Focus Nature Notes. Farewell Summer

As harvesting is almost over and farmers trim the field hedgerows, apples and blackberries are ripening, purple heather, yellow gorse bloom on the high moorland and on the coast and grasses turn from green to gold it’s time to say farewell to Summer. A wet and windy one at times with unusually high temperatures recorded in parts of the UK, in a changing  and challenging world we can always depend on  wildlife to bring joy and complete the cycle. 

Butterfly numbers have been worryingly low but they seem to be making an appearance now, though not in great numbers. The Buddleia aka Butterfly Bush is still blooming in my garden and this week I have seen a Peacock, Red Admiral, Small White and a Speckled Wood.. Good news is that I have seen plenty of bees and insects.

The Swifts have long since gone. According to my nature notes 29th July was my last sighting and this week the House Martins and Swallows have been gathering. They sit together on the wires and flutter wildly aloft, swooping over the field so it won’t be long before they begin their long journey back to Africa.  The magical photo shows a lone Swallow on the wire, I hope he catches up with the rest of the gang.

As the main bird nesting season comes to a close, remember they still huddle quietly while the young ones get used to their new surroundings and the old ones hunker down for the moult so take care when trimming trees, bushes and hedgerows. Also take care when strimming, watch out for ground nesting birds, hedgehogs and other precious little critters. 

 

According to Natural England "The ‘Bird Nesting Season’ is officially from February until August and it is recommended that vegetation works (tree or hedge cutting) or site clearance should be done outside of the nesting season."

 

Just as I'm writing this  I noticed a little shimmering through the window, a fledgling Goldfinch fluttering its wings with mum or dad. Happy Days.

Photo copyright Pat Adams North Devon Focus

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 Read all about it

🐦RSPB. Brilliant Broods: A Guide to Bird Nests & Eggs https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/brilliant-broods-a-guide-to-eggs-and-nests

🐦Advice on protection of birds visit UK Government Wildlife & Countryside

🐦Act 1981 updates and legal information - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69/contents

Wild birds: protection and licences https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wild-birds-protection-surveys-and-licences

 

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Birdwatching - Life on the Torridge Estuary

Local walks and beaches have been inundated so enjoyed a brief trip to the burrows now the official Summer season is over.

An incoming tide, golden light and fresh air. As is normally the case had the wrong lens so record shots only of what we spotted. Three #Cormorant, each sitting on their own rock spot, four #Egret, several gulls and a flock of #Redshank swirling over the Skern. Are they making a stop on their migration or over-wintering here. Scroll down for video clip....where did they go !!

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For the Record - Egrets on the Torridge Estuary - Photo credit Pat Adams (North Devon Focus)

For the Record - Cormorant & Redshank on the Torridge Estuary - Photo credit Pat Adams (North Devon Focus)

  

Life on the Biosphere - Photo credit Pat Adams (North Devon Focus)

For the Record, Life on Lockdown  Covid19 Day 190

Devon Wildlife Trust becomes owner of major new wildlife haven in North Devon

Devon Wildlife Trust has purchased the 80 hectare wetland which forms part of the northern edge of the Taw Estuary, close to the village of Braunton. The undisclosed purchase price was met by the charity after it received a generous donation from a local resident and bird watching enthusiast, Mr Mark Ansell. The Trust now intends to make the site its latest nature reserve.

After a breach to its sea wall in 2017, Horsey Island now consists of an extensive intertidal salt marsh and wetland. It is a haven for wildlife and is especially important as a feeding and roosting place for thousands of birds including many rarities. A flock of more than 1,200 golden plover has been seen roosting and feeding there. Ospreys, Spoonbills, Glossy Ibis and Great White Egrets have all been recorded there in the recent past. These and many other seasonal sightings have made the site popular among birdwatchers.

With the addition of Horsey Island Devon Wildlife Trust now manages 57 nature havens covering well over 2,000 hectares of the Devon countryside. The Trust aims to improve the site still further as a place for nature and provide opportunities for people to enjoy the spectacular bird life in this quiet corner of North Devon.

Horsey Island has a long and interesting history. The land was reclaimed from the sea in the 1850s to create farmland. Two earth bank defences were constructed to keep the sea out; one an outer wall facing the sea, and the other known as ‘Great Bank’ (not part of the new nature reserve owned by Devon Wildlife Trust), which runs between the site and Braunton Marshes further inland.

