The Wyre Forest is one of Britain's most important ancient woodlands and its survival, just 25 miles from the centre of Birmingham, is a modern miracle.
Its history and geographical position make it home to a stunning array of wildlife from all corners of the British Isles which includes Dippers, Slavemaker Ants and Narrow-leaved Helleborine orchids. Wyre is justifiably known for its Lepidoptera and recent conservation efforts have succeeded in restoring nationally important populations of Pearl-bordered and Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries. Wood White and Grizzled Skipper also occur along with White Admiral and Silver-washed Fritillary. Wyre is also one of the most significant UK sites for moths and is home to such species as Drab Looper, White-barred Clearwing and the beautiful and very local micro-moth Schiffermuelleria grandis.
Wyre has inspired great naturalists too and, in these pages, you will find accounts of Edgar Chance and Oliver Pike's first film of Cuckoos laying their eggs in their hosts' nests. The Adders of Wyre have also been the subject of a valuable long-term study which has revealed new aspects of their lives.
Against a background of habitat loss and diminishing conservation value over much of lowland England, Wyre Forest has retained most of its wildlife riches. This book offers hope that focused management will benefit the Forest so that future generations will continue to celebrate the nature of Wyre.
"Every so often a local natural history is published that surpasses the usual standards of that genre: this is such a book [...]" – Julian Greenwood, BTO book reviews
"'Colour-illustrated' can mean many things, from a few old-fashioned plates in the middle to a picture book in which only the words are in black. This book is unusual in that it has the colour and design of a coffee-table production but with a serious text worthy of British Wildlife. Sharp and well-composed portraits of the Wyre Forest and its denizens abound on every page, often taking up a full page, with nicely designed double-page spreads opening each new chapter. [...] This book is a thing of beauty [...] The Nature of Wyre is a remarkably detailed account of the wildlife of an English forest. [...] If any book was devised to appeal to the readers of British Wildlife, this is it." – Peter Marren, British Wildlife 27(3)
