BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH!

We all do our little for the environment on a daily basis by being greener, recycling and saving energy, but we can play a more proactive role for the future of our planet, with out getting up out of our armchairs.

"How?" You may ask. Get involved with the RSPB’s Big Garden Bird Watch, held over this weekend, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th of January. To take part in this annual event, we simply turn our chairs around from the direction of the telly and face them towards the back window. With the assistance of a nice cup of tea, a slice of cake, a pen and paper, take one hour out of your time to look at your garden. Check out the birds that visit it, what species, and make a note of the highest number of each bird species seen in one hour. You may be surprised.

Over half a million people in the UK join in annually.

If you struggle with to identify any of your feathered friends, simply log on to: www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier .

The experience is usually enhanced if you already regularly feed the birds and they see your garden as a place for a tasty treat. If not don’t delay in getting some feeders up or food out for them. If you need advice on what to feed them, check out my blog page for January 2010, 'Your Country's Birds Needs You!'

Submit your results via www.rspb.org.uk/Birdwatch

Easy peasy!

The results are collected and compiled to give an overview of bird trends across the UK. It provides essential information regarding some of our most important species.

Poplar Hawk-moth

Perhaps the largest moths in the UK are members of the 'Hawk-moth' family.

The most popular is known as the Poplar Hawk-moth.

The Poplar has a wing span of 100mm and is docile in nature, often seen during the day taking a rest. The one you see photographed was found in Beechdale.

Hawk-moths can be both day and night flying moths, they are known for their speedy flight and some have the ability to actually hover for example the Hummingbird Hawk-moth, (pictured below) which appears in the south of the country.

Hawk-moths are by no means dull in colour, in fact they appear to be some of the UK's most beautiful as shown in the picture below. This is known as an Elephant Hawk-moth, and was taken in Tamworth during the summer. Fuchsia pink and lime green in colour with a wing span of 50mm, they are far from being boring. Our skies are filled with some truly amazing little creatures!!

All photographs by L.Warren

Bloxwich giant spider's web?? Aaaaargh!

A scary sight, faces the residents of Goscote Lane, Blakenall. Perhaps the largest spiders web they have ever seen, has appeared on their doorstep.

Yes, this is what nightmares are made of, but things are not quite what they seem.





Look a little closer. What do you see?

Not the giant, hairy, bird eating tarantula you were expecting?

This huge web like structure, is the work of a small caterpillar belonging to the Spindle Ermine Moth. It will live and feed temporarily under this incredible construction, until it is ready to fly around July-August. In the mean time, we can be rest assured that we are not being attacked by 'man-eating' spiders. It's just a tiny caterpillar doing it's thing! Enjoy and be humbled by this marvelous local spectacle.

If you want to learn more go to butterfly-conservation.org

All pictures by L.Warren

Your Country's Birds Need You!!

As winter is upon us, I cannot stress enough the importance of feeding the birds in your garden, regularly.

They need to build up fat reserves to get them through these frosty nights. Once birds have found a food source they will continue to return to it. Flying in the cold takes up a huge amount of energy, if they reach their source and nothing is available they will have to start their search all over again, no food, no energy!

Please ensure that the food that you put out is easily available for various species to reach. Hang some in the tree, pot some on a tray on perhaps on a garden table, and remember many birds such as blackbirds and dunnocks are also ground feeding, so remember to scatter some on the ground.

If possible keep your bird bath topped up with fresh water everyday in order to enable them to bathe, despite the cold, bathing is still an important factor for the everyday life of birds in order to keep their feathers in tip top condition.

(Never add salt to bird baths to keep them from freezing).

As you are aware there are plenty of seeds/nut mixtures available on the high street, ideally black sunflower and nyjer seeds have a high oil content, but if you are unable to reach the shops try putting out kitchen scraps or left overs.

The list below, might give you an idea about the type of foods you can put out. These will provide various species with the nutrition required and help them survive this cold winter:

Fat (Not polyunsaturated)

Cheese-grated
Potatoes - roasted or baked, (ensure they are cold and opened up)
Raisins
Sultanas
Currants
Apples
Pears
Bruised fruit- not mouldy
Pastry
Bacon (unsalted)
Cooked rice(unsalted)

Bread- Although it is not harmful to birds, it has very little nutritional value as it does not contain the protein and fats needed to supply energy.

A word of caution-Avoid mouldy/stale food and anything salted.

The comforting thought is, you will be assisting in the conservation of many of our favourite birds and you will be rewarded. How? When the weather takes a turn for the worst, new species will take the opportunity to visit your garden in their search for food.

So take a few minutes to sit with a cuppa, relax and watch your feeding station. A local birder in Bloxwich this week, was fortunate to have a visit from an elusive lesser spotted woodpecker in his garden, so keep your eyes peeled. You may be surprised!

Papillion

All photographs by L. Warren

On the Game - The Pheasant

Whilst much controversy surrounds the introduction of non-native species to Britain, the pheasant proves to be the original success story. The female population is perhaps around 1.8million, but around 30 million or more are farm bred and released each year for the hunting season.

