Carymarsh Nature Reserve

A new species has been recorded by Tony, one of our regular visitors, along the drove next to the reserve - a muntjac deer, also known as barking deer.

While common in southeastern England, this introduced species is rare in the south west. Indeed, according to INaturalist, our muntjac (the blue and white circle) is much farther south-west than any other records.

According to the Wildlife Trusts “The small, Chinese muntjac deer was introduced to Woburn Park in Bedfordshire at the start of the 20th century and rapidly spread into the surrounding area. It is now a common animal across southeast England and can be found in woodland, parkland and even gardens. Muntjac deer are notorious browsers, eating the shoots from shrubs, as well as woodland herbs and brambles. This clearing of woodland understory has been linked to declines in species such as nightingales.”

Muntjac deer is considered a serious pest of gardens and conservation woodlands. Hence, we’re not exactly enthralled with our latest visitor 🥴

Exciting day in London for the Restore Nature Now march with our friends and fellow conservation volunteers the Hambledooners.
Why were we all dressed in our pyjamas? Because it’s time to WAKE UP to the mess our country and planet are in and do something about it!
Sadly we don’t think the 60,000 people who turned up were nearly enough to get our voices heard.
Join us for the next one to give our planet a louder voice.

We have recently had an addition to our team; our Exmoor ponies have had a foal 😀
He (for it is a male) is very cute, as newborn foals invariably are, but he is a bit of a nipper😬

Many thanks to Nicole C 👏👏
Our hide was recently vandalised; amongst other things the notebook, where visitors record their sightings, was stolen.
Nicole has replaced the notebook.
Well done, that’s so kind of you

We have had a rather unusual visitor to Carymarsh - a beaver😲
It’s likely to be a young adult that has been displaced from another group, and is now searching for a suitable habitat to establish a new home.
Only one tree was felled (a young field maple) and no other signs have been found, so it was probably just passing through.
The nearest known colony is in the River Brue near Witham Friary, about 10 miles away. Or maybe it came from Orchardleigh near Frome, maybe 15 miles away in the R. Frome catchment?

Some beautiful photos, taken by one of our regular visitors and volunteers- Harriet Fisher

So much of the work in our reserve is done by volunteers- whether it’s reporting and monitoring wildlife, scrub-bashing, tree pollarding and coppicing, hedge-laying, pony-lookering or just keeping an eye on the place.
A big thanks to all of you, and to all the thousands of volunteers who keep our world wild and beautiful 👏

Hedge-laying completed for another year😀
Each winter we restore a section of hedge around the reserve, about 100-150 m, creating dense rejuvenated shrubs that not only act as a barrier to keep our Exmoor ponies in but also provides a perfect habitat for nesting birds, and so many other critters- invertebrates, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals and more

It’s been a wet, wet, wet winter. We’ve received about 50% more than our average for winter. This has made working in the reserve challenging, with flooded fields and lanes, not to mention the mud

The cold and wet weather is almost behind us, and most of the winter tasks have been completed. It’s been the season to work on the trees and bushes, while they are dormant and, of course, no birds or bugs are breeding.
We’ve done lots of scrub-bashing - removing brambles that are threatening to engulf tree saplings or shading special plants, like orchids.
We’ve constructed a willow and hazel screen to allow us to get to the hide without birds on the main pond seeing us

A special bird, the rare bearded tit, or reedling. Occasionally heard at Carymarsh, but rarely seen. There are only around 600 breeding pairs in the UK, although this one (a female) could be a winter or passage migrant.
Thanks to Harriet Fisher for photographing this elusive bird

Beautiful kingfisher captured at Carymarsh by Harriet Fisher

There has been an eruption of wasp spiders in the reserve

A few of the animals currently enjoying Carymarsh Nature Reserve. With thanks to Carole Britton

All thanks to the Hambledooners- a group of amazing conservation volunteers. Their only requirement is lots of food and drink- especially cakes 😀

And ended with 160 m of smartly laid hedges

A weekend of hedge laying in the reserve started like this

Thanks Jenny N for some lovely nighttime photos of a few of the residents 😀