Green Holidays

This article will introduce you to 5 of the most common seen ducks around town ponds and wetland sites.

There are plenty of ducks that all look very similar to the naked eye – especially the females, so these descriptions are focused mainly on the males as they are the most likely ones you will pick out in the water. They will be in their display colours as they try to find a mate.

Most of the time in the spring and summer, the females will be close by the males as well for breeding – or will already be closely followed by a herd of ducklings – so you can start to practice the differences in the females once you have mastered their associated males.

However, outside of the breeding season, most male ducks moult into what is known as their ‘eclipse’ plumage, which is quite different to their summer splendour!

They all turn into rather drab birds – looking very similar to their female friends. Well, they don’t want to stand out to predators when they don’t have to!

Anyway, straight to it then with a firm favourite:

Mallard:
We should all know this one purely because it is always about on almost every pond or canal where there are humans – as they know that we will probably feed them!

As a result, they are usually quite bold birds and will waddle over to us for priority feeding if there are other birds like Mute Swans about!

photo credit: Tomi Tapio

Key points of the mallard male is his beautiful green head, pinched in by a white collar but there are several others ducks with that feature too. So you will have to look for other signs: like he will also have a bright yellow bill which seperates him from some of the other similar birds.

Another point is that he will have blue patches on his wings rather than white or green (not visible in this image) – and in flight these show as a blue bands with white edging.

Shelduck:
Here is another one with a green head – but he has some more striking features to tell him apart. Both male and female look the same; bright white birds (very goose-like) with a band of brown across the shoulders, then a thick collar of white before the dark green head and bright orange beak! You won’t be able to miss them once you see them.

The main and obvious difference between the sexes is that the male has an extra ‘knobbly’ bit at the top of his bill – as in the image below – a bit like the Mute Swans.

photo credit: Vlaskop

Shoveler:
Another green-headed common bird is the Shoveler – so called because of its very wide black shovel-shaped bill.

It sits lower in the water than a mallard, and has a noticable yellow eye when viewed at close range. It has the same broad white neck as the Shelduck with brown shoulders and sides too, but there the similarity ends. This bird has a very low profile where the Shelduck sits high in the water and is more ‘white’.

photo credit: chapmankj75

Goldeneye:
As its name suggests it has a bright golden eye set bold in its green head – but manages to look nothing like the Shevelor despite this!

It has a much more rounder, pronounced head that looks like it has been stuck onto the body like a giant pom-pom! It also has a bright white cheek patch beside its smaller, pointy bill. The rest of the body is very pale with and almost stripy back where black and white feathers mix as shown below:

photo credit: Graham Racher

Mandarin Duck:
No need to worry about the green head for this one as there is too much else to give it away! This species is one of our most decorative and colourful ducks – if not birds – in the UK and you can see them quite frequently in wetland reserves.

They are difficult to describe as there is so much to say – so look at the picture below to be amazed! They have delicate patterning on their seemingly ‘giant’ cheeks if you look close enough; their long white eye streak goes on forever; and they have the most unusual orange ‘sails’ jutting up from their wings when they are on the water.

And the bright blues and purples……

photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Next time you head out to the wetlands – have a look for these males – and try to find their partners hidden among all the other brown looking birds on the water!

See you soon…..

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Did you know that it is illegal in the UK for you to take a close-up photo of a baby barn owl?

This little known law is part of the Wildlife & Countryside Act (1981) where there is a list of species that receive full protection of the law – and this protection includes reducing the disturbance of the nesting young or recently fledged young of all the species on it – and this includes Barn Owls.

It also includes other seemingly random species such as Brambling, Fieldfare, Firecrest, Kingfisher, Bewick’s Swan and even the little Crested Tit!

All these species are among the 80+ protected wild bird species that frequent the UK, which can be native or just passing through.

There is, of course, already a law to protect all wildbirds from being intentionally injured, killed or taken from the wild – and the same goes for their eggs – but there are some exceptions.

In the case of the Barn Owl and the Kingfisher – they are for greater protection; whereas in the case of the Mallard or Woodcock – it means lesser protection at certain times!

photo credit: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region

These schedules also cater for captive-bred ‘wild bird’ species such as birds of prey and other more common species such as Magpies, Blackbirds and Goldfinches. And also the sale of wildbirds that have been killed legally and the rehabilitation of injured birds.

Game birds are not covered by these particualar laws however, but are covered under the separate Game Bird Act, which fully protects them outside of the Open Season.

