Wildlife on the Doddington Estate

the intricate pattern on a butterfly perched on a green leaf

Wilder Doddington

Wildlife

As the landscape grows wilder, wildlife is finding space to thrive.

Still in the earliest years of a 400-year vision, Wilder Doddington is already seeing wildlife respond as soils recover, wetlands expand and vegetation becomes richer and more varied. There is something truly life-affirming about watching these changes unfold across the Lincolnshire landscape.

From Skylarks singing above the grasslands to Water Rails breeding among the reeds, each new arrival, breeding record and sign of recovery offers a glimpse of a wilder future.

Take a look at some of the wildlife success stories emerging across Wilder Doddington.

Ecosystem engineers

Grazing animals are creating varied habitats for wildlife

Lincoln Red cattle, Exmoor ponies, heritage breed pigs and wild deer shape the landscape through grazing, browsing, trampling and rootling.

These ecosystem engineers create a changing mosaic of short grass, taller vegetation, bare ground, scrub and flower-rich margins. Skylarks sing overhead, Brown Hares shelter among the grasses and Barn Owls hunt across the open landscape. In summer, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Knapweed and Yellow Rattle support butterflies, bees, grasshoppers and crickets.

Wetlands

Water is returning and wildlife is responding

Through Wetter Better, more than 30 ponds have been created, historic land drains blocked and the River Hobba reconnected with its floodplain, helping water spread naturally and remain in the landscape for longer. Irregular pond edges, varied depths and seasonal pools create a rich mosaic of habitats for aquatic insects, amphibians and wetland birds.

Wildlife has responded quickly. Common Snipe and Jack Snipe feed in the soft wet ground, Water Rails have bred among the reeds and Great Crested Newts are colonising new ponds. Reed Warblers and Sedge Warblers have also been recorded, bringing more life, movement and birdsong to Wilder Doddington’s growing wetlands.

view of a large pond with green trees in the background wilder doddington

a man holding a black newt above the grass

Scrub and trees

New layers of habitat provide food and shelter

Bramble, willow, oak and naturally regenerating scrub are bringing greater structure and variety to the landscape.

Whitethroats and Blackcaps nest among the vegetation while Cuckoos can be heard in spring. Harvest Mice find shelter among taller grasses and Roe Deer browse where grassland, scrub and woodland meet. After dark, Barbastelle Bats forage along woodland edges and around mature trees.

saplings in the meadows of doddington estate

Species recovery

Targeted action is helping wildlife return

Some species need more than space and time. The Marsh Fritillary butterfly depends on varied grassland rich in Devil’s-bit Scabious, the food plant required by its caterpillars.

Work to establish and expand this habitat is supporting plans to introduce the butterfly to Wilder Doddington. The same flower-rich grasslands also benefit bees, moths, beetles and many other insects, helping to strengthen the wider web of life across the landscape.

Hidden wildlife

Monitoring reveals the life we might otherwise miss

Much of the wildlife at Wilder Doddington is small, secretive or active after dark. Through our participation in BIOSCAN, flying insects collected here are analysed using DNA barcoding, helping to reveal the diversity of species moving through the landscape.

Moth trapping has recorded species including Elephant Hawk-moth while Purple Hairstreaks live high in the oak canopy and Glow-worms glimmer in sheltered areas on summer evenings. Dung Beetles recycle nutrients while Slow Worms and Adders find refuge among rough vegetation and sunny woodland edges.

a green insect sat inside a white and yellow flower

grebes hiding in pond plants at doddington hall

a heron perched at the end of a pond at doddington estate

a red ladybird perched at the end of a flowering plant

swallow chicks in a nest box at doddington hall

an egret wading through the fishpond on the doddington estate

a great grey shrike perched on a bare branch

a butterfly with orange and green wing markings perched on a leaf

yellowhammer bird perched on a winter tree branch

A wilder future

This is only a glimpse of the wildlife finding food, shelter and breeding habitat at Wilder Doddington. As the landscape continues to evolve, every season brings new discoveries and another chapter in this long-term story of nature recovery.