Citizen Science Testing Site - Newton Brook, Hereford

 Never memorize something that you can look up - Albert Einstein

One of my citizen science test sites is in a small steep sided wooded area within the city limits of Hereford. The site is regularly flooded during the winter season when the River Wye is in full spate. It has the feel of a temperate rainforest and is popular with the dog-walking fraternity. Being close to housing estates, shops, etc., it is also a favourite spot for the younger generation (Gen Z??) who like to drink beer and smoke cannabis and, for some unfathomable reason, scatter their litter around & dump supermarket trolleys in the brook.

Figure 1: Test Site U033 on Newton Brook (h/t Google Maps)

Figure 1 shows the approximate position of my test site (X) on the Newton Brook which follows the treeline towards the River Wye. As you can see, it is a short narrow stretch of woodland, about 200 metres in length.

I took this short panoramic video on 29th July 2026 just after I had finished testing. You can see the brook itself in the first six seconds, followed by the path heading north to the River Wye (at 7 seconds), the main wooded area and the path heading south (at 20 seconds) from whence I came and will return.

Video 1: Panoramic View of Surrounding Woodland at Site U033 (Newton Brook)

The brook is currently at historically low levels but is still flowing (just about). The woodland becomes a lake when the River Wye level exceeds 3 metres at Hereford Bridge, the nearest hydrology monitoring station. This can be quite often during the wet season (October to March) as Figure 2 shows.

Figure 2: River Wye Level at Hereford Bridge (h/t Environmental Agency)

If you watched the short video above, you will have noticed that some of the trees are at a funny angle - presumably as a result of the regular flooding. The brook itself is polluted and there is very little evidence of aquatic life apart from the odd minnow and freshwater shrimp. We are hoping Newton Brook will be adopted as part of the Hereford River City Project and upgraded to a 'living' river to be enjoyed by everyone.

I started writing this blog post so I could put up a picture of a wonderful bracket fungus spotted during my last two testing visits. Possibly an example of Dryad's Saddle (aka Pheasants Back)? I have uploaded to the iNaturalist app to see if it can be identified by a more knowledgeable mycologist (fungi expert). First spotted on the 26th July (Photo 1 & Photo 2) when the main 'saddle' was at least two-feet wide.

Photo 1: Bracket Fungi (26th July 2026)

Photo 2: Bracket Fungi Close-up (26th July 2026)

And again, three days later ...

Photo 3: Bracket Fungi (29th July 2026)

Photo 4: Bracket Fungi Close-up (26th July 2026)

I'm surprised it has lasted this long as i had expected some kids would have smashed it to pieces by now.

On the earlier visit (26th July), I also spotted the remains of a pigeon ...

Photo 5: Dinner Leftovers?

Who or what was the predator? Bird of prey (e.g. sparrowhawk), mammal (e.g. fox or badger) or a domestic cat? I'm not sure a domestic cat would eat a pigeon and a fox/badger would be more likely to drag the prey off to a safer place before eating. My money would be on a sparrowhawk - they are seen in the area and, in my experience, often eat where they make the kill.

Breeding Bird Survey 2026

 One advantage of talking to yourself is that you know at least someone is listening - Franklin P Jones

Mary was keen to repeat the bird breeding surveys we carried out in 2024 and 2025; and I was happy to help. Our previous access to the prescribed BTO route (parking in a lane before crossing a large crop field over poorly maintained stiles) had become increasingly difficult. We had met someone on an earlier survey who suggested an alternative place to park and start the walk. This where we headed for our initial reconnaissance visit on the 2nd May 2026. We met the farmer and he was happy for us to park at the farm entrance before commencing our walk.

It was not long before we saw our obligatory hare (see previous visits in 2024 & 2025) ...

Photo 1: Obligatory Hare (2/5/26)

... before continuing our recce making a note of the ground cover (e.g. crop field, wood, hedges, farm buildings, pond) on either side of the route. The first part of the route largely comprised grassland on one side (where we saw three hares including a young one) and crop fields on the other. 

Photo 2: Rapeseed Crop along the BTO Route (2nd May 2026)

Photo 3: Bare Fields Sown or Ready to be Sown? (2nd May 2026)

There were quite a lot of bare fields (Photo 3) that had probably been seeded but with what? Woodland, farmyard and buildings, etc and a large pond were the other main features of the whole route.

When doing a bird survey, I use the Merlin bird app to pre-identify birdsong and provide an indication of which species are around. However, for the official BTO bird count, Mary's ears and eyes are the only 'instruments' allowed to confirm a sighting. During our recce visit, the Merlin app picked up only 11 bird species (Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Dunnock, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Wren, Whitethoat) and the numbers were not great though we didn't go as far as the woodland area. We were hoping this was mainly down to the time of day (noon to 3 pm); the official bird count would be between 7 am and 9 am.