However, in recent times Horsey Island’s defences have been compromised. In 2017 a major breach occurred to its outer wall, inundating its interior with sea water. Rising sea levels and more frequent violent storms have since widened the breach. Today its interior is open to the tide and in the place of what was once farmland a fascinating system of tidal creeks, salt marsh and mudflats has been formed.

Peter Burgess, Devon Wildlife Trust’s Director of Conservation and Development, said:
“Horsey is an exciting, dynamic place which is now being shaped by natural processes, dominated by the daily tides which ebb and flow into the reserve. Shifting sands and muds are starting to be colonised by salt marsh plants. It is now an exceptionally important location for roosting and feeding wading birds and stands as one of the best locations in the county to see murmurations of wading birds from the security of the Coast Path”.

Devon Wildlife Trust’s Chief Executive, Harry Barton, said: 

“The purchase of Horsey Island is a wonderful opportunity. It will allow us to protect and enhance a stunning area of intertidal habitats in North Devon. Over the coming months we will be developing ambitious plans for the site in discussion with local stakeholders so that it reaches its full potential as a stunning place for wildlife and the local community.”

At present Horsey Island has no direct public access, but good views of the site and its wonderful birdlife can be had from the South West Coast Path which runs adjacent to it.

Devon Wildlife Trust has a successful track record of managing newly created tidal wetlands elsewhere in the county. In 2012 it took on the management of a similar nature reserve at South Efford Marsh nature reserve, near Kingsbridge, in South Devon. Since then the charity has successfully overseen its transition from rough grassland to saltmarsh and mudflats. The nature reserve has become one of Devon’s premier birdwatching venues.

 View across Horsey Island. Photo copyright Andy Bell (All rights reserved)

Golden Plover flock with Lapwing in foreground (Nb. not taken at Horsey Island). Photo copyright Andy Parkinson (All rights reserved)

Rare 'white blackbird' lands in North Devon

A rare albino blackbird has been spotted in Hatherleigh, North Devon. The 'white blackbird' was discovered by Devon Wildlife Trust's Jo Pullin in her back garden. Jo, who has worked for the conservation charity for 14 years, picks up the story: 

 "My children and I spotted something unusual in the undergrowth at the edge of our garden. We went to investigate and soon discovered it was a white blackbird. It looked like it had only just recently left the nest." 

"I've seen birds with odd colouring before, but never a completely white blackbird. It really stood out and looked very vulnerable." 

Albinism in birds is not unusual. It is caused when the normal pigmentation of feathers is missing. However, in most cases birds show patches of white feathers or dull colouring. This partial albinism, as it is called, is relatively common. But what was rare about the case of the Hatherleigh blackbird was that it lacked all colour, even in its eyes. It belonged to a condition which is much more unusual and is known as being a true albino. The story of the white blackbird may not have ended well. Its unusual looks may have meant it lived a short life. 

Steve Hussey from Devon Wildlife Trust commented on its likely fate: 

"Being pure white isn't a great survival strategy for a blackbird, particularly as a fledgling. When you've just left the nest you want to be as inconspicuous as possible to avoid the predatory eyes of cats and sparrowhawks. Added to this, part of the condition of albinos often means they have poor or little eyesight. I fear that this little chap's life was probably a very brief one." 

Jo Pullin seemed to confirm this distinctly off-colour prediction for the white blackbird. Jo said: 

"We looked for the blackbird the next day but couldn't see it anywhere." 

Spring is the time when many people find baby birds in their gardens. Despite their vulnerability the advice of Devon Wildlife Trust is to leave them well alone, while keeping pet cats and dogs away. 

 The whiteBlackbird of Hatherleigh. Photo: copyright  Jo Pullin (All rights reserved)

Return of the Swallows.

I saw the first Swallows today and although the horizons are changing in the countryside it’s nice to know that some things stay the same. The lambs are gamboling close to their mothers in the fields, the cows are out to pasture after a long wet winter inside and butterflies are making their first outing, quivering over paths  and fresh green grass.  I spotted a Speckled Wood, a Peacock and a Large White on my walk today. Greater Stitchwort abounds in the hedgerows along with still flowering Blackthorn. I can see the first green leaves on the Hawthorne so I am hoping they will be full of May Flowers soon too.  I saw my first Cuckoo Flower,  Dog Violet, Field Speedwell and  a small pocket of Bluebells.  Along with the Swallows swooping overhead,  I recognised the trilling of a Robin and a Wren. Lambs bleating, cows mooing, distant Doves cooing, the sounds of countryside and the return of the Swallows, Summer is on it’s way.

 

Swallow soaring overhead

Lambs on the look out
 
 Walkers and cattle enjoying the sunshine

Speckled Wood on a Bramble

 Greater Stitchwort

Wind turbine next to the Church, an ancient green lane with a new horizon

National Trust Commission “Tweet Music” : Celebrating the sounds of Spring

A leading UK beatboxer has vocally recreated the nation’s best-known songbirds to celebrate the sounds of spring and encourage the nation to get outdoors and experience nature first hand. The album of Tweet Music was commissioned by the National Trust after academic research found that listening to birdsong, one of the Trust’s 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾, not only makes people calmer but boosts positivity. Despite this, almost one in five (19 per cent) rarely hear birdsong with 19 per cent of city dwellers regularly woken up by the noise of cars or planes. Beatboxer and vocal sculptor Jason Singh visited National Trust places for inspiration before creating the album, which features birds and wildlife including Blackbirds, Robins, Woodpeckers, Crows, Skylarks, Owls, Warblers, Buzzards, Frogs and Crickets. Singh explained, “I love the magic of spring, particularly at Tatton Park which I have been going to for years. When the silence of winter comes to an end, you can feel a real sense of change as the parkland erupts with noise, bursts of colour and new life. This is what makes spring so special for me and it’s this that I really wanted to capture in this project. “It was important to me that the bird calls and environments I recreated were as life like and authentic as possible, so it was great to work with the National Trust’s nature experts to better understand the flora and fauna of spring.” Listeners are set to find the new National Trust soundtrack a soothing experience after a recent psychological study found that natural sounds have restorative qualities. The study found the that birdsong and other sounds of nature like a running stream help people recover much quicker from stressful scenarios compared with the noise of urban living.

 Celebrate the Sounds of spring

Leading UK beatboxer, Jason Singh - Photo copyright National Trust (All Rights Reserved)

• Click here to download the free “Tweet Music” tracks, 
• Click here for 50 things to do before you’re 11 ¾
• Find a Place to Visit with the National Trust

New Year rainbows, soggy walks. and counting birds.

I am feeling a little “under the weather” so I’m not getting much gardening done. According to the RSPB this is the best time to cut back trees or trim hedges before the mating season, which tends to start in February, so I really am eager to start. After such a turbulent start to the New Year, you’d think the birds would be quite wet enough  but this week both the male and female Blackbirds were splish-splashing in the tinfoil bath in the back garden and today a Starling was going at it like a jet skier in a water filled planter in the front garden. So by the look of it the birds  are already beginning to rouse themselves. There is a little more action also on our bird feeder and on the hedgerows and field nearby. Spotted two Buzzards today, the Starlings were enjoying the stubble on the field earlier in December and this week they have been gathering in quantity on the telephone wires  beside the A39. Last week, after the storm, we took a soggy walk on a debris strewn beach at Instow on the Torridge Estuary then moved on to a seemingly tranquil Fremington Quay where a small cluster of seabirds, an Egret and one lone Curlew were quietly drilling down in the mud. We returned via Bideford and spotted a Murmuration swooping and swirling above Bideford Long Bridge. As light was fading we parked awhile on Brunswick Wharf to enjoy the spectacle. Meanwhile back in my garden the Chaffinch, Great Tits, Coal Tits and Sparrows are constant visitors, Mr. Robin is already stating his claim with an occasional song, and the Blue Tits continue to sneak nuts out from under the beaks of our resident Doves which plonk themselves on the feeder. Rainy days have been lit up by rainbows after some short bursts of sunshine. The only down side to this perfect little scenario is a local ginger cat that languishes below the feeder and waits.... What’s the betting that all this action disappears when it’s time for the Big Garden Birdwatch which this year is over the weekend of 25^th and 26th January

A little under the weather and ragged round the edges, just like me

The first rainbow of 2014

Lone Curlew off Fremington Quay

Count the wildlife that's counting on you. Bird populations are a great indicator of the health of the countryside. That's why it's so important to take part in surveys like the Big Garden Birdwatch to keep an eye on the ups and downs of the wildlife where we live.  All you need to do is spend an hour over the weekend of 25-26 January counting the birds in your garden. It's that simple! The more people involved, the more we can learn. So, grab a cuppa and together we can all help to give nature a home. For more info and to register, please visit www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch

Click here for Big Garden Birdwatch 2014 Results

• Explore Instow with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour
• Explore Fremington Quay with the North Devon Picture Tour
• Explore Bideford with the North Devon Focus Picture Tour

Hot enough to put the washing out. Fold and remove after use!!

Heard a constant cheep, cheep this morning as I was making the coffee. Looked out the window and thought I'm sure I'd brought all the washing in, then realised all was not quite as it seems. This little fella had just fledged and he stayed, cheeping away for 15 minutes. I was beginning to think he was stuck, as I believe they can't fly when they first leave the nest but decided not to assist. Sure enough he eventually (with encouragement from Dad) flitted back into the shade under the Apple tree.The garden birds have been busy since February when nest-building started. I saw my first blackbird fledgling back in the beginning of June so it is easy to think that the breeding season is over when in fact all the birds are back in the nest with another brood. So spare a thought for our little feathered friends, especially in this hot weather, hold back on the hedge trimming, leave a long grassy border round the lawn and leave out lots of  water. I have been watching the Blackbirds in my garden splashing around in a large shallow, tin-foil plate, a successful makeshift bird bath. I put it in the shade beside a bush so they could "wash and go". I have watched as they lazed, feathers akimbo, in the sun and while they had fun tossing a pile of grass I'd left after mowing the lawn, presumably they were searching for insects. All in all wildlife love it when we aren't too tidy.

 

Spare a thought for wildlife as the Southwest Sizzles - Read all about Devon Wildlife Trust's 6 Point Plan 

It is against the law to knowingly disturb or destroy a nest. For advice on wild birds and the law check out the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981

Devon’s Nature in Trouble. Conservation organisations join forces to call on people to take action

OUR NATURE IS IN TROUBLE – this is the conclusion of a groundbreaking report launched today by a coalition of leading conservation and research organisations. Scientists working side-by-side from wildlife organisations across the UK, including Devon Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Buglife and Butterfly Conservation, have compiled a stock-take of our native species – the first of its kind in the UK. The report reveals that 60% of the species studied have declined over recent decades. More than one in ten of all the species assessed are under threat of disappearing. Peter Burgess, Conservation Advocacy Manager for Devon Wildlife Trust said: "Once familiar species including hedgehogs, lapwings and cuckoos, are declining in extent and numbers. Our seas too are in a fragile state as the recent death of thousands of seabirds due to pollution has shown." The report concludes that woodland, Culm grassland, heathland, upland, fresh water and wetland, coastal and marine species are all under threat in Devon. The State of Nature report will be launched by Sir David Attenborough and UK conservation charities at the Natural History Museum in London this evening. This report serves as a reminder to us all that nature needs our help and we can all do our bit to save it. Its authors are calling on people to support conservation charities and take action for wildlife. Sir David Attenborough, who wrote the foreword to the publication, said: “This groundbreaking report is a stark warning – but it is also a sign of hope. For 60 years I have travelled the world exploring the wonders of nature and sharing that wonder with the public. But as a boy my first inspiration came from discovering the UK’s own wildlife. “Our islands have a rich diversity of habitats which support some truly amazing plants and animals. We should all be proud of the beauty we find on our own doorstep; from bluebells carpeting woodland floors and delicately patterned fritillary butterflies, to the graceful basking shark and the majestic golden eagle soaring over the Scottish mountains. “This report shows that our species are in trouble, with many declining at a worrying rate. However, we have in this country a network of passionate conservation groups supported by millions of people who love wildlife. The experts have come together to highlight the amazing nature we have around us and to ensure that it remains here for generations to come.”  Dr Mark Eaton, a lead author on the report and a Senior Conservation Scientist for RSPB, said: “This report reveals that the UK’s nature is in trouble - overall we are losing wildlife at an alarming rate. “Reliable data on these species goes back just 50 years, at most, but we know that there has been a historical pattern of loss in the UK going back even further. Threats including sweeping habitat loss, changes to the way we manage our countryside, and the more recent impact of climate change, have had a major impact on our wildlife, and they are not going away." Devon Wildlife Trust’s Peter Burgess will be speaking at the event alongside Sir David Attenborough. Peter commented: “For the first time in the history of the conservation movement we have a clear picture of how Britain’s special wildlife is faring. Nowhere is this information more important than in Devon, a county that supports the country’s most biodiverse parish {Braunton] and which is home to two of the ten most-threatened species in Europe [the marsh fritillary butterfly and the freshwater pearl mussel]. It’s a great honour to be involved in launching this report by presenting alongside Sir David Attenborough – someone that has done more that anyone else in reconnecting people with the stunning wildlife that we have in this country.” Peter continued, “None of this work would have been possible without the army of volunteer wildlife enthusiasts who spend their spare time surveying species and recording their findings. Our knowledge of nature in the UK would be significantly poorer without these unsung heroes, and that knowledge is the most essential tool that conservationists have. "Peter concluded, “It is time for us to take action to save nature and we are calling on people to give their support. We can all do something for nature, whether it is volunteering on a nature reserve, surveying species, making wildlife-friendly gardens, supporting campaigns or by becoming a member of a conservation charity."

