







Please email us or tell us on Facebook about your discoveries. The animals and plants in the lists below have all been recorded in Grove Piece since October 2017
Full Species Lists
These can be downloaded as Excel files from the links below:
Existing trees
Oak
Ash
Field maple
Cherry
Hornbeam
Hawthorn
Silver birch
Blackthorn
Dogwood
Rowan
Hazel
Crab apple
Dog rose
Elder
Bullace
Bird record
Long-tailed Tit
Coal Tit
Partridge 4/17
Buzzard
Pheasant 27/4/17
Swallow 15/4/17
Yellowhammer 4/17
Jay 4/17
Kestrel 6/17
Song thrush 6/17
Sparrow hawk 1/7/17
Fieldfare 18/11/17
Wood Pigeon
Carrion Crow
Bullfinch 18/2/18
Goldfinch
Chaffinch
Great Spotted Woodpecker 27/2/18
Woodcock 3/3/18
Barn Owl
Nuthatch 21/7/18
Mammal record
Hare 1/6/17, 5/7/17
Muntjac deer
Wood Mouse
Chinese Water Deer 26/12/17
Fox
Invertebrate record
Butterflies
Comma
Small Tortoiseshell
Orange Tip 22/4/17
Small White
Large White
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Painted Lady
Brimstone
Red Admiral
Reptiles and amphibians
Grass Snake 07/2017
Herbaceous Plants
Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense
Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens
Dock Rumex sp.
Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris
Chervil Chaerophyllum temulentum
Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica
Dog’s Mercury Mercurialus perennis
Common Avens Geum urbanum
Hedge Garlic Alliaria petiolata
Herb Robert Geranium robertianum
Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium
Bugloss Lycopsis arvensis
White Campion Silene alba
Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum
Pineapple Mayweed Matricaria matricarioides
Greater Plantain Plantago major
Smooth Sow-thistle Sonchus oleraceus
Nipplewort Lapsana communis
Forgetmenot sp. Myosotis sp.
Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis
Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys
Lesser Burdock Arctium minus
Hog Weed Heracleum sphondylium
Common Cleavers Galium aparine
Bittersweet Solanum dulcamara
Bristly Ox –Tongue Picris echioides
Self -Heal Prunella vulgaris
Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea
Field Speedwell Veronica persica
Dandelion Taraxacum spp
Prickly Sow Thistle Sonchus asper
Ground Ivy Glechoma hederacea
Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans
Grasses
Brome
Soft Brome Bromus hordeaceus
False Oat Grass Arrhenatherumelatius
Rough Meadow Grass Poa trivialis
Yorkshire Fog Holcus lanatus
Cocksfoot Grass Dactylisglomerata
Squirrel’s Tail Fescue Vulpia Bromoides
Perennial Rye Grass Lalium perenne
What’s in a hedge?
Species recorded in the workshop on September 14th.
This was very much a first look at the hedges – there will certainly be many, many more species to discover!
North Hedge Mammals Bat sp Grey Squirrel Birds Bullfinch Great Tit Green Woodpecker Jay Tawny Owl Wood Pigeon Trees and Shrubs Ash Blackthorn Bramble Dog Rose Dogwood Field Maple Goat willow Hawthorn hazel Holly Ivy Oak Herbaceous Plants Avens, Common Black Bryony Centaury Cocksfoot Grass Dock sp Ground Ivy Hedge Convolvulus Hedge Woundwort Hogweed Prickly Lettuce Rough Chervil Selfheal Stinging Nettle Thistle sp Woody Nightshade Galls Field maple Red Pustule galls Oak Spangle Galls Lichens Lecanora confusa Butterflies Large White Meadow Brown Small White Speckled Wood Moths Brimstone Moth Common Rustic Flame Shoulder Flounced Rustic Green Carpet Heart and Club Light Emerald Orange Swift Setaceous Hebrew Character The Snout Dragon and damsel flies Common Darter Emperor Migrant Hawker Other Insects Caddis Fly sp Common Froghopper Cricket/grasshopper sp Devil’s Coach Horse Beetle Green Shield Bug ladybird sp Sloe Bug Weevil sp Other Arthropods Crab Spider sp | East Hedge Mammals Birds Buzzard Long-tailed Tit Robin Trees and Shrubs Ash Blackthorn Bramble Bullace Dog Rose Dogwood Field Maple Hawthorn Hazel Ivy Oak Spindle Herbaceous Plants Galls Oak Spangle Gall Butterflies Large White Speckled Wood Moths Dragon and damsel flies Darter sp Other Insects Bee sp Crane Fly sp Cricket/grasshopper sp Flea Beetle sp Green Shield Bug Hoverfly sp ladybird sp Other Arthropods Spider sp | South Hedge Mammals Birds Trees and Shrubs Ash Blackthorn Bramble Dog Rose Elder Field maple Hawthorn Hazel Holly Hornbeam Ivy Oak Herbaceous Plants Galls Field maple Red Pustule galls Oak Spangle Galls Butterflies Moths Dragon and damsel flies Other Insects |
The link below will download a copy of the species list as an Excel file
Grove Woods Breeding Bird Survey 2022 – Alan Miller
The woods were surveyed during 10 early morning visits between 2nd April and 2nd June. A total of 22 species were recorded nesting or holding territory, 3 less than in 2020. Sparrowhawk, barn owl, garden warbler and linnet were a new addition but kestrel, lesser whitethroat, long tailed tit, goldfinch were missing from the previous years survey. A total of 13 other species were recorded but only on single visits and therefore are not regarded as holding territory.
The additional bird species recorded just on single occasions were, pheasant, red legged partridge, common buzzard, common snipe, mallard, cuckoo, swallow, mistle thrush, redwing, golden oriole, lesser whitethroat, goldfinch, greenfinch. The appearance of a golden oriole on 19th May was a complete surprise to John and Marie who were carrying out that morning’s survey, but it was to be just a one-day sighting.
No major changes to species totals but pleasing to have barn owls nesting for the first time raising 3 young which were ringed on 16th June.
Eight of the 10 tit boxes on Grove Piece and 19 out of 24 in Vicarage Grove were occupied resulting in a total of 185 blue tits and 21 great tits fledging an increase on previous years.
Grove Woods Breeding Birds
Numbers of territories/nests
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | |
Pheasant | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Sparrowhawk | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kestrel | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Barn owl | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Stock dove | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Wood pigeon | 6 | 6 | 6 |
Green woodpecker | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Great spotted woodpecker | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Wren | 7 | 10 | 8 |
Dunnock | 1 | 6 | 5 |
Robin | 6 | 5 | 8 |
Blackbird | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Song thrush | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Lesser whitethroat | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Whitethroat | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Blackcap | 4 | 4 | 5 |
Garden warbler | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Chiffchaff | 6 | 6 | 7 |
Long tailed tit | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Blue tit | 27 | 23 | 24 |
Great tit | 6 | 4 | 6 |
Treecreeper | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Jay | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Jackdaw | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Carrion crow | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Chaffinch | 6 | 5 | 7 |
Goldfinch | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Linnet | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Bullfinch | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Yellowhammer | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Grove Woods Nest Boxes
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||||
Box | Species | Fledged | Species | Fledged | Species | Fledged |
Barn owl box | Jackdaw | 4 | Empty | 0 | Barn owl | 3 |
Tawny owl box | Jackdaw | 0 | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 |
Kestrel box | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 |
Tit box A | Blue tit | 8 | Blue tit | 6 | Blue tit | 7 |
Tit box B | Empty | 0 | Great tit | 4 | Empty | 0 |
Tit box C | Blue tit | 7 | Empty | 0 | Blue tit | 10 |
Tit box D | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 |
Tit box E | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 | Great tit | 8 |
Tit box F | Blue tit | 6 | Blue tit | Brood died | Blue tit | 4 |
Tit box G | Blue tit | 6 | Blue tit | 8 | Empty | 0 |
Tit box H | Great tit | 4 | Empty | 0 | Blue tit | 9 |
Tit box I | Great tit | 6 | Empty | 0 | Empty | 0 |
Tit box J | Blue tit | 6 | Blue tit | 9 | Blue tit | 5 |
Tit box K | Blue tit | 7 dead | Great tit | 6 | Great tit | 5 |
Tit box L | Great tit | ! | Great tit | 4 | Blue tit | 5 |
Breeding Bird Survey – Spring 2021