The Bird Schedules:
There are 4 such catagories (which may have several parts) which cover those endangered birds to be protected as well as those species which can be killed or sold, and they lay out as follows:

Schedule 1: Full protection at all times (or during the close season for a specific 4 species). To get close to young, nesting or breeding birds in this list – you will need a licence (or you can visit them in specific reserves).

Schedule 2: Birds which may be killed or taken outside of the close season only – but not sold – basically to be killed to protect crops or other interests or to be killed for food or for sale as per Schedule 3.

Schedule 3: Birds which may be sold; either dead at specific times, or alive if captive bred and legally ringed. These include certain ducks and wood pidgeons to be sold dead; and siskins, song thrushes and other ‘garden’ birds that can be kept as ‘pets’ and displayed at bird shows.

Schedule 4: Captive Bred birds which must be registered and ringed if in captivity (mainly raptors). These birds need to be registered and you must have genuine proof of breeding and hatching. If you find an injured bird that happens to be listed on Schedule 4 – even if you intend to re-release it shortly – you should inform the appropriate authority as they may need to be registered.

photo credit: luc.viatour

Your Actions:
So next time you see the opportunity to photograph any nesting bird – think about what that means.

If they have made a law that specifically prevents human from getting close enough to a Schedule 1 species – as it would disturb them – think again for all birds and other wildlife!

If they think that getting that close could prevent birds from nesting at all or may make them to abandon existing young – then what harm are you doing being that close to any species?

Even with the fantastic zooms on cameras these days – you still have to be quite close to get a great shot – so what if you got a great shot of a nest, but after you left all the young starved to death after you had scared the parents off!

When trying to film or photograph nesting birds – or any birds really – it is best to set up a hide (or use one at a reserve). Birds get used to them and so aren’t so affected by all the keen photographers snapping away at them. And some reserves set up hides to be really close to the action just for this reason.

So, if you are going to enter a photgraphic competition with your nest shot – make sure it’s not a Schedule 1 species – otherwise they may ask to see your licence………. and I’m sure you don’t want the associated £5000 fine and accompanying prison sentence instead of first prize!

You know the first 5 inside-out do you? Good Stuff!

Let us move on then……

So now you come to some more common birds – but these ones aren’t so obvious at first glance. You may have to look at them for a bit longer than the first 5 – or have some binoculars to hand too!

There are 2 sets of pairs here; 2 sets of birds that look quite similar until you can pick out the obvious differences.

And then of course you need to remember which one is which!

So lets look at the next 5 species and see what you think…..

Blue Tit:
This tiny garden lover is very common on garden feeders, and is not so easy to tell apart from the larger (but also blue-bodied Great Tits) for beginners.

Although they have a solid blue ‘caps’ seperated from their body colour by a black line running through their eye – they move so fast that you can’t alwasy make it out – especially if there are several birds on the feeder.

photo credit: chapmankj75

In fact to begin with it’s easier to learn what a Great Tit looks like – as it has much bolder colours and markings – and then you know it’s not that, so it must be a Blue Tit.

Great Tit:
Easy markers for these larger tits is the fact that they have a very dark head and neck – and a large white cheek patch. They also have a clear solid black chest line from their chins to their underbellies!

Try to find a garden feeder with both Blue and Great Tits feeding to see these differences first hand. And of course the Great Tits are much larger as well when you see them side by side!

photo credit: Chris Isherwood

Moorhen:
If you are out on the water – then you will no doubt have seen a small black bird walking about the waters edge with large feet. It might be on the water trying to get away from you as fast as it can.

Now this is one of 2 birds; if it has a red bill it is a moorhen – remember ‘R’ as in Moorhen. It will also have big yellow feet if you take a look.

photo credit: brian.gratwicke

Coot:
If it has a white bill and face plate – it will be a Coot (just remember ‘Red’ for moo’R'hen – then you will know it is a coot!). These birds are much larger than moorhens, but you might not see them together to compare so just go by the face. They also have grey legs and feet too if you get a chance to look at them walking over weeds.

photo credit: shimgray

Starling:
These noisy little birds tend to hang around in groups and will raid any food source that they come across! They are mainly black in appearance, but it depends on when you are watching them. In winter on closer inspection, you will see that they are a mottled pattern of brownish feathers spotted with creamy-brown patches all over, wheras in the summer they sport a rather metallic appearance of shiny greens, blues and purples with only residual spotting on the upper back and lower underside.

photo credit: marlin harms

They can look like other birds from a distance in your garden, but their extensive vocal range and large numbers usually gives them away as not your normal garden bird.

