Winter sunrises are beautiful across the heath as the sky is painted in shades of pink and orange. The heather is covered in glistening frost making icy spider webs sparkle. Our summer bird visitors have left for their journeys south. But there’s still some birds braving the cold here. Listen out for the song of the Stonechat which sounds like two stones tapping together. If you see one, a Dartford Warbler might be nearby, following the Stonechat to catch insects.
Dark clouds of noisy Starlings fly through the air and settle in the bare branches of the trees. Long-tailed Tits also stick together through the winter. They snuggle up at night to stay cozy. When darkness falls, listen out for the haunting call of Tawny Owls preparing for a night of hunting. Their recognisable ‘too-wit too-woo’ call is the sound of a male and a female calling to each other.
In winter, many animals are hibernating or have migrated, so our rangers do important work in the park. They clear pine and gorse, cut back trees, clean ditches, and fix fences before spring begins again.