Let me first introduce myself to those who don’t know me yet, I’m Hannah and I joined the reserves team in May. Many of you will already be aware that Barry Embling left RSPB at the end of last year to take up an exciting new post with the Woodland Trust in Wales. I was delighted to be offered the post, and an opportunity to move back to the South West (I grew up in Devon). The Forest is a new area for me to explore and woodlands are a new challenge to me, but the organisation is one that I know and love, having moved from Loch of Kinnordy and the Tay Reedbeds to be here. I have already learned a lot about my new responsibilities, and the habitats in general, and look forward to learning more as the seasons change.

Nightingales continued to be the main attraction at Highnam Woods, but with the dry weather they seemed to start singing slightly earlier and by the middle of May were already fairly quiet and difficult to find. Point counts confirmed that a good variety of other woodland birds were breeding this year, including possibly 2 pairs of lesser spotted woodpecker.