Modern
forest  |
Thetford Forest is the biggest lowland forest in England with more than
19,000 hectares of woodland, an area about the size of Nottingham. It's
a great place to see woodland birds. | | Deer
are amongst the forest residents at Thetford |
One
of Britain's newer woodlands, Thetford was created by the Forestry Commission
in 1922 as a commercial forest.
Thousands of Scots Pines were planted,
together with some Corsican Pines and a few broadleaf trees to provide fast growing
softwood. Once thought to be a monoculture, these softwoods actually provide
a wonderful mosaic of habitats due to forestry management work. As a commercial
woodland, Thetford Forest is harvested on a regular basis, leaving areas of open
scrubland in the middle of the wood which are perfect for wildlife. Up
with the lark  The
forest has a large population of Red Deer, Roe Deer and Muntjac, all of which
are attracted by plentiful food.
Unfortunately the deer, especially the
voracious Muntjac, often destroy new tree saplings so their numbers have to be
managed and culled. Parts of the forest are so dense that it's hard to imagine
anything living in the murky interior, but these areas are good habitats for birds
such as Thrushes as well as Snails and Squirrels. Within the woods and close
to the visitor centre look out for woodland birds such as Red Crossbills with
their red, white and black faces and Goldfinches with a stripe of yellow on their
wing. Thetford Forest is also one of the best places in the Britain to find
Woodlarks especially during March and April. These birds like bare ground
for food and some vegetation to nest in and wooded areas for perches. Listen
out for this well-camouflaged bird's stunning songs in spring. Woodland
birds  Other
birds which love this woodland habitat are Redpoll (with a bright red cap), Bramblings
(the male has a black head and orange chest) and Siskins (pictured), which love
pine trees.
The forest is also a perfect habitat for Woodlarks who
prefer woodland clearings, where fresh harvesting provides for their food needs. This
bird is one of the stars of the forest with its exquisitely beautiful songs. Woodland
clearings are also good places to find reptiles such as Adders, but keep your
distance because these creatures are poisonous.  Photo
credits
Thanks to Roger Woods and Thetford
Forest for photo images of the Deer and Siskin. | 
