Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve
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Tuesday, September 4th 2012

The workshop was transformed into a slick assembly line this morning as the hopper seed was bagged up from ten, one-tonne sacks.  It was transferred by the volunteers into smaller sacks for filling the many hoppers around the reserve.  This seed is the waste from harvest of Oil Seed Rape, kindly donated by a local farmer, and generally keeps the birds fed for a year.

Seed bagging!

Everyone worked hard in the dusty conditions and soon over 100 sacks had been filled.

Surgeon Ruth and Nurse Slater

After a well deserved tea break the Tuesday team re-grouped on the heathland to begin clearing some of the dense, overgrown scrub layer.

Hard at work on the heathland

The cleared area is looking much better and the heather will benefit from this work in the coming years.  Thank you everyone for your hard work today!

Little Heather Pixies

(2) Comments:

Sarah Spaetzle responded on 5th Sep 2012 with...

What’s a hopper? And why does it need filled with oil seed rape waste? Is it some kind of animal feeder?
Amazing pictures in the last post, by the way. How did you get hold of the heron? I would have thought a heron could be quite aggressive if in a tight corner. I wouldn’t fancy having to hold one myself!

Foxglove Covert LNR responded on 5th Sep 2012 with...

Hi Sarah,

The hoppers we have here are large bird feeders, that we have designed to be used with the seed donated to us by the farmers.  They provide us with a cheaper way of feeding the birds throughout the year.

The Heron was caught whilst we were bird ringing at Foxglove on Sunday, and was found in one of the mist nests.  Their beaks can be quite dangerous, learning to hold them correctly is part of the bird ringers training - sharp bills and claws are a good learning incentive.

The Foxglove Team

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The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.

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Access to the Reserve: CLOSED Except for Organised Events & Groups

Monday 20th May 2024 |

The reserve is temporarily closed to the public except for organised events or groups. This is due to faults with the Foxglove Covert access gate. Entry and exit must be coordinated and at set times due to these faults.

Please see below for organised events. Booking is essential, as attendees will be contacted with access arrangements ahead of the events.

If you would like to arrange a group visit to the reserve please contact reserve staff.


September Wildlife Wander

Monday 16th September 2024 | 2pm-4pm

Join reserve staff for a guided walk around Foxglove Covert as the reserve transitions from summer to autumn. Spot late flying dragonflies, early emerging fungi, the last of the blooming wildflowers, and more!

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Donation of £3 per person. Free for Friends of Foxglove. Booking essential.

Due to faults with the Foxglove Covert access gate, entry and exit will be coordinated and at set times. Booked attendees will be sent access arrangements via email prior to the event.


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