: Exploring Our Woodlands

This is my first blog since being appointed Exploring Nature Facilitator here at St Fagans museum. The purpose of my job is to try and encourage visitors to take notice of the wealth of nature and animals living within the museum. 

As part of this project, there have recently been some developments in woodlands at St Fagans, near the woodlands walk. Alongside one of the information panels, we have had a bird sound winder installed! By simply selecting the bird you want and winding the arm you can now listen to the songs and calls of 8 of our woodland birds! It’s a great way to get to know the different bird songs!

We have also recently had a bird hide installed in the woods. This is a great place to come and relax while watching some of our birds feeding at the feeding station. So far we have noted at least 9 different species visiting the feeders, from assorted tits to a greater spotted woodpecker. Of course, being in the woodlands we also get the occasional squirrel visiting too.

The bird hide should be open to the public soon, hopefully before the end of the month! It really is a lovely place to come with a thermos of hot tea and relax. We are currently working on some information panels which will hope to have up ready for early spring.

If you have any suggestions about how we should use the bird hide or even a name for it, please let me know by commenting. Keep an eye on this blog for information on forthcoming nature events and activities. 

The project is funded by Biffaward though the Landfill Communities Fund and by Legal and General.

We've got one more day of Autumn Feast in Ty Gwyrdd and that's tomorrow (Friday the 29th).Thanks to everyone who came and enjoyed the food this week. I'll be blogging about the autumn soon but for now here are the recipes we used:

Take a look at the series of photos of our nesting Great Tit family taken by the nest cameras!

Thanks to everyone who came to the Moth Night last Saturday. It was the first time we've had a moth night at St Fagans and I found it very interesting. I'll definitely like to do more in the future!

My personal favourite moths on the night were the Lunar Marbled Brown and the Nut-Tree Tussock. Here's a list of all the species we found - thanks to Dave at SEWBReC for this!

Micropterix thunbergella

Eriocrania subpurpurella

Agonopterx cf heracliana

Capua vulgana

Dark-barred Twinspot Carpet

Small Phoenix

Golden-rod Pug

Mottled Pug

Brimstone

Coxcomb Prominent

Lunar Marbled Brown

Flame Shoulder

Common Quaker

Hebrew Character

Nut-tree Tussock

Pictures and loads more info on moths can be found at UK Moths

Follow our Great Tit nest box camera at St Fagans!http://www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/2736/

Eight eggs were laid on the 27th of April and finally hatched yesterday. The chicks are so small you can only really see them when they open their mouths. Mr & Mrs Great Tit are now very busy feeding their family in the woodlands at St.Fagans.