Now you have the basics, lets move on to some garden specialists in our next installment!

If you took part in the recent RSPB garden count – you may well have started on your way to spotting the 270 birds commonly found in the UK.

So why not keep it up?

I have put together this series of informative posts to help you through all the easy species, first. Then there will be the ones that you need to go on a walk to see and gradually we will get onto the birds that you will have to seek out for yourself – like the elusive White-tailed Eagle or the niche dwelling Capercaillie!

There is nothing better sometimes than knowing what a bird is by just checking off 1 sign, like ‘it has a red stripe so it must be a ????’ or ‘it has yellow legs so will be a ????’ Sometimes once you know the general appearance of a bird ‘type’ like a sparrow, warbler or grebe, you can seperate the individual species by just 1 thing.

And these guides will not focus on all the latin names and scientific groupings etc; there will be no use of fancy ornithological words like ornitholigical, tertial tip or emargination. Just easy to use visual descriptions of the birds that you will see while out walking in the woods, wetlands or your own back garden!

But to start you off before we lose you in geese and gulls; we will list the top 5 birds that you may well have seen this week or have probably already seen at some point in your life!

Robin:
This one is easy to spot with it’s bright red breast – and you can easily pick them out in the snow as they are quite bold little birds and use human garden tools and furniture from which to spy their insect prey! And they will come close to humans too if you feed them…..

photo credit: fwooper

Blackbird:
Another common species that just loves to run around garden edges looking for food under leaves and garden waste. The males are black with orange or yellow bills and feet, where the females are browner in colour. You can spot them from their loud warning call as you scare them off…..

photo credit: Keith Laverack

Magpie:
A larger bird that has such distinctive colouring that you will know when you have seen one. Their black and white plumage and their flap-flap-flap-then glide flight pattern will have you ticking off this species in a flash!

photo credit: goingslo

Pheasant:
If you live near the countryside or walk your dog in the fresh air, then you will no doubt have seen a rather handsome brown bird with a perfect white collar around his neck, large red wattles and nice long tail feathers – this is your male pheasant. Females have the same long tail and also frequent large country gardens, footpaths and cultivated fields but don’t have the fancy head! They both fly off clumsily and noisily when you get too close!

photo credit: gerrybuckel

Mute Swan:
I used to live on a canal and could see these all day long – but if you live elsewhere they aren’t difficult to find on any large body of fresh water, like a river, canal, lake or in a local nature reserve. Out of all the swans in the UK, the Mute Swan is the easiest to identify by its bill alone (handy really as all 3 common swans are totally white); it is the only one that has an orange bill which has a large knob of black on the top where it meets the eyes.

photo credit: TossMyPancake

So, if you have already seen these ones, then join me for the next 5 real soon – and make sure that you have seen these all again outside and that you know them inside out – as many other birds look very similar to them but for one or two small details. So only when you know these well can you learn some of the others coming on the list!

Grab your camera and document your journey if you like – it can make your travels more memorable.

See you soon…..

And if you want to know more about the fancy terms and descriptions used to identify birds, please look for my Bird Identification Guides – Technical Data series.

If you saw tree weighed down with Ivy – would you take action?

Sometimes a mature tree is so overwhelmed with Ivy that it is surely doing it some harm – and haven’t you sometimes found Ivy-covered fallen branches on the ground after bad weather?

And during the winter months a deciduous tree with none of its own leaves looks verdant with a heavy covering of large, dark green Ivy leaves instead!

And because the tree, or trees, are in what appears to be an untended area of woodland – isn’t it best that you take things into your own hands before the tree is damaged or gets pulled down under the shear weight!

Would you resolve to come back next time with some seceteurs or a small hacksaw?

Every Tree Has An Owner:
Many walkers seem to think that areas of land like woodland, grassland, hills and mountains are not owned by anyone – they believe that they can do anything they want on this land as it doesn’t say ‘Private’ on the gate!

However, this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Every patch of land close to your home has an owner or a guardian – and you may well have rights to walk across that land – but that’s about it.

You can’t – as many people seem to think; cut down Ivy, dig up plants, bury dead pets, abandon cars, take wood for fuel, camp overnight or hold a party there.

Would you appreciate anyone doing that on your land or in your garden? No, I didn’t think so.

