It's that time of year again when baby birds are springing out of nests all over the country putting themselves in all sorts of danger. It is quite natural for numbers of young birds to fall victim to predation, that is part of nature and the very reason why our smaller garden birds have such large broods.
Unfortunately 'un-natural' predators are also lurking around the corner in the form of our domestic cats, and here in the Wildlife Enquiries team we have to deal with our fair share of moggie maulings which is always such a difficult phone call to receive. The UK is full of animal lovers and we can understand that people love their feline friends just as much as they treasure their garden birds.
Andy Hay (rspb-images.com)
Our gardens are increasingly becoming vital for the survival of some of our most endangered species, the red-listed House Sparrow, Starling and Song Thrush are all reliant on our gardens and the food, shelter, nesting opportunities and water that they provide. Their natural sites are under threat and we at the RSPB are committed to finding out why and helping to restore these but for now they need our gardens and fledgling survival needs to be as high as possible and the threat of natural predators is already out there.
By simply fitting your cat with a correctly fitted collar and bell combo you can be helping garden bird survival and potentially reducing predation by a third. In a UK survey by volunteer cat owners results showed that cats equipped with a bell returned 41 per cent fewer birds and 34 per cent fewer mammals than those with a plain collar. Those equipped with an electronic sonic device returned 51 per cent fewer birds and 38 per cent fewer mammals, compared with cats wearing a plain collar.
At the RSPB we also advise that feeders should be placed about 2m from dense vegetation, preventing surprise attacks from cats but giving birds easy access to cover. Place nest boxes where cats cannot get close, as they might prevent parent birds from getting to the box.
Birds are most active in the garden an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset, so it is helpful to regularly feed cats indoors at these times. If you are concerned about a baby bird in your garden, then remove your cat from the area and keep it indoors until the bird’s parents have moved the chick away.
We also have a very good section on our website about Cat Deterrents which can be accessed here - http://www.rspb.org.uk/advice/gardening/unwantedvisitors/cats/catdeterrents.aspx and sell Cat Deterrents in our online shop which can be accessed here - http://shopping.rspb.org.uk/bird-food-and-feeding/protect-your-birds/catwatch-cat-deterrent.html
We hope this has gone some way to informing people a bit more about Cats and the problems they can cause our garden birds. It is important that people take this seriously and do all they can to help, we do not want to ruin the fun of cats but birds are our major concern and always will be.
The last few weeks have been pretty miserable weather wise for most humans in the UK, only the hardiest souls have braved the wet, windy and cold around the The Lodge. Have you braved the elements in the last few weeks, was it worth it? I've tried to get out and about in between showers and it has been rewarding with lots of passage wheatears (10 yesterday!) and some great views of a cuckoo, I think it's worth the risk! But with the cold weather, heavy rain and flooding, the wildlife in the UK has had some significant challenges to confront, how have they coped?
The biggest losers as a result of the heavy rain fall and flooding are going to waterfowl that have nested close by to rising water courses. We have had a number of reports of swan, grebe, moorhen and duck nests that have been washed away or submerged. This tragic end to the nesting attempt is very difficult to watch from a human perspective, we are helpless to intervene in these situations. However, as it is still relatively early in the season, many of those that have lost a nest may still have time to try again, hopefully without the risk of flooding.
Mike Richards (rspb-images.com)
The cold and damp weather will have put a great deal of pressure on small insectivorous birds, they will have to work hard to keep their energy levels up, if they are feeding young at the moment or preparing to breed, they will face an uphill battle if it stays cool as their insect food may be hard to come by. Blue and great tits should be close to hatching young at this time if they haven't already so they would be looking to take insects back to their nests to give their young enough protein to grow fast and healthy, if it stays cold and wet definitely think about providing live mealworms as this may give them the extra boost they need to produce successful young.
All of our summer migrants will have had a tough journey so far with stormy conditions across much of Europe, most of the species are back in the UK now but numbers are still down, expect a continued flow of migrants into the UK over the next couple of weeks. The ospreys that returned in April are on eggs at a number of sites, meaning that they have to sit out the rain, these hardy birds are dedicated to raising the next generation but do look thoroughly cheesed off in a rain storm if you have been following on the various webcams. Other birds of prey may also be struggling but spare a thought for the nations barn owls, all this wet weather will have greatly reduced their opportunities to hunt and their prey may be hard to come by.
So which birds are making hay whilst the sun isn't shining? From comments on the forums and from walking around the local area I would say blackbirds, song and mistle thrush and robins are taking full advantage of the wet ground to provide masses of worms to their hungry young. We've been watching recently fledged juveniles of all of the above species and parents taking beakfuls of worms to them, they should have a good year! If lapwings have managed to keep their eggs above the water then when the young hatch, the wet and muddy pools should provide a rich diet of insects so it could work out well for some pairs.
One species that has been in news recently as a result of it's continued decline as a breeding species in the UK is the starling. They are well on the way to rearing their first brood and the wet weather will give them the opportunity to get to worms and leatherjackets in lawns, grazed pasture and meadows. Look out for the noisy brown juveniles in the next week or so. The damp conditions have also led to an armada of slugs and snails ready munch their way through new shoots and prized plants, great for hedgehogs, toads and frogs, not so good for gardeners. For ideas about non-toxic pest control have a look here, please avoid reaching for harmful slug pellets that contain metaldehyde though as the slugs killed may end up being fed to hungry thrush chicks!
If it does clear up soon and we get a blast of warm summer sun, expect some frantic activity with the emergence of lots of insects and birds hot on their tails ready to eat them!
