As part of our Achieving more for nature's recovery initiative, we've signed up to a five-year commitment to fund the installation of innovative acoustic monitoring devices from Chirrup.ai across the Small Wood's woodlands.
The devices, placed strategically at Edge Wood, Squatter’s Cottage, and the Green Wood Centre, enable continuous, non-intrusive monitoring of bird populations.
Early results are impressive with over 40 bird species identified, including six red list species recorded such as Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, and House Martin.
Bio-indicator analysis placed Small Woods in the top quartile for woodland richness and trophic depth, reflecting a healthy, diverse ecosystem. The top ten birds included familiar woodland favourites like Long-tailed Tit, Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Robin.
While Edge Wood emerged as a biodiversity hotspot, boasting unique species such as the Tawny Owl and Nuthatch, the Green Wood Centre showed slightly lower species numbers, likely due to human disturbance.
The data also highlighted areas for improvement, such as insect richness and hedgerow habitats, guiding future conservation actions. Recommendations include fencing scrub to protect ground-nesting birds, moderate thinning to enhance canopy quality, installing nesting boxes, and planting native wildflowers to boost insect and granivore populations.
Jessica Wilkes-Ball, head of sustainability and net zero at Mills & Reeve, said: “This project demonstrates how technology can support nature recovery. We’re proud to help Small Woods gather insights that will guide future conservation efforts and ensure these woodlands thrive for generations to come.”
Simon James, CEO at Small Woods, commented: “This collaborative effort is invaluable to Small Woods. We’re pleased to hear that we ranked in the top third of Chirrup users for biodiversity engagement in 2025, but the main benefit to us is that this data provides next steps for our ongoing woodland and habitat restoration projects, ensuring our sites remains a thriving haven for wildlife for years to come.”
Mhairi Cameron, research & development lead at Chirrup.ai, added: “We’re delighted to partner with Mills & Reeve and Small Woods to enable them to demonstrate the rich diversity of bird species that are thriving in the beautifully maintained woodlands around Shropshire.
“The mutually beneficial relationship between the people who work, volunteer, or visit the site, and the bird life that they promote and support, is lovely to see. Projects like this highlight the vital link between human wellbeing and ecosystem health, and we look forward to continuing this collaboration."
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