We are so lucky to have our parks extending into the town. Apart from creating green spaces that we can enjoy, something proven to be good for our health, they also provide a space for birds for us to enjoy, something else known to be beneficial to us.
The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) is a science organisation dedicated to extending knowledge about our bird populations. They have been organising surveys and hosting international research since 1930 and have a huge archive of scientific data and reports. If you want expert information on any British bird population then they are the go to authority. This year they are launching a new citizen science project, Birds In Green Spaces!
Anyone can take part Birds in Greenspaces! https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/greenspaces which runs from 1 April to 30 June. You are asked to record the birds in your local greenspace(s). By simply recording which greenspace you visited, how long you spent there, which birds you saw and how many, you will be contributing key data. Whatever your experience level, there is a range of resources to help you to take part and build your skills.
Our local parks are all very different and so they have different bird populations. The Byes is our largest park and it also has the widest range of habitats and so it has the widest range of birds. There are kingfishers and dippers among others feeding from the river. Treecreepers and Great Spotted Woodpeckers feed on invertebrates hiding in the cracks of tree bark. Starlings, Green Woodpeckers and Crows dig invertebrates out of the grassland. Goldfinches balance precariously on thistles feeding on the downy seeds. Wrens nest in the security of bramble patches where they can also find plenty of spiders and caterpillars to feed their young.
Local photographer Paul Clayden has taken wonderful pictures of 35 different bird species in The Byes. It is well worth visiting his website where you can see all the birds plus sorts of local nature.
Walking round the garden and park of The Knowle this week I have recorded fourteen different species and I am sure there will be more as the weather warms up. I use the Merlin app on my phone because some smaller birds have high pitched calls well beyond the range of my old ears. More likely to be seen than heard, I was delighted on Monday to see the tiny Firecrest appear on the screen list and the burst of short ascending very high notes appear on the sound graph. I had the same joy in Glen Goyle last week.
Despite being smaller and with a more limited range of habitats, Blackmore Gardens can match the Knowle records so far, although it has a resident Goldcrest rather than Firecrest. Blackmore Gardens is also a frequent feeding ground for Crows, Jackdaws and Herring Gulls than The Knowle, but you are unlikely to find a Woodpecker in there.
With its more isolated cliff top position, Connaught Gardens has the fewest bird species of our parks although you can always rely on a Robin shouting warnings to other Robins from a tree top.
There is more about the local birds on the Biodiversity Group website, and please do take a walk in our parks and listen to the birds with or without the help of the Merlin app, and why not let the BTO know what you find through their Birds In Green Spaces!
Ed Dolphin
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