Wednesday, July 24, 2013

1] Disturbance of territories and 2] Ashley Whitlock

1] How does HIM react when his main territory is disturbed during the winter months? Does anyone have any experience of this?
One of our woods in UT is tiny: 0.75 sq. km.  It is on a steep slope, and the territory has been a very large Ash, two Oaks and some smaller Silver Birches, all within about 30m of each other, at the top of the slope. Every season we see, most days, up to 4 or 5 iris around these trees, with fewer further down the slope into the wood.
During the winter, as part of a dormouse conservation project, felling took place in the vicinity of these assembly trees, making them more exposed.
This July, we have seen fewer specimens at the top of the slope, sometimes none. What has surprised us, is that HIM seems to have 'decamped' to the bottom of the wood: on different days, observers have seen double figures here.
2] We commend Ashley Whitlock on his initiative to persuade members to survey more Hampshire Woods. Every season in UT, members go to new woods, and sometimes discover HIM, thus adding to the number of habitats. This is a very worthwhile activity. Of the 22 woods visited so far in 2013, three are new localities.
It takes great willpower to go to a new wood, knowing that you will probably not see HIM, when nearly everyone else seems to be going to Fermyn !


1 comment:

Liz Goodyear said...

I couldn't agree more with your comments Dennis, likewise!