You can of course, speak to the land-owner or guardian about doing any of these things, but obviously they may charge you a fee and/or just say ‘No’.

They May Have Plans:
Now we have established that the tree – and the Ivy – is owned by someone, so it is pretty clear that you don’t have the right to cut them down. But what makes you think that they don’t want the Ivy to grow on their trees in the first place?

Had it not occured to you that the Ivy has just as many benefits – if not more – than just the bare tree itself?

photo credit: cdsessums

For example, Ivy is famous for its ability to live through the winter (and that is why it is in many a festive songs) – so it is one of the only plants which has food and leaves in the harshest winter months.

After all the deciduous trees and bushes have dropped their berries and cast off their old leaves by September – the woodlands should be empty of birds, insects and mammals. However, the wildlife in an Ivy-filled woodland can still feed on, and live in, the great swathes of rich green Ivy that remain on trees, even in the frost and snow!

A bare tree in winter is a cold and unwelcoming place in which to hibernate or to hide from the icy weather – whereas the nooks and crannies formed by decades old ivy stems are a perfect safe haven!

How You Can Actually Help:
If you are really interested in learning more about woodlands; plants, trees and wildlife, then you should consider joining a volunteer nature conservation group as well as doing some reading of your own.

Obviously you will find out that cutting down Ivy is actually detrimental to the woods and it’s wildlife – but you will also find out how to manage it for the better, which plants are signs of an ancient woodland, and which creatures you are likely to see there.

You also get to cut down plenty of plants that are not wanted in other areas – for example scrub on grasslands. Nature wants to gradually replace grasslands and heaths with trees and forests – however, these 2 habitats are vitally important for certain wildlife – but will not survive on their own.

By learning about natural succession and habitat management – you will be far more help to the environment than illegally hacking down Ivy plants in your local woods!

This nature reserve is on the tidal waters of the River Arun, north of the historic town of Arundel and coastal town of Littlehampton on the south coast.

One of the most important wetlands in the south of England, this reserve has excellent facilities and is cram-packed with all types of wildlife.

This is also an education centre at certain times, and there is plenty of advice around the site for visitors.

Habitat Features:
The main feature is obviously the daily flooding wetlands off to the east of the river – filled with waterfowl, cattle and deerherd.

There is also some restored heathland, a small pine woodland, some grassland and sloping deciduous woodland as well as a hillfort and many footpaths and bridlepaths.

Famous for it’s visiting wetland birds, 50-strong ‘escaped’ fallow deer herd and ‘dancing adders’ – where the males twist around each other trying to pin each other to the ground.

The Reserve:
Quite a lot of the restored heathland and grasslands are accessible without passing through the main reception building – although at only £3 to pay anyway – it would be rude not to pay such a small amount to maintain and improve this reserve – after having had a great day out here yourself!

Heading through the main reception building takes you up a typical footpath bordered by old hedgerows and rabbit-friendly grassland.  This leads you a junction where you can head 4 ways really.  3 are within the reserve and form a dissected circle so you can get back to where you started with ease. 

The fourth way to the right takes you to a small hamlet with a delightful church and churchyard – filled with Orange Tip butterflies and meadow flowers crammed on every inch!  Ultimately this leads to the main road – so head back the way you came to get back onto the reserve itself.

Look on every leaf in the reserve as there are mini beasts all over the place – and we got some great close up shots of all sorts of invertebrates here.  And on the other end of the scale – don’t forget your binoculars as the woodland birds are all over too – and worth a look!

And you will need the distance to hunt for the huge herd of really chilled out deer that roam these wetlands – footprints show that they walk along the very footpaths you are standing on now, but you will more often see then in the distance, relaxing on the well gnawed grasses alongside the cattle and rabbits!

There are 3 hides here with totally different angles and depending on whether you are high or low tide you can see a whole range of wetland birds including migrants and rarities!  I saw mainly common species myself – I did get some great views of a very young grey heron and many of one of my favourites: shelducks.

I didn’t get to see the ‘dancing’ adders either although there were plenty of photos and stories about them in the reception area – along with other great information to get more out of your day – as if you would run out of things to interest you here!

There is even a kiddies play and learn area and education rooms as well.

Reserve Details:
Here is a general summary of the site for the visitor as in Spring 2010.

