Pushed almost to extinction in most of England, our native squirrel has found safe refuge in the forests of the Isle of Wight. On the mainland, reds are still holding out in Kielder Forest, Northumberland and Whinlatter in the Lake District,where they are often spotted spiralling up tree trunks or congregating around special feeders. Chewed spruce cones on the forest floor are a sign they are about.
Photograph: Will Nicholls/Rex Features
A somewhat unremarkable songster at first glance, but wait until you hear this migrant warbler in full tune. Its notes tumble through the canopy of old beech and oak woodlands, such as Wyre Forest in Worcestershire and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, evoking the sound of a spinning coin. Photograph: Andrew Howe/E+
A woodland aviator par excellence. Stouter than a sparrowhawk, this powerful bird of prey weaves rapidly through the trunks of conifer and broadleaved trees displaying extraordinary agility. Its silent flightpath and elusiveness make it despairingly difficult to spot. Try High Lodge in Thetford Forest, Suffolk, and Kielder in Northumberland – March is the best time to see the goshawk in Kielder. Photograph: David Tipling/The Image Bank
Photograph: Alamy
Encounters in woods like the Forest of Dean are mostly rare due to the shy nature of the wild boar. However, more recently the boar have been known to encounter people, pets and property more confidently. Look for trotter imprints in disturbed ground.
Photograph: Drew Buckley/Rex Features
Snake-like but really a legless lizard, slow worms like to dwell in woodland margins where they feed off insects, worms and slugs. They have the startling ability to shed their tail when attacked. The wriggling appendage provides an effective decoy to predators allowing the slow worm to make a swift exit. Photograph: Stuart Brooker/Rex Features
Before winter sets in, this widely distributed corvid, which inhabits woodlands from Lancashire’s Gisburn Forest to Dunwich Forest in Suffolk, is often seen burying acorns and beech nuts. However, jays don’t always remember the locations of stockpiles. They inadvertently contribute to the regeneration of woodlands when forgotten nuts germinate into trees.
Photograph: Image Broker/Rex Features
The rare and seldom encountered Bechstein’s bat is now largely confined to ancient deciduous woodlands in the south of England like the New Forest. Unlike some other bats, it does not roost in buildings but spends the whole year in tree cavities, particularly in old woodpecker holes.
Photograph: Image Broker/Rex Features
