A Happy New Year from the Brecks Team!
I hope you had a good Christmas break and have made giving nature a home in your garden one of your resolutions! This year looks set to be a busy one for the team with several projects which you will hear more about in the next few weeks! This month it’s all about the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place on the 25 and 26 January, I hope you’ve got your bird feeders topped up and at the ready! It’s a great chance to contribute to our knowledge of how garden birds are faring and you can do it from the comfort of your own home! Don’t forget to register before you settle down with a cuppa and your binoculars!
We will be running our very own Big Garden Bird Watch event in the Brecks; we are hosting it with the BTO in Thetford, Norfolk on the 25th January so if you live nearby why not join us! There will lots of activities as well as a guided walk around the BTO reserve. Despite being an urban environment Thetford is a great place to watch wildlife, and is also in the middle of the Brecks! Last year we were treated to some very friendly otters swimming in the middle of the town and screaming swifts nesting in the town centre.
I’ve had a kingfisher flying over mine and the groups head on a guided walk and often see them darting up and down the river right in the middle of town. At this time of year it’s also a great place to see redwings and chattering flocks of goldfinches and siskins. Recently a young heron and little grebes have also taken up residence so there is always something to see! It just goes to show not only how great the Brecks is for wildlife watching but how adaptable wildlife can be to live in such a urban environment.
This can only happen if it is given space to and people are willing to make homes for nature in towns as well as the countryside. Kingfisher by Mike Lane (www.rspb-images.com)
Sammy Fraser, RSPB Brecks Community Engagent Officer