Cost:     The reserve is £3 (adults) to visit.
Hours:   The reserve is open all hours – but Reception as office hours.
Carpark:There is a carpark for about 100+ cars.
Shop:     There is a wetland-based retail shop on site.
Eating:  There is restaurant on site with indoor and outdoor seating.
Toilets: Toilets are open until 5pm each day.
Dogs:     Dogs should be kept on leads on the by-ways through the reserve.
Kids:      Families are welcome and there is plenty for young children to do.
Other     There is no playpark, however cycling/horseriding is permitted on bridleways.

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Visit a delightful little site at the foot of the South Downs with a historic water mill and stream.

This reserve is actually the SWT’s HQ as well, and is crammed full of old buildings and great habitats for you and your kids to explore.

Education groups are run here for schools and adults alike – with training courses run for countryside management and habitat surveys as well as general interest evenings and wildlife tours

Habitat Features:
The site is approximately 40 acres in size and is at the base of the chalk South Downs near Henfield.

It is mainly wetland pastures and grassland meadows, with a small area of dense bluebell woodland, a more open and coppice woodland and a variety of historic small waterways that used to power the mill itself (which is no longer in use).

The reserve is famous for its nightingales and has a huge number of newts living in its main dipping pond.  There are plenty of damselflies and dragon flies in the spring, as well as nesting kestrels and owls – and many overhead swallows and swifts!

The Reserve:
A walk around the reserve could take around 2 hours if you were just strolling with the family, but if you loved wildlife watching or photography, then you could easily be there double that time.

Woods Mill Sign Post

Entering the reserve is over the main water feed to the old mill where you can start seeing the insect life in flight – and you enter the main school group outdoor education areas (raised gardens, picnic tables, insect houses and main reception) -  but turning first left for a coutryside walk.

The main route is all weather and suitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs and there are plenty of seats dotted along the way too.

This first path gives you a waterside walk where you will hear the famous nightingales singing in spring (good luck seeing one!) and brings you up to the reed beds.  Following on to the left is a grassland field where there are raptor nest boxes on the far side.

From here you can head out further along the raised waterway for long views over some wetland pastures and to connect with some wider footpaths and hiking trails outside of the reserve itself.  However, heading across the pastures you can walk alongside a small bluebell woodland – filled with stitchwort and other spring flowers – before heading into the coppice woodlands.

Expect to see common vetch, lords and ladies and cuckoo flower as you follow the woodland trails.  Log benches and willow sculptures can be found here – as well as some moss-covered ‘ruins’ throughout.  Thought to be from a demolished folly here many years ago – they certainly intrigue visitors as they lay where they were dumped all those years ago!

Overgrown Stone Ruins

The ponds are found here too, with larger ornamental ponds and a smaller dipping pond closer to the road.  Expect to see newt after newt rising to the surface here in spring – taking a gulp of air before heading back down to the murky depths! 

There is limited parking on site – but I always find a space!  Maybe check for training sessions at the site – which will usually attract more drivers as there is no train station close by and only a handful of buses pass by – and avoid those days!

Reserve Details:
Here is a general summary of the site for the visitor as in Spring 2010.

Cost:      The reserve is free to visit.
Hours:    The reserve is open all hours – apart from 2 weeks at Christmas.
Carpark: There is a carpark for about 50 cars max.
Travel:     There is a bus stop outside the reserve – but no train station near by
Shop:      There is no shop on site – villages 5 minutes drive each way.
Eating:    There is no cafe or restaurant on site.
Toilets:   In carpark – open until 5pm each day.
Dogs:      No dogs allowed in reserve.
Kids:       Families are welcome and there is plenty for young children to do.
Other:     There is no playpark, cycling or horseriding on the reserve.

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What’s the difference between an SSSI, a SNCI and an AONB?

There are plenty of acronyms all over the countryside and in wildlife literature, but what are they and what do they actually mean?

How could they affect your green adventures closer to home – and which are the best for wildlife, best for families or best avoided!

Well, I have found out about the main contenders in the UK – and details of what they are about:

NP – National Park
These are large areas of the country that have been chosen to be preserved and improved for the enjoyment of people and for the safety of local plants and wildlife – or ways of living/heritage.

Most of the land within National Parks is privately owned and so there are certain areas that cannot be visited by tourists – and this can also lead to conflict with local businesses and excessive congestion in the ‘best’ places.

Parts of a National Park can also be designated as any of the following as well, for example the South Downs National Park is dotted with SSSI’s and smaller Nature Reserves.

