Birds of Britain
Articles in ‘Birds of Britain’
August 31st, 2011
Even in Spain, where it is a common, well-established breeding bird, the gorgeously colourful bee-eater (Merops apiaster) seems to have strayed out of the tropics. So imagine the impact when a pair arrived in County Durham in 2002 and proceeded to nest. Nevertheless, perhaps only in Britain could a couple of bee-eaters draw 15,000 people to see them. Two of the young successfully fledged. There have been other successful nesting attempts: in 1955 3 pairs spent the summer in Plumpton, East Sussex, two of which managed to rear 7 young between them. The most recent attempt to breed was on the coast of Dorset in 2006, but this time without any luck.
Photo from Wikipedia
Birds of Britain, Birdwatching in Britain, Nature trivia about Britain | Tags: bee-eaters nesting in Britain, birdwatching passion in Britain, rare birds nesting in Britain, relationship of British with birds|
March 31st, 2011
Fears about the impact of last December’s severe weather, the coldest in 100 years, were unfounded. The drop in small bird populations witnessed in the RSPB Birdwatch of 2010 during the Big Freeze was rectified by excellent breeding conditions in the following spring. Small birds in recovery notably include goldcrests, long-tailed tits and coal tits.
Another interesting result of the survey were the numerous sightings of waxwings, reflecting both the large numbers migrating from Scandinavia this winter and the “bird-friendly” berry-producing vegetation people are increasingly planting in their gardens. A record 600,000 people took part. The results compared with last year:
- House sparrow – 4.2 birds per garden in 2011, rise from 3.8 in 2010
- Starling – 3.9, up from 3.1
- Blackbird – 3.3, stayed the same
- Blue tit – 3.2, up from 2.6
- Chaffinch – 2.4, up from 2.2
- Wood pigeon – 1.9, stayed the same
- Great tit – 1.6, up from 1.4
- Goldfinch – 1.5, up from 1.3
- Robin – 1.5, stayed the same
- Collared Dove – 1.3, stayed the same at 1.3
Birds of Britain, Wildlife in gardens in Britain | Tags: RSPB survey results, small birds recovering in UK, waxwing winter 2010-2011|
March 30th, 2011
The oldest osprey of the UK – and probably the world – has returned to her eyrie in the Scottish highlands. When she left for West Africa at the end of last summer, no one expected her to return. At 26 she’s lived 3 times longer than most female ospreys. In her life she’s laid 58 eggs and hatched 48 chicks, a massive individual contribution to the survival of ospreys in Scotland, where there are still only about 200 breeding pairs. The questions now are if her mate will return and if she is still fertile. Events can be followed on the webcam of the Loch of the Lowes reserve.
Birds of Britain, Birds of prey of Britain, The Highlands | Tags: loch of the lowes osprey, oldest osprey in Britain, oldest osprey of the world, osprey webcam, ospreys in Scotland|
January 7th, 2011
This is a bizzare story:
On closer inspection the object turned into a large swan mussel which was firmly clamped to the lower mandible of the bird, the coot lay down in the grass and appeared quite weak so this situation must have in place for some time, preventing the bird from feeding. More here
Birds of Britain, Wetland birds of Britain, Wildlife of Merseyside | Tags: Coots in Britain|
December 21st, 2010
Rather nice downloadable MP3 by the National Trust and published here by the Guardian of songs by winter birds “to help conquer the gloom of the shortest day of the year”, beginning with the UK’s smallest bird, the goldcrest with “its very thin song”.
Birds of Britain | Tags: British birdsongs|
December 20th, 2010
Cranes forage in the frosty fog of Somerset in the second Big Freeze of 2010. They have been freed in a secret location as part of the Great Crane Project, which aims to have these remarkable birds breeding in the UK again. Photo from the Guardian’s Week in Wildlife gallery.
Birds of Britain, Information about the 2010 cold snap | Tags: cranes in Britain, cranes in Somerset, second big freeze in 2010|
December 12th, 2010
Nice little guide from the Guardian to Britain’s common garden birdsongs. Find out which birds sound like a bicycle pump or a squeaky trolley wheel and which can imitate car alarms.
Birds of Britain, Garden birds of Britain, Gardens of Britain, Wildlife in gardens in Britain | |
December 2nd, 2010
After escaping to the Lake District to visit his friends the Wordsworths, Samuel T. Coleridge was on the overnight coach to London, preparing to face family responsibilities and the reality of earning a living. At dawn, he was mesmerised by a sight over the wintry fields:
Starlings on a vast flight drove along like smoke, mist, or any thing misty without volition – now a circular area inclined in an Arc – now a Globe – now from complete Orb into an Elipse & Oblong – now a balloon with the car suspended, now a concaved Semicircle – & still it expands & condenses, some moments glimmering & shivering, dim & shadowy, now thickening, deepening and blackening!
In his fascinating biography Coleridge: Early Visions
Richard Holmes notes how this vision would haunt the poet long after. It was
some sort of self image for Coleridge, both stimulating in its sense of freedom, of “vast flight”; and menacing in its sense of threatening chaos or implosion, “Thickening, deepening, blackening”.
This excellent video shot at Otmoor, near Oxford, captures the display before the starlings settle in their roost, building up to an astonishing climax, when the flock becomes almost impossibly dense.
The photograph is taken from a Guardian gallery of starling photographs.
