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Gardens for Wildlife and Other Musings
| Gardens and allotments apparently provide many opportunities for wildlife and host a large number of species, particularly rural gardens. Given the profusion of different habitats in a given area, biodiversity (in terms of numbers of species using the space) is almost certainly higher than in the same area in the countryside, now mostly improved grassland, horse paddocks and fields of crops. This is even more so for areas of contiguous gardens, rather than individual plots provided there is some connectivity. It would seem from a wildlife point of view, we should welcome the new housing proposed for the village, as this will mean improved grassland being replaced by houses and gardens. It is not so simple, however. First modern housing is at a higher density than ever before and gardens are very small - just sufficient for a piece of grass for children to kick a ball around. Secondly, not all wildlife benefits from gardens. Generally speaking the prevalent domestic species are the commoner ones, under no threat in the general countryside. There are some species that benefit from gardens of all sizes. The lack of maintained ponds in the open countryside, means that garden ponds today provide a major habitat for amphibians - particularly Common Frog and Smooth Newt. Common Toad and Great Crested Newts can also be found in the larger garden ponds. The sheer numbers make garden ponds an appreciable resource. Grass snakes also use larger ponds. House Martins are associated with buildings, especially for nesting and these have suffered declines in the farmed countryside. Residential areas no doubt have an important role to play in their conservation. Some species of bat are also dependent on houses, especially for winter roosting. Molluscs - snails and slugs - are less mobile and frequent garden inhabitants, although again the more important species are confined to ancient woodland, wetlands, etc. Allotments in particular play host to many despite the use of molluscicides, which may also affect populations of insect-eating birds as well as benign invertebrates. There is also a wealth of generally overlooked small invertebrates and micro-fungi, both generalists and host-specific ones, that welcome the variety of plants available in gardens. They do not mind the habitat - so long as they avoid the spray. Berry eating birds are another group that benefit in winter from ready supplies in our gardens, especially if farm hedgerows are cut too frequently to bear fruit. This helps more such birds survive, as does artificial feeding, but any ultimate effect on their populations may depend on whether such increased numbers can find sufficient breeding places. For this reason garden bird-boxes are important and are often well-used. Bird food As I have mentioned feeding garden birds, just a quick commercial break here. Don't forget that I sell most types of bird feed - nyjer seed, black sunflower seeds, sunflower hearts, peanuts, wild bird food (a mix of seeds for scattering on the ground or on a bird table), robin mix (contains seeds, cereals and dried mealworm larvae), pinhead oatmeal (thrushes love this - in the winter we have over twenty blackbirds together with other thrushes from time to time feeding on this) and fatballs (essential for energy). All the proceeds go to the local Wildlife Trust. If you feed the birds why not contact me on 350489, to see if I can supply you. Also why not use your hobby constructively by joining Garden BirdWatch "Garden BirdWatch is the largest year-round study of garden birds (and other garden wildlife) anywhere in the World. Thanks to the 14,000 or so British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) Garden BirdWatchers, the BTO has, for example, been able to alert Government to the widespread declines of once familiar species like House Sparrow and Starling. We would be delighted to welcome you and your garden into Garden BirdWatch. Participation is simple and neither special expertise nor special birds are required! An annual contribution of £15 helps to cover the costs of running Garden BirdWatch, and all new participants receive a free copy of a BTO Garden BirdWatch book (normal r.r.p. £9.99 or above) and a quarterly magazine, Bird Table. For more information please email gbw@bto.org, phone 01842 750050, or write to Garden BirdWatch, British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, Norfolk, IP24 2PU." Mystery Bird? Earlier in the year I was asked to identify an exotic looking bird that a number of people had seen in the village. It turned out to be a Green Woodpecker. This is not a bird that is often seen in gardens, unless they are large and have areas of grass. One of the birds had been seen on the green area between Bradden Road and Bradden Gardens. It would have been searching for ants nests. Ants are this species favourite food. The Green Woodpecker is slightly larger than a Collared Dove and with a green back and wings. Underneath the plumage is pale. Both male and female have a red crown. There is a dark area around the eye and beneath this a black moustachial stripe - the male has a red centre to the stripe. The bill is long and dagger-like, which it uses to dig deep into ants nests or to dig out grubs from the bark of trees. Last year must have been a good breeding year, hence the number of sightings in the village. So look out for this bird in the coming summer. Peter Warden |