All posts by Heather

Helping wildlife

It’s National Insect Week – count bees to help protect pollinators

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It’s National Insect Week! You can celebrate the wonder of insects and take part in the Great British Bee Count.

Set up by Friends of the Earth, and supported by Buglife, this count has run since 17 May and will continue until 30 June.  Download the app to make a note and report any bumblebees and solitary bees you see. It has a handy guide for identification as well as advise on how to create habitats for pollinators.

[Photo by Rob Gallop under creative commons
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/legalcode]

 

Helping wildlife

Help map the mammals of Normandy

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While you’re out on your dog walk, cycle or stroll through the countryside you could also be helping our local mammals.  The Mammal Society have launched a new app, Mammal Mapper, to record mammals sightings or signs of mammals and send them to a national database.

The app is simple to use and provides a very handy detailed guide to identifying British mammals.

Most wild mammals, including rabbits and hedgehogs, are poorly monitored.  Records from the app could provide vital information about locations and population trends of our precious mammals, aiding better management and protection.

Learn more about the app here.  The app is free to download and available on android and iOS in app stores now. For more information and to download from the Mammal Society website go to http://www.mammal.org.uk/volunteering/mammal-mapper/.

News

Woking Peregrines in the News

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The Woking Peregrine Project was featured on That’s Surrey TV on 18th May.  The four chicks are still going strong – even a sandwich tern was caught as prey by the parents.  The chicks will be ringed on Tuesday to help understand where they travel as adults.  They should fledge in early to mid June, so keep an eye out if you’re in Woking!  Learn more at http://www.wokingperegrines.com/.

News

News of the Woking Peregrines

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As is often the case with nature, there is good news, but also sad news from the Woking Peregrines.  The good news –  all five eggs were hatched.  But sadly this morning one chick became estranged as the parent began to brood again after feeding. It sadly didn’t make it in the cold.

It’s worth remembering that five surviving to fledge, as they achieved last year, is uncommonly good.  Our hopes continue that the other four will survive to adulthood.

You can do your part, maybe not for the peregrines directly, but for the birds visiting your garden who will also be struggling in this cold and rainy spell.  Keeping your feeders full will help ensure avian parents have one less thing to worry about.

Watch the peregrines live at http://www.wokingperegrines.com/

Photos from Woking Peregrine Project / Woking Borough Council

News

British butterflies suffered seventh worst year on record

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2017 was the seventh worst year for butterflies in Britain since records began more than 40 years ago.  Grayling and grizzled skippers had their worst year on record.

Habitat loss has caused the long-term falls in butterfly populations. However, scientists say the recent dramatic declines are due to climate change, pesticides such as neonicotinoids and nitrogen pollution.

Grizzled skipper numbers have more than halved since the 1970s while the grayling’s population has shrunk by 63% in the last decade. The large white – once so common it was a pest – fell by 19% in 2017.

Read The Guardian’s story for more information.

News

RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 2018 Results

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The 2018 results for the RPSB’s Big Garden Birdwatch have been released.  The headlines:

  • House sparrows were still top the sightings list.
  • Siskin and brambling numbers were up.
  • Small birds have overall increased.
  • Goldfinches were seen in over two-thirds of gardens.
  • Greenfinch sightings increased by 5% on last year.
  • Blackbird sightings were down by 18%.
  • Robin sightings were down by 12%.
  • Changes could be down to a milder winter meaning more food elsehere so birds weren’t so reliant on gardens, good/bad breeding seasons and other factors.

The rankings:-

  1. House sparrows
  2. Starling
  3. Blue tit
  4. Blackbird
  5. Woodpigeon
  6. Goldfinch
  7. Great tit
  8. Robin
  9. Long-tailed tit
  10. Chaffinch

Do look at the results from the RPSB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) for more detail and explanation.  And do consider participating next year.  An hour of observation provides valuable information for understanding trends and guiding conservation efforts.  And it’s a great excuse to just sit and enjoy your garden for an hour!

Helping wildlife

Avoid the bin! Repair and re-use!

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It’s annoying when something breaks and you’re not sure how to fix it. No need to give up and throw it away.  Learn to repair your broken items for free at the Guildford Repair Café.  Volunteer experts are on hand to help you repair a whole variety of items.  Save money and the environment – save on waste and reduce the manufacturing of replacements.

Please visit the Guildford Repair Café website for more details.  At time of writing, the next session is the morning of Saturday 7th April, 10-12, at the Park Barn Community Centre, Cabell Road, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 8JH.

News

Second egg for Woking Peregrines – more to come?

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The Woking Peregrine Project celebrates the second egg laid by the peregrines under the watchful eye(s) of the web cameras.  Peregrines have already successully bred here in 2016 and 2017.

Even better news – there may be another egg due on Wednesday as peregrines usually lay in 48 hour intervals.  Do have a look at the live webcam videos and Twitter feed on their website for the latest updates – it’s fascinating and addictive!!

[Photos by Woking Peregrine Project / Woking Borough Council]