Forest of Dean Wildlife Tours

29/08/2024

Well.... that's fancy isn't it? Gold Spot. Not uncommon but always an absolute winner to hook people into moth addiction 🤣

10/07/2024

Double trap setup last night. Both 13w actinic, 1 bucket 1 skinner. One in woodland the other in the garden.
Some really great variety. It cheers me up after a nightshift at work before I head to bed!
Highlights of Yellow Tailed, Lesser Yellow Underwing (before the hoards of LYU), Scalloped Oak, Small Yellow Wave, Grey Dagger, The Sycamore and Pebble Hook-Tip, amongst stacks of Bird-cherry Ermine (about 35)

02/07/2024

Decent haul of 52 moths last night.

Today:
- A Scarlet Tiger posed for a studio shot
- A Spectacle proved why it deserves its name
- I added a Mercury Vapour setup to my Skinner trap so I could detach my retinas at 20 paces
First test of the MV tonight

27/06/2024

So much easier to take photos when you don't have a wriggly 1yo in the sling at the same time 🤣
This photo sums up one the main reasons I got into moth trapping. Just look at it! So much colour.
Moths are so underrated! Over 150 species so far this year, hopefully with many more to come yet.

30/05/2024

Wanted to increase retention in the skinner trap but didn't want to mess with it being portable. It's a bit Heath Robinson in construction the added baffles and glued on mini hinges should work well. Test tonight!

28/05/2024

Do you want to see our biggest birds of prey flying up and down the Severn Estuary?
There's a reintroduction project in the pipeline!
Learn more about it by popping into Lydney Community Centre on Sat 8th of June between 1pm and 430pm
What an amazing addition to an already wildlife rich area!

https://www.facebook.com/share/RKQ2DCxnFNPiUke1/

Eagle Reintroduction Wales (ERW) a conservation programme to restore native-lost eagles to Wales.

15/05/2024

Pretty Mothy last night.
Poplar Hawk, Ruby Tiger, Purple Bar, Oak Hook-Tip and Silver Y in amongst the catch.

26/04/2024

Some brilliant morning tours recently! Fantastic views of Tree Pipit, Whitethroat, Redstart amongst plenty of other species.
Spaces still available for morning, half day and nightjar tours in May.
Get in touch via Instagram, Facebook or email to book a tour for yourself and enjoy rhe wildlife of the forest

19/04/2024

I know what you're thinking. He's over-egged that a bit hasn't he?
I'm taking no chances. Who wins? Budget bucket trap or shop bought skinner trap? Place your bets!

11/04/2024

2 moth traps out tonight. The reliable and now much more portable bucket trap out in the wood, as part of a bigger invertebrate survey. Then the new skinner trap out in te garden.
Fingers crossed for a decent catch!

08/04/2024

Cuckoo Flower - comes into bloom at approximately the same time as Cuckoos start to sing. Keep your ears on high alert!
We have availability throughout April and May for early morning and half day wildlife tours. Get in touch and discover the amazing bird, mammal and floral life of the Forest of Dean for yourselves!

22/05/2023

Friends of Aylburton Wildlife - helping to enrich biodiversity and improve natural resources!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=204533842455271&id=100086959681735

18/05/2023

"Dull" thing flies past you in the dead of night. Why not take a closer look?
Some incredibly diverse species in the Moth Trap this morning including a Buff Tip, Ermine and this huuuuge Poplar Hawk Moth. Taking the time to appreciate the finer details of our Lepidoptera!

18/05/2023

Nightjars are back at known sites in the forest and in very vocal form, as we're the Muntjac in the second clip!
We still have space, evenings this week for Nighjar tours. Get in touch if you want a glimpse of these incredible birds!

03/05/2023

Correction to the Nightjar sound from the interview on BBC Radio Glos! Made a rookie mistake and didn't have the radio on while being interviewed, so didn't hear the "nightjar" sound which was most definitely not a Nightjar!
For reference, the Nightjar sounds like this, have a look at the fantastic resource on the RSPB website 😀
https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/nightjar/

02/05/2023

We're going to be live on air with Anna King on tomorrow at 1pm, talking all things wildlife tours. If you fancy, tune in, or catch up at your leisure via the BBC Radio Glos Website later in the day

30/04/2023

Praise indeed! Thank you for your kind words, it means a huge amount to know we're providing the kind of inspirational nature experience that warrants such wonderful feedback
Another 5* review, another reason to be a proud advocate of nature and wildlife

30/04/2023

Yesterday's Half Day Tour was an absolute stunner. 3 sites visited around the forest, with a very respectable 41 species seen in total, with star species including Redstart, Pied Flycatcher and a trio of Goshawks.
If you want a chance of seeing this amazing variety of bird life, get in touch!

24/04/2023

Remember, by volunteering, you can give wildlife a helping hand in your area!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=186884784220177&id=100086959681735

21/02/2023

The first moth in the trap this year! This is a Clouded Drab. With the advent of slightly warmer weather fingers crossed for a few early attendees to the bucket trap in the next week or so to extend the garden list. Look out for the Moth Trap Experience coming soon to Fodwildlifetours

22/01/2023

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0dvc577

Here's a link to this morning's feature on . Our segment starts at 3h11.
Thanks to Kate Clark for being such a welcoming host!

21/01/2023

Catch up with us tomorrow on . We'll be discussing some community conservation projects and the advantages of dead hedging

20/01/2023

Lovely morning foray to Poor's Allotment in the sun this morning, ticking off some year list bird species
In other news, tune in to BBC Radio Glos on Sunday at 1pm where I'll be having a chat about the benefits of dead hedging and some local conservation efforts!

08/12/2022

For the nature lover in your life, this Christmas, give the gift of engagement with our amazing wildlife. Gift vouchers available for any value, no expiry date, making them super easy to redeem!

14/11/2022

As a side project, to help conserve and enhance wildlife provision in my immediate local area, I volunteer with the to help manage a small woodland.
We've been very busy indeed today....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=118466727728650&id=100086959681735

27/10/2022

You know all those "dull brown jobs" flying past at night. If you look closely they're far more colourful!
The past few trapping sessions have heralded a wide range of species and up to 50 moths in number in the trap in a single night.
We're getting the prep in ready for launching our Moth Trap experience next spring/summer.

05/10/2022

Another 5* review by another happy customer. I'm always happy to receive a stellar review and to know I'm delivering the kind of experience that people can rave about. The more nature advocates the better in the current economic and environmental climate!

16/09/2022

Coming soon to a coffee table near you 🤣
It was high time I spent some time designing leaflets for Fodwildlifetours.
400 will be heading out with the next copy of Aylburton Nature Watch. Now I have to find lovely local businesses who are happy to have a few to display for potential customers.
Feel free to DM if you follow and il send some out!

07/09/2022

Finally got around to building a bucket moth trap. This one is inspired by instructions found on the Butterfly Conservation Trust website. I've also got a battery and inverter that allow the trap to be used in the field without mains power. Great for surveys. Look out for the Moth Trap Experience coming to Fodwildlifetours next year! Great haul from last night's trapping session. Now to get to work on buffing up my Lepidoptera ID skills!

20/07/2022

Volume up! An absolutely fantastic evening Nightjar tour featuring 3 Nightjar, with bonus sightings of a fox, wild boar and fallow deer