January on the League Against Cruel Sports’ wildlife reserves

Winters can be tough for animals that live on the League Against Cruel Sports’ wildlife reserves.  

Deciduous trees and shrubs have lost their leaves, and the skeletal trunks and branches that remain offer little in terms of food or shelter. Only hardy mosses, lichen, and fungi have evolved to cling on in this inhospitable habitat. Even the grasses in the fields have lost their vigour and will rest until the weather picks up. On the League’s Baronsdown wildlife reserve, the nooks and crannies in our veteran trees and the stately old conifers at least provide some protection for birds and insects.  

Exmoor is known for its wet and windy weather, and this seems to be getting worse with the changing climate. We are still recovering from Storm Darragh, which brought down a lot of big trees on the wildlife reserves in December. The relentless battering from winds gusting up to 80mph identified weaknesses that were mostly invisible to the human eye. Making trees safe and clearing fallen trees is an arduous task that takes up a lot of our time. However, we are able to use some of the fallen timber after we have processed it through our mobile sawmill, and we leave a lot of deadwood on the ground as this provides important habitats for a host of wildlife.   

Looking forward, the days are already starting to lengthen, and the first flower bulbs are breaking through the soil on the League’s Baronsdown wildlife reserve. Snowdrops and daffodils may not be strictly native, but they provide some welcome cheer in the bleak landscape and a vital food source for insects. It is breeding time for foxes, and even if we don’t see them very often, there is a good chance of hearing their eerie calls on a still night. It is reassuring to know that they have a place where they can do their thing, away from the perils of fox hunting, shooting, and other forms of persecution. There are signs of activity around the badger setts, and high in the sky above, the mechanical cronks of ravens ring out as they perform aerial mating displays.   

Birdwatching is a simple pleasure that you can do anywhere, and it can be a great mindful activity to improve your mental health, which is especially beneficial during dull winter days. We are fortunate to get a huge variety of birds visiting the wildlife reserves to take advantage of the different habitats. It is great watching flocks of starlings working their way methodically through the fields probing for insects, or robins that miraculously appear whenever you disturb the soil. The annual RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch takes place from 24 to 26 January, and it is open to everyone, even if you are a complete novice, so why not get involved? 

Join us and discover the bird life that visits your garden even in the dullness of January – find out more at www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/big-garden-birdwatch.