Tuesday 24 March 2015

Hen Harriers, National Bird and Some Worcester Wildlife.


There is currently a significant national vote approaching us on May 7th. It's not the general election, but Britain's vote for our national bird. A few months ago we were asked to select 6 birds out of 60. This has brought the list down to a short list of 10 birds. We, the nation, now have to vote for our favourite. I have cast my vote and I voted for the Hen Harrier.

Photo: Andy Hay (www.rspb-images.com). 


The reason behind my vote is simple: they are being persecuted. Part of that persecution is historical, part is a misunderstanding and part is ignorance. But none-the-less the Hen Harriers are being shot and poisoned by grouse gamekeepers. It is the desire for the grouse moors to be as full of grouse as possible. So when beating takes place there are more grouse for the shooters to shoot at. This management of the moors requires the removal of natural predators of grouse. The Hen Harrier is a predator of grouse so gamekeepers will want to remove them from the moors, this practice is illegal but still takes place. A lot of people in the UK are unaware of the persecution and my vote for the Hen Harrier is to aid the raising of awareness.

picture copyright Barry O’Donoghue NPSW


I am also Voting for the Hen Harrier because it is supposed to be a fantastically breathtaking and stunning bird to see. However, I would never know as I have never seen one. I would love to see one but the odds of seeing one in England are stacked against me. The number of Hen Harriers in England is down to 6. This is needs serious action to turn things around.



To some this may not be important. But we need our biodiversity, it helps shape our natural world and boosts the productivity of ecosystems. In addition, all life has evolved with other species around it; no species lives in isolation. We have to try to conserve as many species as possible. Taking note of what we see is important and it will enrich our lives and our understanding.

Colt's-foot
On my walk around Worcester on Sunday two species stood out. First the Colt's-foot. A pretty little flower. It is an opportunist that will colonise waste ground and footpath edges where other species find more difficult. Clearly not as charismatic as a Hen Harrier but still valuable in its own way. In fact it can be used as a medicine to treat problems with the respiratory tract, cough's, colds and flu, but is also toxic in higher doses so can cause damage to the liver.

Comma - Taken March 2015


I also spotted my first Comma Butterfly of the year. I love these butterflies as they give me hope. They once suffered severe decline and were confined to the Welsh borders. Since the 1960's they have made a come back. Their come back is due to them changing their preference of larval food from hops to common nettles. My hope is that the Hen harrier can do the same thing and make a comeback, but they will need our help and support.

Comma - taken July 2014

Vote for the National Bird

Ban Driven Grouse Shooting Petition






Tuesday 17 March 2015

The Start of Spring Migration

On Saturday I managed to get an opportunity to go to Grimley in the afternoon. Now it is March I knew that there was a chance of seeing some early migratory species. There is something quite exciting about the migration period. You never know what might turn up and there is always the hope of some rarities.

Robin



On this occasion I was only out of the car a few minutes when I heard a sound that I had not heard for a long time. A sound that, for me, is connected to the warm sunny days of spring and summer. I had to double check but it was defiantly the chaff chiff chaff chiff sound of one of the most recognisable warblers, the Chiffchaff. It did not take very long to get a sighting. Then there was another and another and another. I counted a total of 6 individuals, but there were possibly more.

Chiffchaff


My walk around Camp Lane Pits proceeded after the excitement of the Chiffchaff's and when I reached the main north pool a glance through the binoculars had small birds flying fast across my view. Sand martins.

I love the hirundines and their connection to summer, but today with a strong cold wind and temperatures barely into double figures you had to feel sorry for these little birds. Having just arrived in the UK after fighting for their lives crossing the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea on their 3000 mile journey. Not bad for a small bird that weighs about 14 grams.

Tree Full of Sand Martins - Taken March 2014


At the far north end of Camp Lane Pits I spotted a collection of Meadow Pipits. As I was watching them move across the grass bank I noticed something a little different. One was not a Meadow Pipit but a rather more handsome bird, a Wheatear. In fact there were two males. These are birds that are passing through on their way to their upland breeding grounds to the north and west. Wheatears winter in sub-Sahara Africa however, their breeding range is right across the northern hemisphere. They are indeed the only species to breed in North America and winter in Africa. They can breed as far west as Alaska. This makes their migration one of the longest of all bird species.

