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Natural History The mature woodlands are predominantly oak, ash and chestnut,
with an understorey of hazel, holly and elder, providing nesting sites for a
variety of birds including buzzards and tawny owls. In springtime there are
wild orchids and carpets of bluebells. The stream and ponds provide habitats
for moorhens, mallards, geese, pied and grey wagtails, kingfishers, herons,
frogs, toads, newts, dragonflies and fish. Further downstream there are boggy areas which are ablaze with
yellow flag irises in the springtime; a pair of ravens can regularly be seen
patrolling the valley and merlins have been spotted flying across. Around the
buildings housemartins and swallows nest and woodpeckers visit the lawns. In
fact, more than seventy species of birds can be observed without even leaving
the valley! A complete
checklist is available to visitors. |
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