The Brick WorksThe woodland area was a site of clay extraction and brick making in the late 1800s. Evidence of this can be seen by all the dips and hollows. The brick works were in use for about 80 years, when a narrow gauge railway operated and wagons were pushed by hand or drawn by horses and a coal-fired engine was used to transport the bricks. |
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BirdsLook and listen out for birds as you walk around. Some distinctive calls include the chiff chaff, the tapping of the great spotted woodpecker or the great tits’ ‘squeakyhacksaw’ call. Many birds ringed here have migrated to Africa for the winter, and then returned to Hodge Lane LNR year after year. |
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BatsPipistrelle and Daubenton’s bats are common here and some of their roost entrances can be seen high up in the trees. Visit the site on a summer’s evening and watch them flying and catching insects over the pond. |
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FungiAn autumn visit to the woodland is more colourful than you may expect, with a large variety of fungi to look at. Look out for fly agaric under the birch trees, Jew’s ear fungus growing on elder and puffballs on the woodland floor. |
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InsectsThousands of insects are resident at Hodge Lane LNR. You can watch showy damselflies and dragonflies, such as the common blue damselfly, darting over thewater, or look out for more secretive invertebrates hiding under dead logs. On the meadow in spring and summer many butterflies fly from flower to flower; yellow brimstone butterflies are often the first seen in spring. |
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