Tidcombe Fen Updates
This area is dedicated to giving updates of what has been happening on the Fen, along with any interesting news or findings. Please check back here for regular updates!
October 2025 - Blundell's Community Day
On Monday 13th October, we welcomed a group of Blundell's school senior students for a full day of community-based support, organised once a year by the school.
The students came with plenty of questions, enthusiasm and a 'can do' attitude.
Along with helping to completely clear and burn a fallen Willow, they had a tour of the site, got involved in water testing and competed to win some chocolate using observation skills to find evidence or dormice and harvest mice, on the site.
Autumn Fungi
We have been rewarded with seeing some stunning Autumnal fungi and are also enjoying the bumper crop of fruits, nuts and seeds due to the 'mast year' in 2025. This should give the birds and mammals a good boost before they go into the Winter and into hibernation for some.
September 2025 - Autumn on the SSSI
Our working parties continued throughout Autumn. We have been battling against the weather, as high winds have meant that several large trees have fallen around the site.
Our amazing volunteers have dedicated time to clearing and burning - navigating the increasingly wetter conditions with the help of sticks and wellies!
We have been rewarded with seeing some stunning Autumnal fungi and also enjoying the bumper crop of fruits, nuts and seeds due to the 'mast year'.
July/August 2025 - Summer on the SSSI
Our working parties continued throughout Summer and gave us some good and dry working conditions on the site. Maintenance tasks such as removing saplings and replacing fence posts continued.
Our amazing volunteer team were able to see the 'fruits of their labour' in the different meadows/parcels of land. After working hard to remove the invasive saplings/trees, the notable impact of increased light produced the most amazing display of wildflowers...
June 2025 - Open Day Tour of the SSSI
The first of our Tidcombe Fen 'Open Days' saw great interest and attendance from the local community.
Alison Bunning, our grazier, gave a talk about the importance of the Galloways in their management of the SSSI.
The guided tour showed the different parcels of land with their associated habitats, and we ended with drinks, biscuits and a chat. Thank you to Tesco for donating these!
May 2025 - Galloway Cattle return
As part of the maintenance of Tidcombe Fen, grazing is key to achieving optimum conservation, restoration and encouraging diversity. May 2025 saw us welcoming the wonderful Galloway herd, owned by local farmers, back onto the site.
May Working Party 2025
A busy day on the Fen on Sunday 25th May. The volunteer team removed an area of felled Willow, that had begun to take root. The physical efforts continued to repair a bridged area to improve access for both cattle and people. We also took the time to complete our first River (Kick) Testing and enjoyed a chat with tea and biscuits in the sunshine!
April 2025 - Wildlife Camera (baby foxes)
To answer the question of 'who lives in a home like this?' we added a wildlife camera, to track the comings and goings.
We were rewarded with some glorious footage of some fox cubs. We now know who the residents of the hole in question are.
April Working Party 2025
Sunday 27th April was a beautiful warm day on the Fen with a great group of individuals. The main focus was to check and fix the fencing in Anne's meadow and Roundhill. There is still some work to do, but an excellent start to ensure safety for the Galloways returning to graze the site, in May.
March Working Party 2025
Great progress was made on Sunday 30th March. The team of volunteers removed Alder saplings, dealt with a fallen tree and created a bonfire on tin (so nutrients created by burning can be removed from the site). We also enjoyed a walk, chat and cuppa in the sunshine!
Woodpecker Evidence - Spring 2025
During a walk around the Fen, some volunteers noticed some evidence of Woodpecker holes in an Oak tree. With a small wait, we were rewarded with the sight of the Woodpecker returning to the tree. What a treat!
Owl box added to the site
The committee have been busy planning ways to support the existing bird population - including encouraging birds to nest on site.
Our newest addition is a fantastic owl box. There have been regular sightings of a Barn Owl on the Fen and Tawny Owls have also been heard during night surveys.
Roe Deer Footprint
We have seen Roe deer on site at Tidcombe Fen. Here is a clear footprint found by an Ecologist whilst conducting a survey.
Harvest Mouse Nest
One of our supporting experts confirmed that this nest found on site at Tidcombe Fen, is indeed that of a Harvest Mouse.
Brown Hairstreak Butterfly
(PLEASE NOTE THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS NOT TAKEN ON SITE!)
Between October and March, we carefully check for the tiny eggs of the Brown Hairstreak Butterfly on the Blackthorn within the hedges on site.
Autumnal Fungi
In November 2024, we found some interesting fungi on the Fen during an Autumnal walk.
