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The crane is a species that fascinates us here at the RSPB. This magnificent bird survives in the UK in isolated pockets and is now the focus of a reintroduction project to get them back into suitable habitats in the UK. With all of the monitoring work that comes with such an important conservation project comes a number of questions. One question that is difficult to…

The first few weeks of the new year have been quite hectic for our small team in wildlife enquiries. Here are just a few of the topics we have been talking about in recent weeks.

Unusual garden visitors

Lots of birds made a move into gardens and parks during the cold weather this winter, some of them causing plenty of confusion. We had a few reports of moorhens in trees which surprised a number of people, however it…

Swans
We have had many reports of swans on their own, which triggers queries about whether they can be found a mate or whether they can cope on their own. These are often birds chased away from their parents' territory. They are fine and they can find their own mates.
   

Pheasants
These birds are turning up in gardens, which can be a surprise. Many are released into the wild for shooting so there are millions of them…

                                                                 Waxwings
Waxwings are arriving in large numbers this autumn. The numbers that come to the UK vary each year depending on food availability and this year looks like a good one for seeing them. Most sightings are on the east coast of Scotland as this is first land fall for them but they have spread to other areas. Nick Moran, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: ‘Normally there’s a pattern of arrival. They are usually…

                                                                                                    Halloween Blog

 With The leaves on the ground and toadstools in abundance, our thoughts now turn to the darker half of the year. Are you brave enough to walk through the woods of The Lodge on Halloween night? Or witness Spooky things at Fairburn Ings. Gather for a ‘Witch Walk’ at Lake Vyrnwy and celebrate All hallows eve at Wat Tyler country park. Check out your local reserves for Halloween fun! With Halloween…

When we, and our local partners, took over the management of Harapan Rainforest three years ago, we immediately started training a team of forest wardens to protect the forest from further illegal logging. Working with our partners - Birdlife International and Burung Indonesia - we also came up with a recovery plan to restore these areas back to their former glory.
With help from more than 200 local community members…

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Seabird wrecks
We have had a few unfortunate reports of seabirds, particularly guillemots, being washed ashore either very weak or dead. Seabird wrecks like these usually occur after stormy weather. It is thought the birds become exhausted and then are washed inland. if you do find an exhausted sea bird make sure you ring the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.

Wrynecks and …

Disappearing birds:
Lots of calls are still coming in about the disappearance of birds from gardens. At this time of year birds do start to moult and can go into hiding. Moulting is a process of shedding and regrowing feathers. Adult birds are shedding their worn out feathers from this year's breeding season and growing new, strong, warm feathers to see them through the winter. This year's young are losing their first…

Disease spread throughout the country
This week a press release went out highlighting the impact that Trichomonosis has had on greenfinch and chaffinch numbers. This received a lot of media interest and lead to a massive surge in disease reports. A new disease page is up and running and people can be directed here or if you are finding a large number of dead bird call 01767 693690 for Wildlife Enquiries.

Lack of birds

Diseased birds
REMEMBER: if you are finding Sick or Dying birds to check here for information. Reports of these are starting to increase as they do every summer. The peak time for disease reports is September. The disease is most likely to be Trichomonaisis.

Baby birds
We can all start to relax a bit as the worst of the baby bird season seems to be over. Still a few gull chicks around and pigeons are still bre…

Is that a middle spotted woodpecker?! 

 At this time of year young great spotted and green woodpeckers are fully fledged and joining their parents on the feeders and in gardens. These birds can resemble other species such as middle spotted, white-backed or grey-headed woodpeckers. These birds are found in mainland Europe but their reluctance to cross large bodies of water means they have never been recorded in the UK.

The Wildlife Enquiries department is well and truly in the busy period so apologies for not posting anything for the last few weeks.

