Beta
The Woodlark
The woodlark favours open, dry habitats with short grasses.
In recent years, the vegetation on the area known as Grasslands has been cut back, so that now the new regenerating growth of heathers is the ideal habitat for these birds.
Woodlarks can be seen on the Common from February onwards, as they look for mates and start to build their nests. The woodlark is stripy brown, with a buff-white eye stripe and a spiky crest on its head. It has quite a short tail and a bouncing flight pattern.
The woodlark is mostly resident throughout the year, feeding on seeds and insects. It usually nests within a grassy tussock or heather bush, often digging a shallow scrape. This ground-nesting bird is a protected species with around 3,000 breeding pairs in the UK.
Please help HCPS to protect these birds by keeping to the paths and keeping your dog on a lead when walking in this area during the nesting season from March to September.
Learn more on Horsell Common Preservation Society's website.
You might like...
Pied Oystercatcher
The Pied Oystercatcher is a large wading shore-bird with a black face, back and chest, a white belly, white tail with black band at its end and a white wing-bar visible when flying. Its beak is a bright orange.
The Nightjar
This elusive, nocturnal hunting bird is a resident of Horsell Common during the spring and summer months.
The Stonechat
The stonechat favours the heathers and gorse bushes, and can be spotted in the same areas as the Dartford warbler.
Myrtle beech
The Myrtle beech, or simply 'Myrtle' is the dominant species of Tasmania's rainforests. Myrtle trees can grow up to 55m tall, and have a heart-shaped dark green leaf with a tiny serrated edge.
Newsletter
Sign up to keep in touch with articles, updates, events or news from Kuno, your platform for nature