Breeding Bird Survey – Spring 2021
The woods were surveyed during 8 early morning visits between 31st March and 25th May. A total of 20 species were recorded nesting or holding territory, 5 less than in 2020. Yellowhammer was a new addition but pheasant, stock dove, lesser whitethroat, jay, jackdaw and bullfinch were missing. Pheasant, jay and jackdaw were recorded but only on single visits and therefore are not regarded as holding territory.
Other birds recorded just on single occasions were, common buzzard, sparrowhawk, mallard, carrion crow, green sandpiper, swallow, fieldfare, redwing, linnet, greenfinch.
No major changes to species totals despite the poor spring but the tit broods were generally smaller.
Only 7 of the 10 tit boxes on Grove Piece were used but 23 out of 24 in Vicarage Grove were occupied resulting in a total of 148 blue tits and 19 great tits fledging
2020 | 2021 | |
Pheasant | 1 | 0 |
Kestrel | 1 | 1 |
Stock dove | 1 | 0 |
Wood pigeon | 6 | 6 |
Green woodpecker | 1 | 1 |
Great spotted woodpecker | 1 | 1 |
Wren | 7 | 10 |
Dunnock | 1 | 6 |
Robin | 6 | 5 |
Blackbird | 4 | 4 |
Song thrush | 1 | 1 |
Lesser whitethroat | 1 | 0 |
Whitethroat | 2 | 1 |
Blackcap | 4 | 4 |
Chiffchaff | 6 | 6 |
Long tailed tit | 1 | 1 |
Blue tit | 27 | 23 |
Great tit | 6 | 4 |
Treecreeper | 1 | 1 |
Jay | 1 | 0 |
Jackdaw | 1 | 0 |
Carrion crow | 1 | 1 |
Chaffinch | 6 | 5 |
Goldfinch | 1 | 1 |
Bullfinch | 1 | 0 |
Yellowhammer | 0 | 1 |
Breeding Bird Survey – Spring 2020
Alan and Judy Miller carried out a breeding bird survey of Grove Piece, Malster’s Little Field and Vicarage Grove. The results are shown below, probably most notable are the incredible number of Blue Tits!

Grove Piece and Vicarage Grove Breeding Bird Survey 2020 | |||
Territories | |||
GP | VG | Total | |
Pheasant | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Stock dove | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Green woodpecker | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Great spotted woodpecker | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Wren | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Dunnock | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Robin | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Blackbird | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Song thrush | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Lesser whitethroat | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Whitethroat | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Blackcap | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Chiffchaff | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Long tailed tit | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Blue tit | 6 | 21 | 27 |
Great tit | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Treecreeper | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Jay | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Jackdaw | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Carrion crow | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Chaffinch | 3 | 3 | 6 |
Goldfinch | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Bullfinch | 1 | 0 | 1 |
An Excel file showing more detail can be down-loaded here: