Species
chosen for January
The three species
chosen are reflective for the need for recording species, not just declining
species such
as Song Thrush, but also less-recorded species such as the Early Moth,
and commoner species such as
the Magpie. KMBRC is interested in records of all species, even if they
are common!
Song
Thrush (Turdus philomelos)
This species
is both resident and migratory, and were once common and widespread in
the UK. However,
it is steadily declining, particularly around farmland, and they are considered
rare in some European
countries. The reasons behind the decline are not fully understood, but
are believed to include intensive
farming methods, food reduction due to pesticide use and poor survival
rates in the first year.
INTERESTING
FACTS......
- They use
rock 'anvils' to smash open snails' shells - sometimes the snails are
later stolen by blackbirds
- Nests are
cup-shaped, made of grass, twigs, moss, leaves and mud, and are built
by the females
- They weigh
between 70-90g, and can have a lifespan of over 10 years!
HABITAT
& FOOD NEEDS.....
- Found in
woodland, farmland, parks and gardens amongst dense shrub and thick
hedgerows
- They nest
in trees and thick shrubs in a shady, well-hidden site
- They eat
worms, snails, slugs, insects and berries.
ATTRACTING
THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......
- Provide
dense cover in an undisturbed area of your garden with scrubby, patchy,
thick hedgerow
- You can
grow berry-bearing plants for winter food
- It will
easily be attracted to your garden if you avoid using slug pellets and
pesticides
- It is a
beneficial songster that will help keep down your slugs and snails
SPECIES
IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......
- This species
is often confused with the Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus),
but is smaller with no white
tail-edging
- It has a
buff yellow-golden coloured chest with blackish-brown spots. These fade
out to a white belly
- It can be
seen on open ground, but near cover. It hops or runs along the ground,
pausing upright with
its head to one side
- It has a
loud musical song (hence its name) which is repeated several times
Early
Moth (Theria primaria)
This
is a common and widespread species and, as its name suggests, it is one
of the earliest flying moth to
be seen flying in Great Britain. The males are seen flying during January
and February, especially after dark,
although they may be seen flying around dawn.
INTERESTING
FACTS......
- The female
of this species is flightless and almost wingless
- The species
feeds mostly at night and hibernates underground as a pupa
- The pupa
remains underground in cocoon from spring right through to mid-winter
(9 months)!
HABITAT
& FOOD NEEDS......
- Found in
open woodland, woodland margins, mature scrub and hedgerow
- Important
food plants are Blackthorn and Hawthorn
ATTRACTING
THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......
- Have an
area of mature scrub plants, especially Blackthorn and Hawthorn
- These plant
species may also attract other wildlife to your garden
SPECIES
IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING......
- Female has
stumpy brown, square-ended wings
- Male has
brown wings with rounded forewing tip and a curved, slightly wavy cross-line
either side of a
central spot
- Hindwings
are pale brownish-white with a distinctive small dark central (discal)
spot
- It is advisable
to use a field guide if you are not sure of the species
Magpie
(Pica pica)
This
much-maligned common bird is widely disliked because of its feeding habits,
as it sometimes eats
birds' eggs and chicks. They are social birds that gather in groups to
roost. They are a jack-of-all-trades -
sometimes predator, sometimes scavenger, and beneficially feed on pest
insects and rotting carcasses,
thus reducing the spread of disease.
INTERESTING
FACTS......
- They can
live for up to 20 years!
- They are
intelligent and can learn and imitate a range of sounds
- They are
notorious thieves, and can collect shiny objects for their nests
- Domestic
cats predate much more on small birds and mammals than magpies do
HABITAT
& FOOD NEEDS......
- They are
seen in grassland, farmland with tall hedges, parks, scrub and woodland
edges
- They have
adapted well to urban and suburban areas, and are regularly seen in
gardens
- As an omnivorous
species, it has a very varied diet, eating insects, slugs, worms, nestlings,
eggs,
rodents, berries, fruit and carrion
ATTRACTING
THE SPECIES TO YOUR GARDEN......
- Scientific
research shows that magpies may not be the villain people portray them
to be. It is a
beneficial species in the wider countryside, and feed on slugs and snails
in the garden
- They adapt
to a changing environment, and so attracting them to your garden is
not usually difficult
SPECIES
IDENTIFICATION & RECORDING.......
- They are
easy to identify with their immaculate back and white plumage with an
irridescent blue-green
sheen
- It has a
long tail which is held high as it hops along seraching for food
- It has a
noisy cackling call that is very recognisable once identified
- It is a
social bird, and is often seen in large groups
KMBRC would
like to add any magpie records to our database - just because it is common
now, it does not
mean that it always will be. |