This elaborate species originated in SW Asia, was introduced by the Romans, and continues to prosper in our woodland and farmland down to this day. It also remains as the world's most common game bird.

When it comes to breeding, the males vivid plumage really comes into play. A male can have a harem of up to eighteen females, impressive, yet, when the female has settled onto the nest the male will almost ignore her. Pheasants are a ground nesting bird, this dismissive behaviour acts as a protection to both the female and its young. As you maybe aware, the female is a rather drab bird compared to her male counterpart, and without the males presence, she and her chicks can remain camouflaged so as not to attract predators such as foxes.

Out of all the British birds, were you aware that it is the fastest runner, reaching speeds of up to 21mph? Which is advantageous, since it is only able to fly a relatively short distance.

Although it is common to see Pheasants on some of the open countryside surrounding Bloxwich, I have been surprised to see them in an urban setting. A male feeding on the green on Sneyd Hall Rd, Dudley Fields and a female walking down Harrison St heading towards the High St, whose presence I haven't quiet been able to explain.

Papillion

All photographs by L. Warren

Garden Favourites - The Wren

It may surprise you to learn, that the wren is the most abundant breeding bird in the U.K. with an estimated population of about 10 million breeding pairs. Around the world there is said to be around 80 species of wrens, and here in the U.K there are four subspecies, these are found on St Kilda and on the Fair Isle, two are lighter than the mainland birds and two are darker.

In Britain they are one of our smallest birds, at 9.5 cm and weighing just 10g (about the weight of a £1 coin) it has for certain one of the most explosive singing voices. They are restless and excitable bird which gives out a loud tic-tic-tic and aloud trill, to the point where their little bodies vibrate, these calls often are made by the male to defend their territory.

Its Latin name is Troglodytes troglodytes deriving from the ancient Greek, trogle meaning 'hole' + dyein meaning 'to enter', or a 'cave-dweller. This is a reasonable description as wrens have the tendency to enter small nooks and crannies searching for food.

They will often nest in your garden in dense vegetation and prefer the cover of ivy and other creepers. They will only build a nest where there is a suitable site with good food supplies. Males build several nests, the female will then choose her favourite and go on to line it with feathers. Unlike the open topped nests of other garden birds such as blackbirds and tits, the wren's nest resembles a ball like structure.

Severe winters are devastating for this species, as many as eight out of ten can die. To combat severe weather, some roost communally, and rumours are said that over 60 have been known to share a standard nest box, cuddled up together. This behavior acts as a life saver as they could lose as much as half their body weight over winter. If you find a Wren nest don’t remove it, it may be used a little later on. In particular, leave any found after September undisturbed for winter roosting. Try adding an open-fronted bird box to your wall in your garden? Once foliage has grown over to cover it you may find wrens will nest there. Alternatively you could try using an old kettle or teapot as a nest, just hang it in the ivy.

Survival can depend on moving to an area where there are better food supplies. Sometimes, when it comes to our gardens, we seem to cater for the seed eaters, but not insect eaters. Due to the fact that these little birds enjoy live food especially spiders, which are often in short supply over the winter months, it is important that they are fed plenty, they enjoy suet and fat and try sprinkling a little grated cheese under your hedges and around your garden to attract them.

Photographs by L.Warren

Papillion

Garden Favourites- The Great Tit

One of our most popular garden birds, has to be the Great tit.

A sparrow sized bird, instantly recognisable by their bright plumage, they readily come into our gardens and make the most of our food and nest boxes.

The Great tit, is noticeably larger than blue tit, with large white cheek patches, which stand out from its black head and throat. To decipher whether it is male or female, simply look at the stripe that runs down the front of its chest. The males stripe is broader, and runs all the way back, where as the females, will have a narrower stripe which fades towards its stomach.

It has a loud distinguished call and even though it can on occasion imitate other calls, its best known for 'teechu-teechu-teechu', which is often heard in the first 6 months of the year.

Never underestimate these small birds, they are opportunistic feeders, and have the ability to over come problems in order to attain food. Great tits are known to identify new sources of food by observing other birds foraging, and have a reputation of following other birds who are storing food, and steal from them. They have even been recorded using a pine needle as a tool to pick out food found in deep cavities.

Although they eat mainly caterpillars, insects and larvae, during winter months like all small birds they need to build up their energy reserves with nuts and seeds and other plant matter, which is where we come in.

During autumn and winter put out food regularly and in severe weather if possible feed twice a day. Great tits enjoy peanuts (never put out salted or dry roasted varieties) sunflower seeds and fat balls. Please remove the mesh bags that these are sold in as they may trap birds' feet. Transfer them to a steel mesh feeder.

Juvenile Great tit by L. Warren

Great tits and their nests are protected under the wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If you are fortunate to have them nesting in your nest box, it is always worth remembering that empty nests can be cleaned out only between August and January.


Papillion