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Betony in Rockingham Forest

Wildlife

Betony in Fineshade Wood

Plants and animals of Rockingham Forest

In this section of the website are details of some of the special wildlife species that can be found here. Linking the core remaining woodland areas with enriched biodiverse habitats will be particularly beneficial for threatened  species such as Dormice and Adders, but all the wildlife mentioned on these pages will, of course, benefit too.

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This is  work in progress and we will be adding extra pages or links to other websites as time goes on - please get in touch if you could help as a contributer. We still don't have a birds page - any offers?

Deer

The species in Rockingham Forest and the need to manage their growing populations.

Doe and fawns KH.jpg

Flowers

Four pages describing some of the forest's most significant flowering plants

Yellow Star of Bethlehem (1).jpg

Adders

Extinct in Northants except in the northern part of Rockingham Forest where conservation work is carried out to help them

Adder Kev Clarke.jpg

Butterflies 

Introduction to the 38 species that can be found in different parts of the forest. Life cycles too!

White-letter hairstreak in Rockingham Forest

Flies of the forest

An introduction to flies, hoverflies, etc. by County Diptera Recorder, John Showers

A bristly fly - Nowickia ferox.jpg

Forest fungi

Some of the more spectacular fungi and hints on where to find and identify them

Velvet Shank

Wild Service Trees

Wild Service tree in Rockingham Forest

Little known tree whose leaf and fruit is emblematic of the Rockingham Forest Vision  

Hazel Dormouse

Read how this elusive and threatened animal is hanging on in some of the larger woodlands 

Dormouse in Rockingham Forest

What's in the water?

County Recorder, Kevin Rowley writes about the amazing bugs and beetles in the forest's ponds

Cherry stone Beetle (Hyphydrus ovatus)UK Beetles website.png

Chequered Skipper

Recently reintroduced to the forest, details  are on Butterfly Conservation website.

Chequered Skipper female.jpg

Red Kites

Reintroduced 20 years ago and now thriving in the forest.  Read how young birds are now returning to Spain.

Red Kite in Rockingham Forest

Glow worms

The electric-green light of the females can still be experienced in Fineshade Wood and elsewhere in the forest

Glow-worm in Rockingham Forest

Wildlife blogs

Writing about the forest's wildlife by those who live, work or play here

liquorice_piercer_moth_ben_sale__butterfly_conservation-2.jpg

Interested in contributing your expertise?

Please get in touch if you could help by writing for this wildlife section of the website.  A page about particular species or groups? A wildlife diary? What to look out for this month?....?

No website building experience necessary!

Interested in recording wildlife?

Northants Biological Records Centre have produced a very helpful free handbook for those who would like to help record the rich wildlife of the forest. Where to send  your records, improving your ID skills... and much more.

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