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Is Spring on its way ?

Is Spring on its way ?

by Chris, 9 February, 2012, 3 comments

They are on the move! Who ? The Norfolk cuckoos that were fitted (last Spring) with solar powered 5G satellite tags.  Through these devices, the cuckoos were followed back to their ‘winter homes’ in Africa.  The tags transmit for about 10 hours at a time, then they go into 'sleep mode' whilst they are recharged by the light - ready to broadcast the position of the birds some time later ☆. Read more...
sloes

Managing hedgerows.

by Chris, 2 January, 2012, 4 comments

The importance of hedgerows in the maintenance of biodiversity cannot be over-emphasised.   Hedgerows provide vital food, in the form of a variety of berries - sloes, haws, blackberries etc,  for small mammals and birds (redwings, blackbirds) and hedgerow flowers support pollinating insects - a  variety of bees and butterflies. However, the 'management' of hedgerows or trimming / flailing of a hedgerow can make a significant difference to its productivity - that is, the number of flowers and fruits produced. Read more...
monk parakeet

Invasive species : Monk parakeets?

by Lewis, 13 October, 2011, 2 comments

DEFRA has declared that the monk parakeet is a threat.  The home of the monk parakeet is South America.  It is being viewed as a threat because of the parakeet’s unusual nesting habits.  Unlike other parrots, monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) use sticks to build huge nests on the outside of a tree’s canopy or pylons – these can reach the size of a small car!  In the United States, the nests have been responsible for power shortages, cuts in power transmission, fires and crop damage.  However, no damage in the U.K. has been reported to date though DEFRA has expressed concern that damage might be caused to ‘national infra-structure’ and native British wildlife. Read more...
Heathlands

Heathlands

by Chris, 22 September, 2011, 0 comments

Heathland is a threatened habitat.  Over the last two hundred years, the U.K. has lost some 150,000 hectares of heathland.  There is now only  58,000 ha of heathland left in the U.K; this represents one fifth of the world's total.  Areas of heathland can be found in the High Weald of Kent (Ashdown Forest) and the Breckland of East Anglia.  Breckland is a particular type of heathland, being a dry heath.  The average annual rainfall is only 600 mm or so and  it experiences hot summers and cold winters, together with frequent frosts. Read more...
Wildlife organisations

Wildlife organisations

by Lewis, 17 September, 2011, 2 comments

For those wanting to follow up on the different forms of wildlife in their woodland, the following organisations / societies might be of interest / use.  For each there is a link and a snippet from the organisation's website. Website of the British Arachnological Society (wiki.britishspiders.org.uk). "Here you can find information on those fascinating animals, arachnids. Our emphasis is on British spiders but we don't exclude other arachnids such as Harvestmen (opilionids), Pseudoscorpions and Scorpions". Read more...
Invasive species – Rats.

Invasive species – Rats.

by Chris, 8 September, 2011, 2 comments

Rats (brown and black) have been ‘camp followers’ of humans ever since we adopted a ‘settled’ existence.  In modern cities, it is often said that one is never more than 20 yards from a rat.  Whether this is true or not, rats have been a pest throughout the millennia, most notably associated with the spread of disease such a bubonic plague but also Weils Disease (Leptospirosis). Read more...
Seeds, ants and dispersal.

Seeds, ants and dispersal.

by Lewis, 12 August, 2011, 5 comments

That seeds are dispersed by animals is well known; most elementary texts on biology are littered with a variety of examples. Fruits (and their seeds) attract animals with the edible parts; from fleshy fruits - plums, mangoes, berries,  cherries etc for frugivores, to various nuts.  As the animal searches for and collects the fruits (monkeys in the forests, squirrels in the woodlands), some may be lost or discarded on the journey ‘home’.  Other fruits / seeds cling to an animals by attaching to their fur / clothing using various hooks or barbs – a classic example being cleavers or goosegrass. Some seeds are dispersed incidentally; they may be lurking in muddy soil and adhere to the hoof or foot of an animal, bird or human, or be carried some distance by car or tractor tyres. However, many species of plants have an ‘unseen’ army of helpers – ANTS.  Ants disperse seeds in two distinct ways.  Read more...
Red squirrels in Scotland.

Red squirrels in Scotland.

by Dr Dick Morris, 28 July, 2011, 8 comments

Threats to red squirrels. The red squirrel is a delightfully charismatic species, which was once a common native over the whole of the UK, but in England is now restricted to a few small areas.  In Scotland, the situation is better, but even here there are only about 120 000 individuals. They represent 75% of the total UK population and are under serious threat, so any actions to protect them are to be welcomed.  There are two key threats, changes to the woodlands in which they live, and the so far relentless spread of the similar, but larger American grey squirrel. Read more...

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