 Please go to www.devonwildlifetrust.org for details on how to support Devon Wildlife Trust. 

State of Nature national fact file:

• The total number of larger moths had fallen by 28% since the late 1960s and two-thirds of the 337 species monitored had declined, and 37% by more than half.
• 72% of butterfly species had decreased over the previous 10 years, including common garden butterflies that had declined by 24%.
• The UK has lost 44 million breeding birds since the late 1960s.
• In 16 counties, one plant species went extinct every other year.
• Britain's mammals have seen losses and gains, with decline of hedgehogs, the ongoing loss of red squirrels, and the recovery of otters.
•  In 2010, Norman Maclean's book Silent Summer summarised dramatic declines in the UK's insect populations, and concluded that 'our wildlife is clearly in for a bumpy ride'. 

State of Nature Devon fact file:

• 80% of England’s Culm grasslands can be found in Devon. A survey of Culm Grassland in the early 1990s indicated that between 1984 and 1991, some 65% of the Culm Grassland area present in 1984 and outside of protected areas was lost. 80% of this loss was due to agricultural improvement, the rest due to afforestation, neglect or development.
• 30% of the Pebblebed Heaths lowland heathland were lost in the twentieth century to plantation, arable, improved grassland and mineral development.
• Devon is thought to hold 20% of the UK’s species rich hedgerows. The implementation of the Hedgerow Regulations 1997, together with the positive influence of agri-environment schemes, is likely to have halted the net loss of species-rich hedges. However, it is also likely that the condition of a number of hedges is continuing to decline due to a lack of suitable management.
• Between 1987 and 1991, it is thought that 24% of unimproved grassland sites within Devon had deteriorated due to inappropriate management, 24% of sites had deteriorated due to neglect, 4% of sites had been partly destroyed and 2% wholly destroyed.
• In 2007, Devon was estimated as holding 4,063 hectares of parkland and wood pasture. However, it is likely that well over 50% of working wood pasture and parkland has been lost to either scrub woodland and/or to arable/improved grassland over the last 50 years.
• Devon has the first Marine Conservation Zone around Lundy. Devon Wildlife Trust has been working for over 15 years to protect the Lyme Bay Reefs resulting in the development of Britain’s largest inshore marine protected area.
• The cuckoo has declined by 80% in Devon and is now absent from much of the county’s farmland. Lapwing numbers have fallen to below 100 breeding pairs on farmland in Devon.
• Ring ouzels are nearing extinction on Dartmoor.
• Devon holds 20% of the known UK marsh fritillary butterfly colonies. Although, once widely distributed throughout the UK, marsh fritillaries have declined substantially over the last 150 years. The butterfly has recently died out over most of eastern England and eastern Scotland. Despite a quite widespread distribution in south west England colonies are estimated to be disappearing at more than 10% a decade. 
• The only remaining UK population of the rare cuckoo bee Nomada sexfasciata hangs on along a short stretch of the South Devon coast.
• England’s last remaining population of the narrow-headed ant (Formica exsecta) hangs on at a single site in Devon.
• A 99% decline has taken place in greater horseshoe bat populations throughout the UK over the last century. Devon remains one of its last strongholds.
• Freshwater pearl mussels on the rivers Taw and Torridge have not produced young for over 40 years – these represent the only remaining populations in the south of England.

