Resting under a layer of snow as I write, Littlebury Green’s village nature reserve has enjoyed another eventful year.
This time last year, the Bumpy Volunteer Group (BVG) was creating what has become a significant feature in the reserve; a protective “dead hedge” around the central badger setts. Once the forest of nettles finally dies down in winter, these become very exposed and a little vulnerable. With such a lot of dead wood still scattered throughout The Bumpy, what better way to both enhance the aesthetics of the reserve and provide an additional haven for its more diminutive wildlife? The dead hedge has become home to a variety of fungi and insects, and a welcome refuge for small birds and mammals. Gateways have been incorporated to enable the badgers to continue to come and go as they please.
Some birds choose their nest sites very early in the year. In February, the Bumpy’s Rooks returned to reclaim and refurbish their nests in the top of the swaying ash trees. And, confirmed during a recent survey and winter clean out of the reserve’s many nest boxes, the Jackdaws once again took occupancy of one of the owl boxes before the owls had even arranged a viewing. Meanwhile, Blue Tits and Great Tits once again made good use of the smaller nest boxes, and we found in late December that a swarm of Honey Bees had colonised the new, Little Owl box in the far corner of the reserve. Their intricate, densely packed hexagonal structures completely fill this bespoke nest box, defended by sleepy, though still active, worker bees, even in the middle of winter!
Despite capturing the badgers’ romantic encounters on the trail camera in early spring, there was no evidence of any youngsters in 2025. At present, different setts are currently in use, so we have our fingers crossed for good news later this year.
Later in the spring, the BVG planted eighty native wildflower plantlets on the grassy meadow, just inside the gate. After seeding the area on two separate occasions, this is our final attempt at increasing the diversity of plantlife in this area. Having established and flowered well during the summer months, we hope they will continue to thrive in 2026.
In the summer, a very successful Open Day welcomed many local people to The Bumpy to see and hear about how it is evolving as a haven for wildlife. A moth survey, set up the previous evening, very graphically demonstrated the remarkable, and very beautiful, night life that is unknowingly active in Littlebury Green. For those unable to attend, an illustrated talk was given by our chairman, Roland, in November.
It was also a good year for butterflies, as many people will have noticed, and several first-time sitings were recorded in The Bumpy, including Silver-washed Fritillary and Brown Argus.
The BVG’s most recent project is the improvement of the wet area in the far corner of the reserve. Having cleared the area of nettles, native marsh plants (Ragged Robin and Watermint) have been established and damp-loving alder trees added to the far bank. The Bumpy’s first toad was found in the autumn, so things are moving in the right direction. We are now clearing space for a new bench and plan to plant hedging to make access to this area easier and safer for visitors.
If you would like to join this small team of friendly local people with a love of nature and a desire to share our natural heritage with others, send an email to our chairman rolandhuggett@btinternet.com for more information.