As we headed back to the car, stopping briefly to admire the hares one final time ...

Photo 4: Photogenic Hare (2nd May 2026)

We returned for the first (of two) bird counts on the 16th May. The full bird count is fairly complicated as you have to note the land-type (identified from the recce), species and number of birds, whether flying or not and how far from the path. A simple count of the number and species is set out in the table below. A zero indicates a species previously identified at this site but not on the 2026 count.

BIRD	2026 COUNT
Canada Goose	1
Mallard	8
Tufted Duck	0
Pheasant	1
Swift	0
Feral Pigeon	0
Stock Dove	4
Wood Pigeon	10
Collared Dove	1
Moorhen	0
Little Grebe	0
Lesser Black-backed Gull	0
Buzzard	0
Great Spotted Woodpecker	0
Green Woodpecker	0
Magpie	1
Jackdaw	2
Rook	2
Carrion Crow	7
Blue Tit	6
Great Tit	1
Skylark	2
Swallow	0
House Martin	7
Long-tailed Tit	7
Willow Warbler	0
Chiffchaff	5
Blackcap	5
Garden Warbler	0
Whitethroat	1
Wren	19
Nuthatch	1
Song Thrush	7
Blackbird	17
Robin	11
House Sparrow	0
Dunnock	5
Pied/White Wagtail	1
Chaffinch	13
Greenfinch	0
Linnet	0
Goldfinch	4
Reed Bunting	0

Of the 43 species identified on previous visits (including by other BTO observers), we only saw or heard twenty-six. This could be due to a number of factors including the fact that we (and by that I mean Mary) might be less skilled in identifying bird sounds and sightings. Some of it will be down to luck or weather (it was overcast on the day of the count) or, perhaps, the absence of bird-friendly crops. We'd rather not contemplate the worst scenario: that farmland birds are in decline. We will have to await the full BTO survey to see if this is the case.

We did solve the mystery of the bare fields; they had been planted with maize but the plants were only a few inches high when we did the official count. So not at all bird-friendly.

We didn't spot any hares on our second visit.

The Merlin Bird ID app worked pretty well although it did throw the odd curve ball. On the recce visit (2nd May) it 'identified' the common sandpiper (unlikely). On the official visit (16th May), the app also  'identified' the following: Willow Warbler, Mistle Thrush, and Curlew. Mary could not confirm any of these so they were not included in the official BTO count. Of the three 'ghost' birds, only the willow warbler had been 'sighted' previously at this sight.

We saw relatively few butterflies on our official visit (16th May); probably a little early in the day. There were certainly more on the recce visit (2nd May) which was both warmer and sunnier. There were lots of Orange-tip Butterflies around genreally; this male seemed to be 'courting' a Small White Butterfly who wasn't the least bit interested!

Video 1: Confused Orange-tip Butterfly 'courting' a Small White Butterfly?

First Camplng Trip of 2026 (Part 2) - Winchcombe & Belas Knapp

 Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it - Michelangelo

On another gorgeous sunny morning, we had a leisurely breakfast while listening to the bird song: 13 bird species either heard or seen (Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chiffchaff, Collared Dove, Dunnock, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Magpie, Robin, Willow Warbler, Wood Pigeon, Wren). After a fairly active day yesterday, we took things a little easier today.

First port of call was Winchcombe where we were hoping to have some lunch. We had a look round the Parish Church (St Peter's) but couldn't find anywhere to eat that we fancied. So it was a trip to the local Co-op for sandwiches etc and a picnic at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (Winchcombe Station). We've travelled on this line before and thoroughly recommend it; unfortunately, timings did not suit our schedule today so we needed an alternative destination.

The alternative was Belas Knap Long Barrow, not far from Winchcombe. Parking is limited to a small lay-by on a minor road. Cross the road and follow the path up to Belas Knap through Humblebee Wood. It is uphill from the lay-by to Belas Knap (Old English: 'bel' = beacon & 'cnaepp' = hilltop) with the first part through the woods being the steepest. After emerging from the woods, follow the path along the side of the wood before turning right up the gentle slope. If you look back you will see the woods you have just come through and Winchcombe in the distance (Photo 1)

Photo 1: Looking back towards Winchcombe from the Path up to the Long Barrow (April 2026)

The warm sunshine was perfect for us and the butterflies ...

Photo 2: Red Admiral Butterfly on the Path up to Belas Knap (29th April 2026)

After about 20 minutes walk (1 kilometre) you should arrive at Belas Knap. This Neolithic chambered long barrow (burial chamber) is about 5000 years old. The site was excavatedon three occasions: 1863-1865, 1928-1931, 1963. Romano-British pottery was found inside indicating a long period of use. In total, the skeletons/bones of 38 individuals (adult and children) have been discovered. Belas Knap is recognized as one of the best examples of a Cotswold-Severn chambered cairn.

