UK Nature Blog

The ugly side of rails

Thanks to regular correspondent David for these great photos from his visit to Martin Mere Wetland Centre in Lancashire. Coots, Moorhens, Water Rails and Crakes, along with many others around the world, are collectively known as "rails" or "rallidae" more officially.

Here we see the ugly side of the family. Coot chicks, which you might easily think were Moorhen chicks given their colouration and that only a mother could love, frankly.

Below, fighting moorhens, their greeny legs scrapping in the water. I saw Moorhens fighting like this just today at Wicken Fen - more on that trip another time!

The power of bird song

The BBC reports on recent studies into the power of bird song to lift the mood, aid concentration without distracting, stop you falling asleep after a big lunch and make you better appreciate petrol station toilets, amongst many other benefits.

The potential effects of a birdsong background are really quite startling (or quite Starling perhaps) and it's a really interesting article. I can vouch for the restorative effects of a walk in the countryside with lots of birdsong, including the first cuckoo I'd heard this year at the weekend.

Garden birds infographic

Here's a genuinely interesting infographic (all the rage at the moment) about the birds in your garden and feeding them - courtesy of Anglian Home Improvements. Perhaps I should get them to extend my blog sideways so their massive infographic actually fits!

This birdwatching infographic was created by Anglian Home Improvements, click on the image above to find out more about this infographic and its origins #birdwatching

Fighting pheasant - before and after

  

As promised, here are more of David's fantastic pheasant photos, following on from the delectable close-ups of the first post. This time, before and after photos from a presumed fight. David tells it best:

I use a bird hide at Threave Gardens a Scottish National Trust property nearby and had been admiring this Cock Pheasant and his three hens for some time  and all was well one morning. Next time I was up, late afternoon on the same day this bedraggled pheasant appeared with only one hen. I was aware that there was another Cock Pheasant in the woods but thought my “friend” was the dominant bird. I think the two photographs portray the brutality of nature, particularly at mating time.

 

Pheasants in all their glory

David from Castle Douglas sent in these wonderful close up pictures of pheasants, demonstrating the exotic glories to be found in the UK. He was able to get such wonderfully detailed shots as these pheasants are relatively bold mixing it with the chickens to take advantage of their food.

You'll notice some variation in the look of these two males (and others) - for instance the white ring present only on the second. According to Wikipedia this is because there are various subspecies, as a result of interbreeding down the years.

More of David's wonderful pheasants in a subsequent post, including what happens when they get into a scrap.

Xmas images in late March

Here's a sign of our confused climate - a Xmassy image of a robin in the snow, as we near April. This lovely picture is courtesy of Jenny from a "very snowy Castle Douglas". Thanks Jenny.

There's also snow in the UKNB garden here in Hertfordshire, and it's been interesting to see so much bird life in the garden, grateful for the feeders, and much easier to see against a white backdrop and with no leaves on the trees. Mostly it has been chaffinches, goldfinches, great tits, blue tits and plenty of robins.

Nature notes - March 2013

Spring is trying to spring, and I've noticed plenty going on out there.

• Magpies and rooks are particularly noticeable collecting material for their nests.
• Tits are creeping along tree branches picking at the buds looking for insects.
• Birds are singing lustily.
• It remains extremely damp pretty much everywhere. I bet there's a hosepipe ban within a month!
• Herons are nesting in the park.

Birds of Leeds

This post isn't about Saturday night in the town centre! This article is contributed by Sarah Oxley, who thinks everyone should come and live in the city of Leeds because it has great birdlife and lots of green space, and also because she's an estate agent so it's in her professional interest. It's a lovely insight into one person's experience of watching birds in the garden.

Birds of Leeds

It was the 34^th annual Big Garden Birdwatch of the RSPB this year, and while the results are being counted, I thought it might be interesting to share some of the sightings of my local area and invite everyone to share what they spotted in their gardens. 

I live in Leeds, and while I don’t have a garden, my grandparents do and have been putting out food for the birds for a very long time (I think it might be coming up to forty years now). They often have a lot of activity in the garden, and so every year we complete the Big Garden Birdwatch. 

This year we spotted the following:

Robin

Robins are frequent visitors of the garden, which always pleases me, as they are my favourite bird. This year we sighted two in the garden at the same time, which was quite a surprise since Robins are territorial and it’s the wrong time of year for pairs to share territory. 

House Sparrow

A small flock (about 5 I think) visited the garden. House Sparrows were quite widespread in urban and suburban areas in the early 90s, but have been in decline. The RSPB reports that London is especially affected by this decline. Leeds seems to still have a few sparrows about.  

Long Tailed Tit

In the past the main tit species in the garden were Blue Tits with the occasional Great and Coal Tit thrown in, but last year and this year in particular there have been Long Tailed Tits visiting. They often come around the same time of the day (mid-morning), so we tried to make sure our bird watching hour was set for when they were due. 

Coal Tits 

Coal Tits often come into the garden in groups with the Long Tailed Tits, but unlike the Long Tailed Tits who seem more interested in the bird seeds, the Coal Tits grab a peanut, fly off and then come back for another. 

Nuthatch

Another big fan of the peanut dispenser in the garden is a Nuthatch. This one is an unusual sight, as Nuthatches generally prefer mature woods or parklands. While my grandparents live in a more rural area of Leeds, it can’t be described as parkland or mature wood. There is a park nearby, so the Nuthatch must travel quite a way for his food. Also, we’ve only seen one at a time in the garden. 

Starling

A flock of starlings flew in for a good five minutes before they were off again. This flock appears in the garden every day, usually around the same time and never stays for long. Again, this is a different sight, as Starlings are generally more widespread in the south of England. 

Collared Dove

A pair of Collared Doves came to the garden, which was nice to see as Collared Doves have been suffering from low numbers, as according to the RSPB, but are now thriving in the UK. 

Blackbird

Probably Britain's most sighted bird, Blackbirds have been consistent visitors to the garden, and the temptation of raisins brought Mr and Mrs Blackbird into the garden once again. 

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Another visitor, who must travel from the local park, as the area doesn’t have enough woodland for it, is the Great Spotted Woodpecker. This woodpecker comes for the peanuts, as well the bird seed slab as it can comfortably hang on the cage and peck away without disturbance.

I found taking the time to actually identify which birds come into the garden quite enlightening, as it shows just how much wildlife activity is about, if you take the time to look. 

As a city Leeds seems to have quite a lot of different wildlife about. This is likely due to its proximity to the Yorkshire Dales, its wide greenbelt, and many parks. It does have more green space per child than any other city in the UK, according to The Children’s Society’s 2008 survey. 

Did you spot similar or very different birds in your garden during the Big Garden Birdwatch? 

It would be great to compare North and South wildlife activity, so leave your list in the comment section below.

 

This article was written by Sarah Oxley on behalf of LS1, providers of flats in Leeds and the Yorkshire area. Sarah has been living in Leeds for two years, and highly recommends you come have a look at the city.

Angelic Robin

Regular correspondent Jenny, from Scotland ,sent in this wonderful picture of a tame Robin that eats from her hand and poses beautifully for pictures. I think it's a great shot.

Not a stubbly peasant

Thanks to my own dear father for this nice picture of a pheasant strutting through the stubble of a farmer's field. It's easy to forget that we have such a colourful and exotic bird in the UK.