SSSI – Site of Special Scientific Interest
This is the name given to areas in the UK that have special features which need to be protected, and fall into either biological SSSI (mainly habitats like peat bogs and cliffs) or geological SSSI’s (which have been chosen to represent a specific geological or visible feature of a landscape specific to the UK).

Pulborough Brooks - Sussex - SSSI Nature Reserve

They do not need to be on public land, and in fact many are in private hands and cannot be visited by the public, however National Charities and Organisations like the RSPB and Wildlife Trusts run them as Nature Reserves.

The SSSI’s do not need to a beautiful places to visit – they just contain certain elements or are in certain locations that should be protected.  They could just be an old field by the side of the road!

AONB – Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Only covering abut 10% of land in the UK, these areas are given special protection with regards to development and housing – so that the areas cannot be destroyed or divided by roads and buildings.

These Areas are normally smaller than National Parks and are more or less places to roam freely.

NR – Nature Reserves
These are totally different from National Parks as they are specifically run to protect and preserve the habitat and wildlife – rather than as places for people – although many are open to the public. 

They can be either a National NR (NNR) and ‘run by Natural England, or they can be a Local NR (LNR) and run by non-government groups or private owners.  They could also be Marine Nature Reserves (MNR) a and protect the coastal edges or the UK. 

It is often created in an area where a particular species of plant or animal is endangered, and so by protecting the area and restricting access and development, the species may survive and thrive.

CA – Conservation Area
These areas do exactly what they say – they are created to protect a species or landscape that would otherwise be lost to development.  They are usually quite small and are part of or all of a LNR.

They tend to have a variety of names as they are run by the county, so a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) is virtually the same as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)

CP – Country Parks
These are just areas of the countryside that have been set aside for human pleasure – with no particular interest in conservation.

They are usually large areas of managed woodland and open space with extensive and well marked trails for people on foot, on horseback and more recently on mountain bikes.

The park may well have a campsite and other facilities (cafe/shop/toilets/play park) on site, and there may well be a charge for the car park!

So, now you can plan your trip to better suit your needs – and you will know what to expect when you get there…….

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I counted in 3 different locations for the bird count, my mum’s, my niece’s and in my own garden!

And I was quite intrigued by the results, as I live in a village next to a small nature reserve, my niece has a huge lawned garden in the suburbs and my mum has a tiny garden in a town filled with greenhouses, pots and bottles for her allotments!

So who saw the most species?

Well, the species in all 3 gardens contained some common elements, but my mum’s tiny garden saw the most individual species – and was the only one to see a tiny wren!

The Counts:
I chose to help with them all as I can better identify birds than my mum and my niece is only just getting interested in nature – so what better way to help her learn some of the most common garden birds?

All 3 counts were in the afternoon, mum’s from 1-2pm on the Saturday, followed by a quick drive to my niece’s for a 2.30-3.30 slot.  My garden count was on the Sunday afternoon – I was saving the best until last.  Or so I thought!

I get all sorts in my garden with small flocks of long-tail tits raiding the orchard for food, jays screaming through the woods and blue tits virtually over-running the feeders – but they weren’t about when I did my count! Neither were the partridges or pheasants that often cross the lawn!

And I forgot that birds flying overhead don’t count, so that ruled out the gulls, buzzards and red kites that regularly turn up here.  Only things that land on the ground counted – and they needed to show up in that hour! 

Both Saturday counts took place from upstairs windows with the Sunday count from outside on the step – but this kept attracting to cats to come over in the hope of a stroke – not so good for birds!

The Results:
Well, there were some species that we all saw and as expected they were blackbirds, magpies and wood pigeons – all very common everyday, but I was quite surprised that both the urban environments saw collared doves and blue tits when my garden saw none.  Where had they gone for the hour?

My nieces garden had only 1 species that wasn’t found in the other 2 gardens, and that was a group of 20 (that I counted) rooks all squawking away in a great big fir tree!   The other 6 species were all shared with at least one of the other locations.

My mum’s urban garden brought up some great species including 3 song thrushes, a wren, 5 house sparrows, 26+ starlings and pied wagtail!

Great stuff for such a small space and so close to so many other houses.  Maybe it was all the containers and buildings that had attracted insects and other delicious invertebrates that were irresistible to these types of birds.

My garden had some equally interesting species that included a great spotted woodpecker, a pair of bullfinches and some jackdaws. 

But I still thought that my mum’s garden had more life in it than I thought it would – and that’s what made the count so much fun!

Go to the RSPB website and send in your results, and you make a difference!  You might have seen all my ‘missing’ species!