The Stork is known throughout the world as a symbol of fertility, this is an ancient legend that evolved into the cartoon Storks you see today carrying babies and delivering them to parents, but one that everyone is familiar with. This familiarity has lead the Stork to be one of the most recognised birds in the world but in the UK it is one bird that is not often seen, the reason for that is simple....they dont reside here!
However....as Spring continues Storks are being seen in the skies over the UK, but they aren't bringing babies with them this time! Yes that's right, the White Stork (Ciconia ciconia) which is a scarce visitor to the UK has been spotted numerous times in the past few weeks and here at Wildlife Enquiries we are receiving more and more reports of them. The White Stork is a large white bird with black wings and red legs and beak. They breed anywhere from North Africa up through Europe and into Asia. They have a large wing span of up to 7ft in length, to put that into perspective the Common Buzzard reaches around 4 1/2 ft with the Red Kite reaching 6ft wingspan. From underneath these birds have half white and half black wings, they fly with a succession of fast wing beats before then going into a glide. Their diet can be quite varied, anything from worms, frogs and toads to voles, fish and lizards.
In recent weeks reports of White Storks in the UK have increased with sightings coming from Essex, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Devon, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Cheshire, Buckinghamshire, Durham and Northumberland. There have even been sightings of groups of Storks (the collective term is a 'Muster') with 6 flying over Llandudno in Wales and 8 in a field in Worcestershire.
With the reporting of birds it is always important to get things correct and we do appreciate that often these Stork sightings could be anything from Little Egrets to Herons and it is important to also remember that many of these Storks are not wild birds but are of captive origin, often escapees from zoo's, falconry centres, wildfowl and private collections, often the presence of a closed ring around the leg can help determine this and if the bird is relatively tame this can also help idenitfy its origins but they are birds that nest around human habitation and are usually used to the presence of people.
In 1416 the only recorded nesting attempt occured on St Giles Catherdral in the heart of Edinburgh's Old Town and not until 2004 was a nesting attempt recorded again when 2 birds (one of captive origin and one of possible wild origin) attempted to nest on a pylon in West Yorkshire (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/west_yorkshire/3653171.stm).
However in the last week we have not just had reports of many Storks being seen but also of Storks nest building including this one named "Harry" in Nottinghamshire that is nesting on the roof of a restaurant in Mansfield....
These nesting attempts are of lone birds doing what comes naturally to them and but no means genuine nesting attempts yet, they need partners first but very interesting to see and certainly facinating to all of us in the Wildlife Enquiries Department.
Remember if you see a White Stork then you can report your sightings to the Birdtrack Service ran in conjuction by the BTO, RSPB, SOC and Birdwatch Ireland (http://www.bto.org/volunteer-surveys/birdtrack), it also worth recording any sightings via the Spring Alive Website which can be found here - http://www.springalive.net/
Keep those eyes to the skies (or on top of a house!)
Hi, my name is Ben Andrew and thought this would be the perfect opportunity to introduce myself. I am the newest member of the Wildlife Enquiries team and have been working here now for 3 weeks. I have a total love of wildlife and this began from a young age after visiting London Zoo and then going back to recreate my very own zoo in my sandpit! From then on I spent many hours watching David Attenborough documentaries and reading wildlife books. I studied Geography at University and then went on to work as a Zoo Keeper and in a large exotic pet shop.
My passion has always been wildlife, I have travelled around the world from Moroccan bird watching holidays and rain drenched jungles of Borneo to the game reserves of Kenya and the outback of Australia in search of wild animals but it is here in the UK that I am most passionate about. I love wildlife photography and spend a lot of my free time lying down in a muddy pool or climbing a huge mountain (well...hill!) with the aim of capturing UK species in their natural habitat and this passion has won me awards and given me a greater insight into the creatures we share this island with.
I am loving every aspect of my new job, the enquiries are always different and can often really challenge my knowledge. I love dealing with aspects of the law and learning about new behaviour, being sent interesting photos is always good fun and just being surrounded by good people and knowing I'm helping makes the days go very quickly. Enjoy the Spring and make sure to get out there and make the most of it, try and see something you never seen before whether it be a species, a piece of behaviour or an RSPB reserve!
Just thought I’d introduce myself as a new member of the Wildlife Enquiries team, here at The Lodge.
I’ve always been interested in birds and wildlife and make the most of every opportunity to go out and see it, and occasionally get to photograph it! I used to work in the printing industry in a variety of jobs, from graphic design to printing, and a few other jobs along the way. A change in fortunes and redundancy made me think about my future and I finally decided what I wanted to do when I grew up! I went to Shuttleworth College to get a National Diploma in Countryside Management, and then to Writtle College in Chelmsford to get my Foundation Degree in Conservation and Habitat Management. Going to college and then into higher education was a huge shock to my system as a mature student, and a steep learning curve compared to what I had been doing! I have been volunteering in a number of different roles since I started at Shuttleworth in 2006, from digging ditches, laying paths, conducting surveys, talking to members of the public about Barn Owls and Herons, ending up volunteering here in Wildlife Enquires, where I was lucky enough to get a summer contract.
So, here I am and I’m really enjoying it, even though the phone calls, emails and letters really make me think sometimes, but I’m learning new things all the time! Nesting birds in trees and hedges and baby birds in peril (which most of them are not) are the hot topics at the moment; the warm weather kicking the breeding season off early this year. Enjoy your gardens and all the wildlife that is out there, and leave the baby birds alone – mum and dad know what they’re doing. Bye for now.
Deb