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Trees woods and wildlife
Lime, small-leaved
Charming, sturdy, pollinator-magnet. Not only does the small-leaved lime’s blossom produce a sweet scent and pleasantly minty honey, its leaves support the caterpillars of moths such as the lime hawk, peppered and vapourer.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Hornbeam
Gnarled and mighty, the hornbeam is as tough as they come. It’s beautiful, useful, and its year-round leaf cover makes it a winter haven for wildlife.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Oak, red
Fiery, fast and spiked, the red oak is a fast-growing tree native to North America. It is often planted as an ornamental tree for its flaming autumn colour. Although it isn’t as valuable to wildlife as our native oaks, it’s popular with nesting birds and pollinators.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Bristle mosses
Bristly, spongy, and very sensitive to pollution, the bristle mosses are true tree lovers. Whereas most woodland mosses grow on the ground, look for these on tree trunks, branches and twigs.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Hart's tongue fern
Exotic looking and incredibly useful. The hart’s tongue fern is the only native fern that hasn’t got divided leaves. Spot it in damp, shady areas woodland.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Oak bush-cricket
This champion of the woodland long-jump is a lot quieter than its other cricket cousins. The oak bush-cricket lives, feeds and breeds in trees and woodland.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Buzzing spider
Keep a keen ear out for this leaf-lover with real rhythm. Look for the buzzing spider on leaves and stems of deciduous trees and shrubs in woods and parks.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Fieldfare
A winter visitor with an appetite for fruit. As the days begin to shorten, fieldfares head to the UK en masse. The fruit and berries of our native trees provide a vital source for these migrants.
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Trees woods and wildlife
Forest bug
A living woodland crest, the forest bug is a shieldbug that loves nothing more than the sap of oak trees. Look for them on woodland edges in the summer.
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Blog
Our top five woods to hear nightingales
The famous song of the nightingale is one of the wonders of the natural world, but to have a chance of hearing it you'll need to know where to listen. Here we share top tips for tracking down a serenade, plus some of our woods to try for a lucky encounter.
Amy Lewis • 01 Apr 2022