Dorset Flora Group: Melbury Woods (Near Compton Abbas airfield) – Yellow Bird’s Nest Survey

Saturday 25th July

A walkover survey of NT Melbury Woods looking for Yellow Bird’s Nest Hypopitys monotropa alongside the National Trust’s North Dorset Ecology Volunteer Group. Melbury Wood is the only site in Dorset where this epiparasitic plant grows, being associated with Tricholoma fungi within this beech woodland.

The NT volunteers did a count in 2024 and recorded over 8,000 flowering spikes(!) and identified several new areas where they had not been seen previously. The aim of this survey would be to thoroughly survey those new areas to get a good idea of the distribution across the site.

When: 10am-2/3pm (depends on what we find, weather and the enthusiasm of participants).

Leader: Adam Woolcott.

Meeting point: Layby near the entrance to the wood, nearest postcode is SP5 5AP. Parking is available in the layby (which has space for about 8-10 cars) or within the wood for 4×4 vehicles (there’s a good-sized timber loading area with space for lots of cars, but the track to it is only suitable for higher vehicles).

Grid ref.: ST91575 19798; What 3 words – ///carry.mermaids.subjects

Alternative parking available at NT Win Green 3mins up the road and we can shuttle people to site if needed.

No booking required, however it is always useful to know numbers. adam.woolcott@nationaltrust.org.uk; 07811009014.

Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. Unfortunately, there are no facilities in Melbury Wood (though there are ice creams and coffee at Compton Abbas Airfield 5mins up the road).

Some of the terrain is steep and quite slippery with beech leaves and mast, so suitable footwear and walking poles would be recommended.