Sir David Attenborough

‘The lapwing is just one of many species that a new report says is struggling in Devon.’
Photo, Neil Bygrave

My Little Garden Birdwatch. Spring is just around the Corner

February and it’s still raining, keep your fingers crossed, let’s hope the weather improves for Spring 2013. Even though 2012 was the 2nd wettest year on record in the UK, rain hasn’t stopped play in my soggy little garden. Chaffinches and Robins are chirping and the Blackbirds, in pairs, are atop the hedgerows so looks like Spring is just around the corner. The two Doves, which fledged from the Hawthorne bush, just in time for the Queen’s Jubilee, are still coming to the feeder. They now do a regular circuit, fluttering from the Willow to the street lamp, from the street lamp to the old cherry then to the feeder. That is what’s so wonderful about nature it goes round and around. We also get visits from Greenfinch, a Great Tit, a Coal Tit and brave little Blue Tits. I say brave because they are the only ones to snatch a peanut while the Doves are plonked on the feeder. I sat and watched out the window as Jenny Wren and partner shared the job of nest-building, darting in and out of the fir tree above the feeder and I was thrilled to catch the moment as two baby wrens fledged. The Chaffinches have been around in numbers all winter, the Sparrows which nestled on mass in the privet hedge are now ensconced in the Hawthorne. Other visitors to the garden last year were a Peregrine Falcon, a fleeting sojourn from 8 Goldfinches, a female Bullfinch and a Great Spotted Woodpecker. In the video clip a male Chaffinch is singing for England in my garden. He sang his little heart out on this branch every day, practically the whole of last May. (Collins Gem Description) “Ringing pink call; song a powerful cascade of rich notes ending in a flourish” If you know if he is singing to attract a mate or protecting his territory leave a comment.!

In January North Devon was all a twitter as Waxwings made a rare appearance in the area. They are regally, proud looking wanderers, and I hope they stayed around for the the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. which was held on 26-27 January 2013. Wildlife Surveys are great fun for the whole family so if you’d like to get involved in other RSPB Surveys visit http://www.rspb.org.uk/thingstodo/surveys/
Ariticle by P. Adams 2nd January 2013

HUGE WILDLIFE HAVEN TO BE CREATED AT MEETH

A vast wildlife haven is to be created at the former Meeth Quarry, a 150 hectare site recently purchased by the Devon Wildlife Trust thanks to funding from Viridor Credits Environmental Company and generous individual donors. The Trust is now set to implement a programme of improvements for wildlife and local access thanks to financial support from Natural England. Meeth Quarry is a former clay works located close to Hatherleigh within the Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area and the North Devon Biosphere. 'The site is a spectacular, recovering landscape, with vast areas of open water, wet grassland, stone quarry face and woodland' said Matt Boydell, Devon Wildlife Trust's Land Manager. 'It incorporates six threatened wildlife habitats, supports 18 species of national importance and will provide a haven for a huge range of bird life, making it an excellent winter wildlife-watching destination for local communities '. There is currently no public access to the site, but the Quarry adjoins Devon Wildlife Trust's existing nature reserve at Ash Moor and is adjacent to the Tarka Trail, so the potential for public access and enjoyment is huge. Thanks in large part to the support of Natural England, Devon Wildlife Trust is able to carry out essential infrastructure and access work and plans to open the Quarry to the public in the spring. Natural England funding is also supporting essential work to preserve and enhance the sites biodiversity and wildlife value. 'Meeth Quarry has the potential to become a flagship nature reserve in the heart of the Northern Devon Nature Improvement Area' explained Harry Barton, DWT's Chief Executive. 'One that will offer year-round opportunities to see fascinating wildlife and a living demonstration of landscape restoration in action. There is still a lot to be done, but we will continue to work hard to secure the funding and resources needed to realize the full potential of this fantastic asset in terms of benefits to both wildlife and the wider community. ' 

To find out more about Meeth or any of Devon Wildlife Trust's 47 other nature reserves then visit www.devonwildlifetrust.org 

