring this area for wildlife for many years, I have been invited to a meeting to discuss the area and the wildlife. I welcome this invitation as it is local people with local knowledge who can really help, not people pulled in from far and wide that do not know the area and the wildlife present.
I have never approved of the development of this area, but if Northern is to get the green light, I am not going to sit on my hands, or bury my head in the sand as a defeatist. I will work with them to make sure the wildlife comes first and that sensitive and unique areas are maintained, preserved and protected.

Then... It's off to one of my favourite areas in the Forest of Dean to work with Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on a project to manage reptile habitat.
Really looking forward to this as it is where I excel and the excitement of knowing that you will one day find an adder basking in an area that you have helped create is amazing!

Spring is around the corner and I am looking forward to warmer days and lighter evenings, so I can get out with the camera more often.

I leave you with some photographs of wildlife 

All photographed in the magnificent Forest of Dean

Roe Buck

Wild Boar Sow and her Piglet 2012

Red Fox

Baby Grey Squirrel

Wood Mouse Nicking the Bird Food!

Me, Photographing Wild Boar

Portrait of a Wild Boar Sow; From Encounter Above

Male Great Spotted Woodpecker Searching for Bugs

Cinnabar Larvae on Ragwort and Cinnabar Moths on Thistle

Male Adder Basking in Bracken

Wild Boar Sow, Checking Me Out!

Female Adder Photographed From a Distance of a Few Inches

And Finally, a Guard Hornet Guarding the Nest

Rob

Happy 2012!

At the start of 2011, I along with many others had no idea what the future held for our forests in the UK. As the months passed, the support and passion from local people soon became evident and it also became clear to our Government and local MP's that we were not going to give up our forests without a fight!
When the day came that our Government backtracked on its plans to privatise our forests, it was a massive relief for me as I didn't want to imagine the devastation these plans could have on our forests and the wildlife living within. My very sincere thanks to all who put their weight behind the HooF campaign and also to the many who supported this cause with so much passion.
The forests mean so much to many of us, for many different reasons. The time I spend in the forest with our varied and healthy wildlife can never be topped and I hope that it will always be out there for future generations to enjoy. For this reason we must always be ready to stand up and fight again and again and again if the fire reignites!

2012 will undoubtedly bring its hardships and personal battles to many of us, but there is something out there; something that has the capability to help us through the toughest of times, and that is nature. If you are looking for a way to escape the stress of modern life and the worries it brings, take nature into your life and realise what life is really about.
I wish you all the best for 2012.

Below are some of my favourite photographs of wildlife from the last 12 months in the Forest of Dean....















And finally, a photograph that for me "is" the Forest of Dean. The wild boars may have been illegally released and they may not be every ones cup of tea. However, they are here to stay and I for one will keep up the fight until they are given the status and protection the deserve.

Happy 2012!



Rob