Considering its relatively small size, Snape Wood Nature Reserve hosts a wide range of birds of all shapes and sizes – from tiny wrens to clumsy woodpigeons, from cheeky blue tits to stealty sparrowhawks, from noisy great spotted woodpeckers to plucky robins.

Many of the birds which you can see are resident in the woods, although some are really struggling in terms of populations, with coal tits the most threatened at the present time. The reserve has already lost populations of its nuthatches and wintering blackcaps, so to lose another species would be tragic.

Conversely, some species have really flourished, especially during 2008. The Scandinavian influx of chaffinches in the autumn was a notable coup for Snape Wood with many people seeing them for the first time (although there have always been a few very shy year-round residents).

We’ve also entertained some very rare visits by great spotted woodpeckers (once resident, but now restricted to flying visits), jays (notoriously shy birds, but with lovely plumage) and even a greenfinch, not normally associated with the reserve. Last summer we also had a pair of green woodpeckers stay over for a few days, with their trademark ‘yaffle’ call ringing out throughout the woods.

This section of the website takes a look at the different species which you may or may not see or hear. The most common birds you can expect to see are collared doves, blue tits, great tits, woodpigeons, wrens, magpies, robins and dunnocks, but if you take the time to stop look and listen, you may discover some other feathered pleasures !