File:Ricochet Hill - geograph.org.uk - 58672.jpg

English: Ricochet Hill. Looking NNW from the boundary of the Ash Ranges danger area towards Ricochet Hill. Far more of the features in the danger area have names than those in comparable areas outside. The growth of pine saplings is obvious in the foreground. Over 500 hectares of the training area the Surrey Heathland Project, in conjunction with the MOD, has cleared the pine and birch scrub to maintain the valuable heathland habitat as part of the five year "Surrey's Last Wilderness" programme. Nearly 4/5ths of Surrey's heathland area has been lost since the late 18th century. In part, this loss has been to agriculture, forestry and development, but lack of management is now the overwhelming reason for heathland loss. Surrey heathland is outstandingly important for birds. Although the number of characteristic heathland species is small, heathland in Surrey supports internationally important numbers of three bird species listed on Annex 1 of the EU Birds Directive. These are the nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus, woodlark Lululla arborea (both UK Priority List) and Dartford warbler Sylvia undata ('Amber List').