Pryor's Wood
Lying on the outskirts of Stevenage, Pryor's Wood is an impressive mixed woodland that is rich in wildlife.
Pryor's Wood is predominantly old secondary oak woodland but contains a variety of other areas such as hornbeam and hazel coppice. Other trees include ash, field maple and some extraordinary specimens of wild cherry. In places the woodland floor is carpeted with bluebells and dog's mercury, particularly under the hornbeam trees. Bracken and bramble become dominant under the oak.
Violet helleborine, primrose, wood anenome and yellow archangel also appear in places.
Muntjaac and fallow deer are common in the wood, although they are often more evident from their tracks than from being sighted. More often seen is a glimpse of a sparrowhawk speeding along the woodland edges.
In summer the wood is alive with the song of warblers, such as blackcap, chiffchaff and garden warbler, which are summer visitors.
Winter at Pryor's Wood
The management regime is designed to encourage diversity of species and some coppicing is undertaken to create open glades.
For the last week (beginning of February) a firecrest has been seen in the wood, best viewed by accessing the third entrance along Gresley Way and standing near the bench. It favours the holly areas within this glade and has been giving some good views. Look out for the commoner goldcrest as well, the chances are you will see many of them before locating the firecrest!
A walk around the wood at this time of year provides the chance to see many birds. Nuthatches are calling and are very visible, together with treecreeper, great spotted woodpecker and various tit species. Marsh tits have been showing well in the same area as the firecrest so it's well worth a visit.
