Category Archives: Birds

It was the turn of my final data collection session on campus woodland today, and it was the final of my dusk samples. In total, only 9 species were witnessed, but a further 7 were identified using the voice recorder. … Continue reading →

In nature, the growth of nestlings can be affected by; environmental conditions out of parental control, the age and physical condition of the parents and the factors which are, to a varied degree, under parental control, such as choice of … Continue reading →

Confusingly, the species Corvus corone is represented in the UK by two, geographically separate sub-species with entirely distinct plumages. Carrion and Hooded Crows are, however, structurally identical and are not considered to be separate species because, where the two sub-species overlap, they interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

The Great Tit (Parus major) is a bold and familiar woodland bird that is also a frequent visitor to gardens. The Great Tit is well-marked and colourful, with a song that is not less distinctive than its appearance. The sexes … Continue reading →

The numbers of Great Tit populations tend to fluctuate in parallel with Blue Tit populations and with the numbers in other populations of other passerine species. The breeding season is short for this species, with the majority of the birds … Continue reading →

Day 9 of my bird species data collection, this time at High Wood. I wasn’t able to undertake a dawn survey this morning, so I undertook my second dusk sample at High Wood. Another 18 species were recorded, with 1 … Continue reading →

The breeding season for the Blackbird lasts from March to June. Temperature influences the timing of the start of breeding, and rainfall probably influences the ending of breeding, and breeding begins later in woodland than in gardens. Incubation of eggs … Continue reading →

The Blackbird (Turdus merula) is a ground dwelling bird with thrush-like proportions. The species is familiar.   by Laura Whitehead The male has a uniformly black plumage. The legs are dark and the bill and eye-ring are yellow. The females … Continue reading →

The second of my dawn samples today, this time at Maiden Erlegh nature reserve. In total, another 20 species were recorded, with 3 additional species being caught on the voice recorder. Another 4 species were identified which were not previously, these were … Continue reading →

Experiments have shown that Goldcrests are morphologically and behaviourally more specialized to forage in coniferous forest compared to the strikingly similar Firecrest. The species differ particularly in foraging speed and postures, which means that branches are exploited in different ways. … Continue reading →