Bat

Most species of bat in the UK sleep in treetops. They change position depending on the time of year, moving upwards in the summer to soak up the sunshine, and down in the winter to find a safe spot to hibernate. Holes and cracks provide good hiding places.

Grey squirrel

These feisty North American rodents have chased away the native red squirrels in most British oak forests. They make their homes inside spherical twiggy structures called dreys, and spend the autumn months gathering and burying acorns. They also eat bulbs, tree shoots, roots and fungi, and even the occasional egg.

Woodlouse

These armoured animals are a type of crustacean. They have 14 legs, distinctive segmented bodies, and some are able to roll up into a ball for defence. They lurk in dark, damp places, and play an important role in clearing up decaying material and recycling nutrients at the base of the tree.

Deer

There are six species of deer in the UK, and to them, oak trees are a buffet. They munch away at leaves, gather up acorns and even strip the bark in winter as an additional source of food. In the spring, male deer use saplings to rub the velvet from their antlers.

Milk cap mushrooms

Fungi live closely with oak trees, forming partnerships and sharing resources. The mushrooms gain food from the tree’s roots, which are rich in carbohydrates, and in return, they provide the tree with minerals from the soil. Some milk caps are edible, but others are poisonous.

Pied flycatcher

These little birds spend their winters in the warmth of Africa, but come summer, they return to British oaks to breed. After stocking up on seeds and insects, they lay six or seven pale blue eggs in nests made from leaves, moss and lichen.