Quantock Hills Blog
Have your say…
Follow the blog of Rangers Andy Harris and Tim Russell as they roam the Quantocks, working to enrich the wildlife and helping keep the Quantocks outstandingly beautiful for everyone to enjoy. Sign up and let them know your thoughts on whats happening day to day on the hills.
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Easter eggs - Monitoring the pied flycatcher nest boxes begins
27 Apr
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Hopefully you all had a great Easter break, and enjoyed a few too many chocolate eggs. I’m hoping I might still find some Easter eggs, albeit the slightly smaller variety that can be found in our 160+ nest boxes scattered amongst the woods and forests.
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First class post - Volunteers have helped put up new timber information posts at the main hilltop car parks.
18 Apr
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Over the last couple of weeks the volunteers have been out putting up new information posts in the main hilltop car parks. The posts have the name of the location and map reference routed into the timber. The first one went up at Lydeard Hill car park and within 5 minutes of it going in a member of the public commented on how useful (and sensible) the map reference addition was!
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Sign of the (old) times - The Quantock Hills AONB was one of the first Protected Areas to take its Highway Heritage seriously.
04 Apr
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Somerset, unlike many other Counties still has its old original cast iron road signs (dating back to early last century). A heritage project a few years ago managed to get funding to repair a number of these old signs throughout the Quantock Hills AONB, and the project has been adopted by other AONBs in England and Wales.
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Monitoring Pied Flycatchers - AONB Rangers prepare bird boxes for the arrival of the migratory pied flycatcher
08 Mar
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After just a few beautiful spring mornings, we can now be sure that spring is finally here. I am writing this warming up in the office having checked on our Exmoor Ponies this morning. Signs of spring are now all around us with snowdrops in flower, resident birds beginning to sing as dawn breaks and Tawny Owl declaring their territories at the end of the day.
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Vroom with a view - The Volunteers have been out improving views from Lydeard Hill
01 Feb
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Quantock Countryside Volunteers made a fantastic improvement to Lydeard Hill car park last Thursday by clearing a dense block of gorse from along the fence line. The gorse had grown up over a number of years and gradually obscured the view from this hilltop car park.
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Countryfile comes to the Quantocks - Rangers film for Sunday's Countryfile
17 Jan
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Last week Andy and I contributed to this coming Sunday’s (23rd) BBC Countryfile programme.
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Making tracks under the duvet - Small mammals find protection under the snow from wind chill of minus 21 on Cothelstone Hill
20 Dec
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The cold weather and snow has been good for seeing many animals especially birds that gather together in flocks but also picking out the tracks of mammals more often than not missed during the normal working day.
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On top of the world…. - Rangers were out in the winter wonderland that was Cothelstone Hill this morning.
07 Dec
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As we do every morning we were checking on the herd of Exmoor Ponies, and having to break the ice in their drinking trough. Andy was with some volunteers who were working on a task, clearing bramble from the pony corral.
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Volunteers help keep the woodlands oak-ay - Quantock Countryside Volunteers help protect some important sessile oak woodlands.
06 Dec
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Volunteer Co-ordinator Owen Jones and the The Quantock Countryside Volunteer group recently headed to the Sandy Beds area of the Quantocks to carry out some essential tree thinning. The area is covered with gnarled dwarf oaks (Sessile Oaks) that help give this area a unique feel, form an important habitat within the AONB boundary and is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
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Chill Out - The first snow of the winter made for an interesting patrol over the weekend!
30 Nov
4 Comments
Drifting snow on the hilltops and a wind chill of minus 16 turned the soft and gentle Quantocks into the tundra! Snowfall on Friday afternoon soon had the autumnal hills looking like a Christmas card.
Stay in the loop
Annual Reports
View Annual reports from the Quantock AONB Service
AONB Planning Consultation Comments 2011
Please click below to read responses made by the AONB on behalf of the Quantock Hills Joint Advisory Committee
Information leaflets
Find out more about why the heathland is so important for birds, the red deer on the Quantocks and why the history of the landscape is so special.
Management Plan
The Quantock Hills AONB Management Plan 2009-2014 and Management Plan Summary
Newsletters
If you would like to subscribe to the Quantock Hills e-newsletter please email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and we will put you on our mailing list
Other organisations and activities in the Quantocks
A few things you might find interesting from organisations we work with in the Quantocks
Planning Guidance and Position Statements
Find our guidance documents and position statements here.
PREPARING FOR CHANGE
Climate-proof your tourism business
Quantock Deer Count Results 7 March 2010
The results of the annual Quantock Deer Count held on 7 March 2010.
QUANTOCK ECO EVENTS PROGRAMME
Building Resilient Villages
Quantock Hills Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) Papers
Papers from the partnership committee the Joint Advisory Committeeqhjac_papers_22nd_july_11.pdf
Quantock Hills Visitor Guide
Quantock Hills Visitor Guide
Recreation Leaflets
a full range of leaflets from circular walks to event guides and leaflets to allow you to enjoy the best of the hills
SCC disposal of land
Find out the Quantock Hills AONB Service position
Sustainable Development Fund forms
The SDF for 20011/12 has £45,000 to allocate. This will provide grants to organisations, businesses, community groups and individuals who wish to explore and develop practical projects that enhance, conserve and develop the environment, economy and way of life.
Tick Leaflet
Ticks are becoming more common and a bite from this spider-like parasite could lead to Lyme Disease. This is a treatable infection caused by bacterium transmitted by ticks when they bite. Not every tick carries Lyme Disease and it is important to realise that the disease is relatively rare.
Wild Places competition
Win a chance to create your own 'wild place'.
Information
Useful Contacts
Quantock AONB Service
Tel: 01823 451 884
Somerset Wildlife Trust
Tel: 01823 652 400
www.somersetwildlife.org
National Trust
Tel: 01823 451 814
www.nationaltrust.org
Forestry Commission
Tel: 01278 732 319
