The Forest of Dean has some of the best spots in the UK to get visiting and ticking off species on your ‘must see’ list.
There is the Nagshead RSPB for catching sight of some of our amazing, feathered friends and insects, or for something a little larger, wild boar are to be found in the many forests in the area. If you’re lucky you’ll also encounter deer, while the very fortunate (with binoculars) may just catch sight of a sparrowhawk or kestrel.
Birds to spot at Nagshead
Undoubtedly, one of the best locations to visit wildlife is at the Nagshead RSPB nature reserve in Lydney. The centre here lists several birds that you can hope to encounter this spring (May to June) when walking around the woodlands, ponds and glades. These include the Pied flycatcher, the Wood warbler and Tree Pipit (the male birds have a very distinctive call that sounds like a coin spinning). Then there is the Spotted Flycatcher, Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, Hawfinch, Crossbill and the stunning Goshawk.
Wild boar in the forests
It’s quite possible to encounter wild boars when walking through any of the local forests. They may be quite large, the males have protruding trunks and they can weigh up to 100kg, but there is no need to be afraid of them. The only time they may get aggressive is if they are looking after young and feel threatened. They tend to be looking after litters in the early spring all the way through to summer (although, like humans, the boars can give birth at any time of the year). The average litter size is between six and 10 piglets per sow.
Wild boars also have poor eyesight, relying more on their sense of hearing. As such, they’ll move near you to find out what the noise is, but they don’t do so in an aggressive manner so, again, there’s no need to feel frightened at this type of behaviour.
How to spot wild boar
They may be common in the Forest, but they’re not particularly easy to spot. One of the best ways to tell if there are wild boars around is to find a big area of disturbed soil. That’s because the animals plough the ground looking for insects, such as the larvae of leatherjackets (daddy-long-legs) and cockchafers.
You can also tell a wild boar footprint by the wide prints at the front and two dew claw marks at the back. A third way to spot them is by looking out for smooth hollows in the mud or mud against the bottom of tree trunks where they’ll rub their muddy backs.
@forestholidays: “Tracking animals in the forest can be hard work but if you learn to read their tracks and signs you can find out amazing things about what they get up to. And one of the best ways to do this is to get into poo (not literally!)”
