THE RSPB has revealed an alarming decline in the number of woodland birds and wildlife in Surrey.
RSPB South East spokesman Samantha Stokes said: "Woodlands can be a refuge for plants and animals, especially for woodland specialists such as willow tits and lesser spotted woodpeckers.
"However, last month's State of Nature report revealed that 60 per cent of our woodland species have decreased and 34 per cent have decreased strongly over recent decades.
"The willow tit used to be widespread across the UK, but its numbers have plummeted over the last three decades, and recorded sightings have all but ceased in Surrey.
"The drumming of our smallest woodpecker, the lesser spotted woodpecker, is also an increasingly rare sound in the South East and the rest of the UK."
Ms Stokes said that of 262 woodland flowering plants assessed, 30 are on the national "red" list.
Some are considered "critically endangered", including green hound's-tongue, which prefers open glades and rides in woodland. There is also cause for dismay over the figures relating to butterflies within our woodlands.
Many species have declined by up to 43 per cent since 1990.
"The loss has been particularly severe for wood white and Duke of Burgundy butterflies, amongst others," said Ms Stokes.
The RSPB believes that the decline of most woodland species is linked to changes in the structure of woodlands, due to grazing by an increasing number of wild deer, changes to management practices, and woodland ageing.
Ms Stokes added: "Lack of woodland management and the corresponding loss of structural diversity have led to declines in many priority species, including the hazel dormouse, nightingale and heath fritillary butterfly."