Birds of Britain, Natural history writing, Nature in art and literature, nature writing about Britain | Tags: birdwatching in winter, Coleridge Early Visions by Richard Holmes, Romantic poets and birds, starling flock described by Coleridge, starling murmurations, video of starling flocks|
November 29th, 2010
Three-quarters of British barn owls now live in man-made nest boxes. BBC
Birds of Britain, Farmland birds of Britain | Tags: barn owl boxes used by other species, Owls in Britain|
October 21st, 2010
Just thinking of their Siberian haunts brings a shiver, and when Bewick swans arrive early in Britain it’s considered a sign of a cold winter to come. This year over 300 landed in the Slimbridge Wetlands Reserve on October 18, two weeks earlier than in 2009. Rather worrying considering the Cold Snap of January 2100.
A large crop of holly berries is another traditional omen of bitter weather. Though this autumn’s rich fruit and nut harvest can be explained by the year’s stable and sunny spring, perfect for flowering and pollination.
Weather and climate, Wetland birds of Britain | Tags: bewick swans arrive in Slimbridge, predicting winter weather, signs of a cold winter|
September 10th, 2010
The bittern has enjoyed this year its most successful year since it recolonised the UK in 1911, following 25 years of British extinction. A UK monitoring programme for this shy bird of reedbeds has revealed the presence of 87 males. RSPB
Birds of Britain | Tags: bitterns in Britain|
September 10th, 2010
A pair of Red-backed shrike has nested in England, at a secret location on Dartmoor, for the first time in 18 years. RSPB
Birds of Britain | |
May 27th, 2010
I thought this mass letter by the RSPB for the new government was worth signing: Sign the letter: (for UK residents)
I’m writing this now to make sure our children have a chance of growing up in a world worth living in.
Today there’s still time to save nature.
If we act now, our children may yet be able to share their world with sparrows and polar bears, eagles and tigers. There’s still a chance that they’ll inherit a world where the engines of life – the air, seas, rivers and forests – are healthy. Where bluebell woods and rainforests won’t be lost forever.
Yes, I accept that recovery from recession has meant spending billions of pounds – one way or another future generations will have to pay for this. The least we can do is to use this money to create a future they’ll thank us for. I want governments to invest in a healthy economy and a healthy environment. As well as protecting jobs, I want them to tackle climate change and to protect our seas, countryside and wildlife.
I’m signing this letter to show that I care deeply about nature and the world we are creating for our children. In years to come I hope they’ll be able to see that their world is a richer one because of the action we took today.
I’m hoping that many thousands of people will join me in signing it.
Together we can be a powerful voice for nature.
Yours in hope.
Birds of Britain, Outdoor activities | Tags: RSPB|
May 19th, 2010
Purple herons are sporadic visitors to the UK, but they’ve gone one step further this year. Exciting news from the RSPB reserve in Dungeness, Kent, is that a pair have built a nest and are apparently sitting on eggs. A 24-hour guard has been established to promote chances of a successful breeding, which would be a historic first for Britain. This southern European heron is expanding its range northward, probably due to climate change, and is expected to become a regular breeder in Britain in the near future, following in the footsteps of its relative, the Little egret.
Hopefully, the presence of this spectacular bird will help the RSPB fight against plans to build an international airport at nearby Lydd.
Birds of Britain, Climate change in the UK, Country accommodation in the UK, Wetland birds of Britain | Tags: climate change and British birds, new bird species in Britain, purple herons in Britain, purple herons in Dungeness|
May 19th, 2010
The RSPB have released a checklist of top tips of how to stop your loving moggy slaughtering the local birdlife ( 27 million birds are killed every year by the 7.2 million cats the British keep as pets). Amusingly entitled “Sylvester and Tweetie Pie can live together” it recommends:
- Put a bell on the cat’s collar – an RSPB study shows that this can reduce predation of birds by 41%. The collar should have a quick release buckle and fitted properly
- Make sure cats are well fed and cared for. This may encourage them to stay close to home and be less likely to wander
- Keep your cats indoors around sunset and sunrise and after bad weather – birds are most vulnerable at these times as its when they are most likely to come out to feed.
- Take your cat indoors if a fledgling is in the garden, until its parents lead it away
- Avoid putting food on the ground for a few weeks where cats are known to catch birds. Use a bird table or higher ground where cats cannot reach it
- Place spiny plants such as holly or an uncomfortable surface around the base of the feeding station to prevent cats sitting underneath it
- Position nest boxes where cats cannot reach them or sit close to them (preventing the parents birds from getting to the box.
The photo is from the Guardian who note on this story “our feline companions are supplementing the £829m we spend on cat food every year with their own avian breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here
Birds of Britain, Outdoor activities | Tags: # Put a bell on the cat’s collar, avian breakfast, How many birds do cats kill?, Keep your cats indoors, our feline companions|
The construction company currently finishing off the Shard building in London, which will be the UK’s tallest skyscraper, recently had to call the council to remove a squatter from the 72nd floor: a young fox. He was surviving on scraps left by builders. After a check-up at the Riverside Animal Centre, the fox has been released on the streets of Bermondsey, having shown the type of curiosity we associate with cats. 
Otters, water voles and fish are all benefitting from the improved quality of the UK’s waterways, now described as the cleanest since the industrial revolution. Since almost disappearing from the wild in the 1970s, otters are thriving, particularly in the south west of England, Cumbria and Northumberland. The population of water voles, highly precarious in the 1990s, is also beginning to recover. The good results of stricter pollution controls and extensive conservation work are set to continue in the new year with the introduction of new European water quality directives. 
