The Lincolnshire Bird Club

14.40 - 16.30 SK 865 988 Heathland restoration area

V cold hunt for SE or LE Owls but none seen.

1 Woodcock - flushed
5 Fieldfare - over heading N
1 Reed bunting
20 Lapwing - over heading W
10 Meadow pipit - in to roost
Great spot wd
Green Wdpk
30 Starling - over heading E

Also 2 Woodcock over the road in front of the car on way home just south of Blyton village.

the heathland restoration site actually has no public access

Oh dear!

I thought Forestry Commission land was open access under CROW Act 2000? apart from unsafe areas where felling etc is taking place? If not then its a c--k up on my behalf.

Its a shame this area is not accessible for people to enjoy. Are there any other similar heathy areas in Laughton that are public access?

Laughton Forest is something of an unusual Forestry Commission site as they actually only own a very small area in the north-west corner of the forest the rest of the land is owned by a large estate who lease the land to the FC but retain the rights of access and shooting etc; it is thus not up to the FC to open the area for access but down to the land owners; as you say most FC land is open as such but Laughton is an odd one.

There are several other good areas nearby such as Scotton Common and Scotton low fields (LWT) which have similar habitat and birds) and the north-west of the forest by Tuetoes has several access routes where clear fells hold the same birds as the restoration site. If you are looking for Short-eared Owls the forest is not exactly a good area; I have never seen one there in 25 years of visits, but there is a good area of rough grass fields to the south and east of Owlet plantation on the Morton Road which hold potential for asio owls. Seeing Long-eared Owls hunting in the winter is extremely unusual as they invariably do not hunt until it is totally dark; only when feeding young in late May and June are you likely to see them hunting in daylight in the late evening.

The heathland retoration site is under intensive management at present ( with machinery in use and livestock grazing in summer) aimed at creating a low input natural wet heathland habitat and thus public access is not practicable during this period.

Several scientific studies are ongoing on the site to establish links between management activities and the distribution of birds, mammals, insects, snakes and flora on the site and this is another reason that disturbance is kept to a minimum by controlling access. Unfortunately the sign (which states no access to unauthorised personel) formerly on the outer of the two locked and chained gates at the Gainsborough road end of the site has been removed but there is still one on the locked gate at the western end of the site.

Details of access routes and open areas can be found on the notice boards by the main car park at the Tuetoes end of the forest off Carr Road.

GPC,

Which large estate would you be refering to?

Do you have access to the part which us other mortals don't, be it in your official or unofficial capacity?

Max

I am not a cynical person, but having had no answer to these questions, could we have the start of a Laughtongate on our hands

Max,
In the 1980's we used to ring at a Black-headed Gull Colony in Laughton Forest. We sought and gained written permission from both the Forestry Commission and the Land Agents who were Smith Gore at the time. We only stopped when the colony moved on. I don't think there is a "Laughtongate". I suspect Graham gained permission in the same way we did in conjunction with his extensive work on certain species in the area. If ever I have needed access to private property I find out who owns it and ask them for permission in writing- I have never been refused in 25 years.

What! you mean I've been trespassing all these years.
Well - never mind, I'll carry on. Along with the dog walkers, flytippers et.al
Incidently - what about Risby Warren. A few years ago I used to trespass on there regularly looking for the long eared owls, wheatears etc. Nowadays according to to the OS maps it's access land but it's all been fenced off.
Do I still have to keep an eye open for the gamekeeper?
Love to you all
Bob

YES

Yes on the latest maps you can now roam risby warren,take the map with you..just in case your fired apon ,,wave it in the air!!!