Birds prepare for the long winter
Woodland species that are now much easier to spot are varied. Members of the tit family will form large, mixed flocks in order to find food, and their contact calls can be heard as they flit through the trees. Flocks of long-tailed tits may be regularly spotted and these colourful, gregarious characters will always brighten up your day. Jackdaws, rooks and carrion crows will also flock together and you may see large numbers of them flying noisily to their woodland roosts on autumn evenings, a stunning sensory experience.
Jays are much more commonly spotted in the woodland as they start to collect acorns for their winter hoard. This vibrant member of the crow family may gather as many as 5,000 acorns in a single season! Look out for them flying just above the treetops or scrabbling about amongst the leaf litter.
Grey squirrels and fallow deer
Grey squirrels will be extremely active right now too; most woodland walks will reward you with a sighting of this familiar creature as he prepares for the cold days ahead. Indeed, at our Forest of Dean site, our resident grey squirrels will probably come right up to your decking so you may have an opportunity to observe them from the comfort of your cabin!
High density populations of Fallow deer are also resident in the Forest of Dean. Autumn is a great time to observe them as they form together in big herds in preparation for their annual rut. Our ranger-led Twilight and Night Vision experiences provide a great opportunity to see them and learn more about their behaviour at this time and if we’re lucky we may hear the bellowing males as they assert their dominance.