Pryor's Wood
Lying on the outskirts of Stevenage, Pryor's Wood is an impressive mixed woodland that is rich in wildlife.
Pryors 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 anemone and yellow archangel also appear in places.
Muntjac 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.
Autumn/Winter
A walk around the wood at this time of year is very interesting as many different species of bird can be seen. If you come across a flock of birds feeding in the woodland stand still and take the time to enjoy them. There will often be a few treecreepers and nutchatch amongst mixed tit flocks and its also worth searching for goldcrests. A few years ago there was a firecrest wintering in the wood so you never know what you might find.
This year many birds have bred on the reserve,including blackcap, nuthatch and blue tits. Nest boxes have been put up to attract tits to nest and they have proved very successful.
Winter management work will focus on continuing to coppice areas of woodland and possibly open up some new glades within the woodland. This allows more light to penetrate the ground and hopefully encourage more flower species to grow.