Barn owls could be amongst the local wildlife to prosper at Devon Wildlife Trust's new nature reserve at Meeth, near Hatherleigh (photo copyright DWT)

Devon Wildlife Trust staff begin surveying their new nature reserve - the former clay quarries at Meeth, near Hatherleigh (photo copyright DWT)

TAKE PART IN THE BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH THIS WEEKEND

The world's biggest wildlife survey, Big Garden Birdwatch, now in its 34th year, is nearly here and you could help make it the biggest one yet! Please help the RSPB create a 'snapshot' of bird numbers in your area simply by counting the birds in your garden (or local park) for one hour at any time over the weekend of 26-27 January.  Big Garden Birdwatch helps the RSPB understand how garden birds are doing, so the more people who take part, the more they can learn. Register today and make submitting your results on the weekend quicker and easier. Plus, you'll also get £5 off your next purchase on the online shop as a thank you (offer runs until 3 February 2013).

Caught in the Act.

A plump female bullfinch munching on the new honeysuckle shoots.

BIG GARDEN BIRDWATCH 2012.

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year, the Big Garden Birdwatch will take place on January 28th and 29th. Last year over 609,000 people took part counting over 10 million birds which really helped  to monitor how the birds visiting our gardens fared over the winter. If you register by the 26th January you will receive a free information pack and 10% off bird food. You can pre-register at Big Garden Birdwatch website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch. This fun event encourages people of all ages to get involved and really enjoy the wildlife in their garden.

Read more posts of the Big Garden Birdwatch

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch"

The RSPB’s biggest event of the year "Big Garden Birdwatch" will take place on January 29th and 30th. In recent years, around half a million people have taken part but this year the RSPB hope to encourage even more people to count the birds in their garden over the weekend. Go to the Big Garden Birdwatch website: www.rspb.org.uk/birdwatch where you can pre-register and receive a free information pack (if you register by 19th Jan) and 10% off bird food. Big Garden Birdwatch encourages many people to get involved and enjoy the wildlife in their garden and from 11th January, they are offering new adult members a choice of free gift that includes the popular RSPB classic apex nest box if they join by 31st March. Or, you can still choose the RSPB Handbook of British Birds or bird feeder with seed – all perfect gifts to help people enjoy the birds in their garden.
New Membership prices for 2011:
Single child £16
Two or more children £26.50
Single Adult Membership £38
Joint Adult Membership £48
Family Membership £53


More Big Garden Bird Watch Posts

Swallows and waterfalls

Nice to know that whilst the world's airlines remain grounded due to the Icelandic Volcano, those brave little swallows have still managed to make their epic journey from the other side of the ocean to arrive safely in North Devon. Isn't nature wonderful!
I spotted the first lone swallow on the telegraph wire at Horns Cross on the 17th April. Regular as clockwork I made a note in my diary last year and the first wave was also dated 17th April. I was delighted to see that there were larger numbers up the coast at Spekes Mill Mouth on Sunday 18th, about 30 could be seen swooping and swirling up above the cliffs and over the waterfall. I also saw a Kestrel hovering on the wind.
By the 19th the numbers on the Horns Cross wire had swelled to 6. I am now on the lookout for the swifts and house martins, the house martins tend to send an advanced party round about the 24th April each year. Let us know if you see them in your area.

Big Garden Bird Watch 2010 Results

It's Official small birds struggled to beat the snowy winter

Nearly 530,000 people took part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2010 and counted over 8 and a half million birds. The RSPB celebrated last year with the arrival of long-tailed tits in the top 10 for the first time, suggesting they were getting used to feeding on seeds and peanuts in hanging feeders and on bird tables. However, smaller bodied birds are particularly susceptible to the cold, having to eat almost continuously to stay alive, so they were very keen to get your counts and see just how the bad weather at the start of the year affected bird populations. As predicted, birds like the long-tailed tit, coal tit and goldcrest were the worst affected, with average numbers of all three species dropping significantly since the 2009 survey.
Country birds get in on the count
The weather was also responsible for many more sightings of countryside birds like fieldfares, redwings, bullfinches and yellowhammers in gardens. More usually found in fields and farmland trees and hedgerows, these birds visit our gardens for food when they can't find enough in their usual haunts. Other members of the thrush family, including song thrushes, mistle thrushes and blackbirds, were seen in much higher numbers this year, also looking for food. An unusually high number of blackcaps were also seen. In this harsher winter we might have expected their numbers to decline, but more blackcaps than usual were discovered on bird tables. Just like the long-tailed tit, this suggests that blackcaps are adapting their feeding behaviour to take advantage of bird tables and feeders, and therefore becoming more visible in gardens.