Wheatear - Taken by Gabe Ison April 2014 



Now we are into the migration season I am excited about what might show up. It is important to get out and take notice of all that is around. Who knows what you might see and where you might see it. 

Monday 9 March 2015

Spring and a bit of Mutualism

Saturday the 7th March was the first warm sunny day of the year. Our plan was to have a morning walk around the city looking of some signs of spring. I gave the camera to my Daughter and we set off along the canal towards the River Severn and Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve.

Chapter Meadow - Worcester


Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve is an area to the south of Diglis in the centre of Worcester. It was once a landfill site and has now been handed back to nature. It can be amazing what turns up. On this trip we spotted 29 species of bird and 2 species of butterfly, the Brimstone and Peacock (this photo was taken approximately a year ago in Cherry Orchard Nature Reserve). 

Peacock Butterfly


However, the wildlife that got us excited was the Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) often one of the first wild flower to be seen each year and a real harbinger of spring. It has evolved to flower early to take advantage of the lack of competition from other flowers and the presence of some early pollinators. As it is a low-growing plant it will also take advantage of the lack of vegetation in general. It has bright yellow flowers and it is quite beautiful to see on these early spring days. It give hope of an exciting spring ahead.

Lesser Celandine


In order for a plant to be successful it obviously needs a pollinator. The flowers are there to first attract the pollinator and then carry out the job of reproduction. Hence our second species of the day, the Tree Bumblebee.

Tree Bumblebee


The Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) is a relatively new species that has colonised Britain in the last 15 years. It has done this under its own steam. Due to its colonisation being natural, the fact that is does not seem to be affecting native species and that it is a useful pollinator, conservationists do not see it as a problem. Clearly early flowering plants are benefiting from its arrival. Without the early flowers present there would be no food for the bees, and, the flowers need the bees to pollinate them. I love this simple example of mutualism and the way it underpins our natural world. No single species can survive in isolation. They all fit together in a complex web of life. When we start removing them we start to see problems and if we remove the wrong ones the whole structure will crumble.

Daisy 
Lichen





Monday 2 March 2015

Grimley - My Patch

Most birdwatchers have a patch where they go to frequently to do their birdwatching. It is an area they know well and enjoy watching the birds, wildlife and generally the changing of the seasons. It is an area they love to be in. My patch is Grimley.



Grimley is an area a few miles north of Worcester on the banks of the river Severn. There is a mixture of habitats there, but the major areas are gravel pits and intensive farmland. The wildlife found there is extensive and some of the best birding in Worcestershire is found there. What appeals to me is that it is not managed for wildlife, yet wildlife exists in abundance.



So far this year I have only managed a few short visits, just an hour or two. However, the last two Saturdays I have managed to be able to spend a little longer and had two extensive walks around the gravel pits and along the river Severn. Both days over 50 species of bird were spotted.



There were two highlights over the two days. The first day the highlight was a Treecreeper. Not the most exciting bird species, but, for me one that I enjoy watching climb up the sides of trees and then flying down to the bottom of the next, foraging for small invertebrates as it goes. In order to assist this unique behaviour they have evolved long stiff tails to support them as the forage in the trunk of the trees. They also have large feet with sharp, arched claw. Additionally, they have a long curved bill that assists the removal of invertebrates from the tree trunk.

The Treecreeper I saw was very important as it was the first that I have ever seen at Grimley and my first of the year!



On my most recent trip I was on my own and as I was walking along the east side of Camp lane pits I heard one of the most evocative sounds of spring. Skylarks. And there in the farmers field were two Skylarks. One was undergoing its display flight. Hoping to catch the eye of a female by rising to as high as 300meters whilst singing its beautiful and loud song.




The skylark is a red listed bird due to the sharp decline that it is undergoing. The numbers have dropped by 70% since 1970. This is as a result of our changes in farming methods. The Skylark, like many birds, does not respond well to intensive farming methods and indeed the increase in Autumn sown crops. These crops are denser and prevent the birds from nesting. A lot of the area around Grimley is intensively farmed and the numbers of Skylarks has dropped. I was very pleased to see this skylark, my first of the year. I hope its not the last.



Note: not all of the photos above were taken on my two recent visits.