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Mall things bright and beautifulLast modified: 01 December 2009
It’s hot. It’s packed. Children are screaming, tills are ringing, and carols are playing – over and over and over again. It can only be one thing: Christmas shopping. But the RSPB is suggesting that much needed relief from bustling high streets and packed shopping centres might not be that far away. Despite the crowds, some of the UK’s most easily watched wildlife can be found living happily in shopping precincts and around our busiest town centres in winter. The wildlife charity believes that a glimpse of these birds can be all you need to recover from the stress of jostling crowds, picking presents, and the dreaded queues. Birds commonly seen around shopping centres include pied wagtails, house sparrows, starlings, collared doves, and blackbirds. And luckier shoppers may catch birds of prey, such as red kites, peregrine falcons and kestrels. Many birds are attracted to the warm roofs of shopping centres, while scraps dropped by shoppers ensure a ready supply of food. Some out of town shopping areas, especially those with ornamental ponds, can be the winter home of little and great-crested grebes, and Egyptian geese. Decorative gardens and city centres that still have well grown trees can even attract green woodpeckers, goldfinches, chaffinches and great tits. If you’re planning to do your shopping in the slightly less manic market towns, the wildlife can be even richer. Buzzards often soar overhead, while any number of garden birds can turn up on the high street. Birmingham Shopper Claire Butlin says: “As much as I love shopping, it does get a bit much at this time of year. “I like to take a breather and step outside for some fresh air before heading back in for more, and Birmingham is one of those cities that is great for spotting wildlife, no matter how busy it is. “Quite often you’ll see pied wagtails in their droves around New Street Station and the rag markets, as well as right in the centre of town. They have quite a calming effect.” Other shopping areas renowned for wildlife include pied wagtail roosts in Manchester, Eastbourne and Wolverhampton; starling roosts on Brighton and Eastbourne piers, Blackpool and Liverpool; and peregrines falcons swooping over Chester, Southport, Sheffield and Manchester. Red kites can often be seen over places like Marlow, Henley and St Albans, and collared doves and blackbirds are resident in the centre of Norwich. Ian Hayward, RSPB Wildlife Adviser says: “I’d urge everyone to gaze skywards when they come up for air from a shopping centre at this time of year. There is always something to see. “Birds like pied wagtails seem to make a bee-line for shopping centre roofs, as they are usually poorly insulated, and give off plenty of heat. “Car parks can also be a haven for wildlife. They often have bushes and shrubs with berries still on them, providing a wild snack for urban birds.” For more information on wildlife near you visit www.rspb.org.uk What can I do?Let us introduce you to some amazing wildlife at one of our date with nature events across the UK |
Curlew feeding in grassy field - Steve Round
Red admiral on Michaelmas daisy - Chris Gomersall (rspb-images.com)
Bird illustrations by Mike Langman (RSPB)