Still in decline
Although the RSPB were particularly concerned for small birds this cold and snowy winter, some of our most familiar garden birds have also continued to suffer huge declines. House sparrows might have retained top spot for the seventh year running, but in the last five years alone these chirpy birds have declined by 17%. Blackbirds rose from third to second place, while starlings dropped to third - the first time they have been out of the top two in more than 10 years.

The 2010 Big Garden Birdwatch top 10; Position Species Average per garden
1 house sparrow 3.77

2 blackbird 3.28
3 starling 3.13
4 blue tit 2.58
5 chaffinch 2.19
6 woodpigeon 1.91
7 robin 1.49
8 great tit 1.39
9 collared dove 1.33
10 goldfinch 1.29

Related Article North Devon Snow Party is Over & Big Garden Bird Watch results 2009

The North Devon Snow Party's over!

The North Devon’s snow party is finally over. In December 2009 there was a cold snap and snow flurries ensuring the UK enjoyed that elusive White Christmas. At the beginning of January a winter flock of lapwings on the field heralded the start of what was to be the coldest and longest snow spell for years bringing treacherous conditions on the minor roads in North Devon coast and country areas. (The last time we experienced such extreme arctic conditions was when we were snowbound in Croyde in the early eighties, our first ever winter in North Devon.) School children were thrilled to be home building snowmen but it was a testing time for local services and those not able to go out for the duration. Congratulations are due to our rural postman who braved blizzard conditions to keep the Royal Mail coming. This was also a time to keep watch on the local bird population as feeding stations were even more vital. Taking advantage of the nuts and seeds on our garden bird feeder were, in various numbers, robin, chaffinch, greenfinch, pied wagtail, house sparrow, dunnock, blue tit, blackbird, willow tit, great tit, mistle thrush, collared dove, field fare, squabbling starlings and for the first time a stunning bull finch. Rising temperatures and gale force winds on the 15th January marked the end of the winter wonderland. By the 16th January the last traces of the children’s snowmen, built on the 5^th January were washed away by torrential rains. On the 17th January the field became a vital feeding ground for a flock of approximately 30 fieldfare. Ominously by Monday 18th January, the field is visited once again by an ever larger flock of between 141 and 150 lapwings. It will be interesting to see which birds hang around for the Big Garden Bird Watch, the RSPB's biggest event of the year which will be held over the weekend 30 and 31 January and encourages people all over the country to count the birds in their garden for just an hour over this one weekend. It's very simple to take part and provides the RSPB with information and patterns in bird numbers that help them prioritise their conservation work. They are also celebrating Big Garden Birdwatch with a special promotional incentive to join the RSPB - new members joining between 19 January and 31 March can choose a FREE RSPB classic apex nest box (normally £11.99) as their free joining gift. Join the RSPB today

Big Garden Birdwatch Results for 2009. According to the RSPB for the first time in the survey's 30-year history, the long-tailed tit has flown into the Big Garden Birdwatch top ten. This highly sociable species increased by an astonishing 88% from last years count. They believe this pleasant increase is because this insect-eating bird has adapted to feeding on seeds and peanuts at birdtables and from hanging feeders. This result highlights perfectly the positive impact that our feeding and bird care can have on some birds. Record-breaking celebration. Well over half a million people celebrated the 30th year of the Birdwatch, making this the biggest bird survey in the world. A huge increase from humble beginnings in 1979 when just 30,000 children took part. Big Garden Birdwatch 2009 was held on 24 and 25th January 2009.

BIRDS ON TOP: The 2009 garden top ten:

Position Species Average per garden

1 House Sparrow 3.70

2 Starling 3.21

3 Blackbird 2.84

4 Blue tit 2.45

5 Chaffinch 2.01

6 Wood Pigeon 1.85
7 Collared Dove 1.44

8 Great tit 1.40

9 Robin 1.36

10 Long-tailed tit 1.34