Baby birds
We have to start with baby birds or more accurately, fledglings. May, June and July are the peak periods for fledglings being found out of the nest. Swallows and gull chicks are two of the main species being found wandering at the moment – 9 times out of 10 you should leave…

Lack of summer visitors
Last week we were still receiving queries about the apparent lack of house martins, swallows and swift. Some of these birds might have been delayed by the cold northerly winds that made early May a chilly one. Swallow and House Martin (hirundines) populations fluctuate from year to year and are greatly affected by weather. They require rain for wet mud for nest building and for encouraging the abundance…

Now the swifts are here we almost have a full complement of our summer migrants. However keep an eye out for spotted flycatchers and house martins as we have not heard of many sightings so far this year. Please remember to record your sightings on the Birdtrack website. Its also a great time to look for insects as butterflies, bees and dragonflies are on the wing.

 Now that the temperature is warming up it is a great time…

We’ve started to receive calls and emails from happy and relieved people reporting the return of swifts to British shores. Now we can start summer, right? Swifts faithfully return to nest sites year after year (if they are still there), in roof spaces, under soffits and behind fascias.

• Leave existing nest sites undisturbed
• If improvements are needed to masonry, fascias…

Nestbox cameras
More and more people seem to have nestbox cameras so this is generating lots of enquiries about the behaviour of nesting birds, blue tits in particular. Incubation, nest building, predation and conflict with other species (including bumblebees) have all been asked about.

Discuss this in the nestbox forum

Ducklings

Still more nesting ducks and now they are starting to hatch and getting all over the…

Ash cloud and birds?
There have been some people concerned about the impact of the ash on birds. Some have suggested that this is why the house martins are late. We are not sure what the impacts will be but hopefully it will not be a major problem for summer migrants. House martins migrate at altitudes of up to 6000ft whereas the ash cloud is thought to be stratified beyond 11000ft. Migrants might be a little late because…

One swallow doesn't make a summer.
The arrival of some familiar birds is a sign that spring is here. Sand martins, swallows and chiffchaffs have all been reported returning to the UK to breed. However, we still have a couple of months until the summer starts and a few of the winter migrants such as fieldfares and redwings are still about.

Hoopoes
Small numbers of these exotic looking birds reach the UK each spring. They…

The onset of spring has also triggered a flurry of activity with our wild birds as they prepare for the imminent start of the breeding season. This has led to many territorial birds seemingly attacking or flying at windows or other reflective surfaces.  They can see their own reflection on the surface, and thinking it is an intruding bird will try to attack it to defend its…

Councils cut back more than just their finances
With the end of the financial year looming, local authorities are using remaining funds to do the annual tidy up of local public areas. If birds are nesting in vegetation that causes an immediate road/rail safety hazard, the highways agency or network rail can legally over-ride the legal protection of nests under the WCA 1981/85. However, this does not mean that whole areas…

Late February is a great time of year to get out and about into the countryside, or garden, and take notice of the big changes occurring. Bulbs are bursting into life, frogs are starting to stir, some ponds already have frogspawn, and birds are definitely distracted by the urge to breed. However it is quite likely that we will be seeing more of the cold weather before spring is properly here.

Many of our winter visitors…

Freezing weather and snow food for the birds!
The prolonged winter weather will continue to pose a significant threat to wild birds as they struggle to find a decent meal. This has led to a huge number of calls from concerned members of the public wanting to know what’s best to feed them.  Ideally, we recommend feeding twice daily If possible, in the morning and early afternoon. Birds require high energy foods during…

Let it snow...

The wildlife team has been really busy recently with lots of queries coming in related to the wintry weather, many expressing concern that birds are struggling to cope in the harsh weather. It is true that these times are hard for birds but many run the risk of being killed by misplaced kindness. Putting olive oil into bird baths is a definate no, it won't stop it freezing and can really harm their feathers.…

Lots of goings on in the world of wildlife so far this month. We are still getting lots of reports of 'posessed' birds attacking their reflections in windows and mirrors. The list for species showing this behaviour is growing ever longer with grey wagtails, blackbirds, crows and long-tailed tits all getting in on the act. The cure is the same for all, get a roll of clingfilm, cover the outer surface of glass and…