Figure 1: Schematic of Belas Knap Long Barrow (h/t English Hereitage)

Photo 3: Mary at the False Portal (see Figure 1)

Photo 4: South Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 5: NE Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 6: Inside NE Chamber Entrance (see Figure 1)

Photo 7: Peacock Butterfly at Belas Knap Long Barrow (late April 2026)

On our return to the car, we passed once more through Humblebee Wood. There was quite a strong breeze and the swaying trees were crackling as they banged and bumped into each other. I tried to record the sound on the video below but it doesn't do justice to the atmospheric crackling as the trees crashed into each other. It is said Tolkien visited this wood and Belas Knap - did it inspire him to invent Ents and Hobbit houses?

Video 1: Swaying Crackling Beech Trees in Humblebee Wood

First Camping Trip of 2026 (Part 1) - Sudeley Castle

 Two beheadings out of six wives is too many - Henry VIII

It was late April and the weather forecast was good: warm, sunny days and not too cold at night. Time for our first camping trip of the season? Where to go? We didn't want to travel too far (maybe one to one & half hours maximum) and it would be nice to visit somewhere new. I suggested the Camping & Caravanning Club site at Winchcombe (41 miles, 1 hour by car) which we've used a number of times and highly recommend.

Photo 1: Sunset over Winchcombe Camping & Caravanning Site (29th April)

Nearby is Sudeley Castle (4 miles, 10 minutes) in the historic town of Winchcombe. For some reason we have never visited before despite often being nearby; so this seemed like a good opportunity.

On the way, we stopped off at the Malverns to view the bluebells that cover the western down slopes of the Malvern Hills (Photo 2) ...

Photo 2: Bluebells on the Western Slopes of the Malverns

... then onto the campsite with a stop-off at Morrisons in Tewkesbury for supplies. After setting up camp we relaxed for a couple of hours. After dinner,we made use of a gorgeous evening to do a circular walk to The Royal Oak at Gretton for a pint before returning back to camp (about 7 miles). No problems sleeping that night!

The next day was a little overcast, though still warm, so ideal for visiting Sudeley Castle & Gardens. The admission price was £21 each (over 60s) which seemed reasonable for a privately-owned estate. After paying to go in, it is a short walk passed a ruined chapel before the main building comes into view (Photo 3) ...

Photo 3: First Glimpse of Sudeley Castle (28th April)

Sudeley Castle origins date back to 1443 when the 1st Baron Sudeley (Ralph Boteler, Lord High Treasurer of England) started the building process on the site of a 12th Century fortified manor house. In 1469, it was confiscated by King Edward IV (Lancastrian Ralph Boteler had picked the wrong side in the War of the Roses!). During the Tudor period (1485 - 1603), it changed hands many times before, in 1547, it was given to Thomas Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour (3rd wife of Henry VIII) and husband of Katherine Parr (the surviving 6th and final wife of Henry VIII).

Photo 4: Wives of Henry VIII, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Unfortunately for Thomas, he literally lost his head in 1549 and Katherine's brother (Willian Parr) inherited Sudeley Castle. Katherine only lived at Sudeley Castle for 3 months before dying from puerperal fever just 6 days after giving birth to her daughter, Mary. Despite this brief stay, Sudeley Castle pays a huge homage to Katherine Parr.

During the English Civil War (1642 - 1651), Sudeley Castle once again picked the wrong side (Royalists) and the castle was 'slighted' (i.e. part demolished and left as a ruin) in 1649 after falling to Parliamentary forces. After nearly 200 years as a romantic ruin, the estate was bought in 1837 by John and William Dent, wealthy glove makers from Worcester. They rebuilt/extended the castle and the family continue to live there.

There is plenty to see in the numerous & varied gardens surrounding the Castle.  Here are a few photos ...

Photo 5: Knot Garden, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 6: St Mary's Church, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 7: Sudeley Castle, Ruins and Victorian Rebuild (April 2026)

Photo 8: Topiary at Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

Photo 9: St Mary's Church centre), Sudeley Castle (left)

Photo 10: Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

Photo 11: St Mary's Church, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 12: Multi-coloured Tulip Display, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 13: Topiary, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 14: Elephant Sculpture, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 15: Fighting Stags, Sudeley Castle (April 2026)

Photo 16: Topiary, Sudeley Castle & Gardens (April 2026)

We spent about 6 hours touring parts of the castle and the extensive gardens including a couple of breaks for lunch and afternoon drinks (choice of cakes, savouries was a bit disappointing). The gardens were delightful and the displays in the castle were informative. Mary was enthused by the many textile and embroidery displays. Overall, good value for money. As we drove away, the car park was almost empty; perhaps the average stay is a little less than the six hours we spent at Sudeley Castle & Gardens!