 |
Kilminorth Wildlife Diary
|
Many animals can be seen all year round. For example, the little
egrets now stay all year round and nest in the Looe Valleys. This diary
suggests just some of the many different species that live there and some of
the best times to see, hear or find evidence of them in or near Kilminorth
Woods. We will add to this page when we can, so please look
again.
|
| January |
| January is a good time to walk quietly in the woods and listen to
the sounds of wildlife. You may hear the drumming of a great spotted
woodpecker announcing its territory, or spot the silhouette of a
tawny owl high in an oak tree. Listen for the soft calls of
wintering redwing. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| February |
| February is usually the month that the handsome
shelduck returns to the West Looe river, where you may also see
little grebes. At low tide large numbers of gulls
(with at least three species) congregate on the mud. A first sighting in
February 2011 - dabchicks.. |
| |
 |
|
| March |
| Late March, early April is the best time to see the
herons nesting at the heronry in Trenant Woods across the river
from the Millpool Car Park - before the leaves emerge and hide the nests.
Primroses are in bloom along the Giant's Hedge. Watch the feeder
near the Millpool gate for jays, nuthatches and tits. Kilminorth
has five resident members of the tit family. Great, blue and coal tits
are all common, but look out for the more unusual marsh and
long-tailed tits. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| April |
|
is bluebell time, particularly at the Watergate end of the
bridlepath, where you can see native bluebells. Spring is well under way. See
the signs with fresh primroses, green beech leaves, wild cherry blossom,
honeysuckle and ferns opening. Woodland flowering plants in Kilminorth
include the early purple orchid, which can be seen at this time of year. Watch
for the first orange tip and speckled wood butterflies of the
year. Ravens have chicks in the nest by now and can be seen
chasing off 'mewing' buzzards if they come too close. On the
river the first mallard ducklings are appearing.
Chiffchaffs are returned from Africa and are singing loudly
throughout the woods, and if you are lucky you may hear the sweet descending
cadence of a willow warbler. Wood pigeons - one of
the commonest birds in Kilminorth - are nesting, and cooing everywhere. Listen
too for the ringing 'yaffle' of the elusive green woodpecker.
Many birds are nesting now. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| May |
| The Dawn Chorus Walk is always held in the first weekend in May
for good reasons - most birds are proclaiming their territories and the summer
visitors have returned. On average 30-35 different species of bird are seen or
heard every year, including great spotted woodpecker, nuthatch, buzzard,
mistle thrush, blackcap, tree creeper, goldcrest, as well as the
commoner woodland species. Sparrowhawk, garden warbler and
swift have also been spotted. If you're really lucky a
peregrine falcon may pass over! Also watch out now for birds raising
their young. For full details of birds seen or heard on Dawn Chorus walks over
the last 5 years
see the
list here. Bluebells, wood anenomes, dog violets
and wood sorrell are all around now. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| June |
| Is
a great time to go bug hunting. You may find a dor beetle, harvestman
spider, a woodlouse, caterpillars and many more! Chiffchaffs and
blackcaps are still singing, and along the river look out for new
families of grey wagtails and shelduck. Cow wheat
is flowering now and bilberries (sometimes known as
whortleberries) are starting to fruit. New visitors in 2010 have
been three Egyptian geese near Watergate. These birds are usually
found further east in UK. Exciting news for 2011 - we now have evidence, of
what we had believed for a while, that dormice are in Kilminorth
Woods. These elusive little creatires are now rare and are strictly proitected
by law. See the news
page for more details of this fantastic news! Another new spotting in 2011
is the forest shield bug while not very rare it isn't common
either. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| July |
| Mute swans and canada geese are the largest species
on the river in July. Look out too for young herons and egrets on
the mud. June and July are the
best months to view moths and butterflies. In 2008, over 150 different species
were recorded in Kilminorth Woods by Looe's 'mothmaid', the late Donna
Whitlock. Kilminorth is a good place to see woodland butterflies like the
holly blue and the silver washed fritillary, as well as commoner species
like the meadow brown, peacock and red admiral. Among the moths there
are hawk moths, swallowtails, peach blossoms, emeralds, pugs, waves,
prominants and snouts, and Kilminorth is also the home of the very rare
scarce merveille du jour (see picture on
gallery
page). On 2 July 2010, Cornwall Moth Group recorded 90 species of moth in
one evening, including nationally scarce B list species: the pammene
fasciana, two lead-coloured pugs and a waved
carpet. Two pammene germmana were recorded, this species
is a “rarely recorded” scarce moth in Cornwall. And the Red Data book
species, the scare merveille du jour was also recorded. Download the
full report here. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| August |
| This is a good month to see pipistrelle, soprano pipistrelle,
daubenton, noctules and natterers bats. They can be found at dusk near
the main gate, at the old boatyard site or along the bridleway where the trees
clear a little. Although the best time to see them is just before dawn -
evidently! Cormorants can be seen at almost any time of year, but
in the summer can often been found stretching their wings near the Millpool.
Kingfishers are also year-round residents, most often seen near
Watergate, but are sometimes seen on boats moored near the Millpool and even as
close to Looe as the bridge. If you are patient you may be rewarded with a
sighting of these colourful birds - or see a flash of blue as they fly past! A
summer visitor, from France, this month is the humming bird moth
which looks very like its namesake and can sometimes be seen on flowers like
buddleia. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| September |
| A
good time to see grey squirrels on the bird table by the
entrance, or near the old boatyard site. Other smaller mammals like wood
mice, pigmy shrews and bank voles are numerous but difficult to see
(unless you're a tawny owl!). Watch out for migrating waders
along the river edges - perhaps a greenshank or common sandpiper.
You may also see a bar-tailed godwit on the West Looe River. In
2008 a great northern diver was seen in the river in September
but is more likely to be seen in January or February off Hannafore. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| October |
| National Badger Day is in October. Our resident
badgers can be seen at one of several setts in Kilminorth Woods
at most times of the year. There are also resident foxes.
Although sightings are rare,roe deer are often seen in Kilminorth
Woods and evidence, in the form of tracks and droppings are more common. A Looe
boatman has seen deer swimming across the river from Trenant to Kilminorth, and
they sometimes can be seen feeding in fields on the Trenant side of the river.
In this month wintering waders and wildfowl appear along the river -
curlew, oystercatcher and redshank - and there may be large
flocks of canada geese. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| November |
| A
great time for looking for fungi - numerous species can be found
in Kilminorth Woods - candle snuff, honey fungus, oak milkcap, bracket
fungus, common earthball, clouded agaric, razor strop fungus and many
more. Listen for the calls of flocks of small birds wandering the woods -
especially long-tailed tits and goldcrests. . There has been an unconfirmed report of a
dormouse in Kilminorth Woods so we are working closely with an
expert to monitor sites to try to establish conclusive evidence of this elusive
little mammal. |
| |
| |
 |
|
| December |
While we're busy preparing for Christmas the resident wildlife are
trying to cope with the colder weather. If you are lucky you may find a special
visitor like a firecrest. A new sighting in December 2010 was a
woodcock, not easily seen unless disturbed.
|
|
| If
you see something in Kilminorth Woods that you'd like us to add to this list,
please get in touch via the
contact
page and let us know what you've seen and we may include it for
you! |
|
| Please note, all media on this
website is the copyright of Friends of Kilminorth Woods members and must not be
used without prior permission |
|
