Posts from — June 2009

The RSPB (join here) suggests that there is a decline in the swift population as a result of building repairs and demolitions. As swifts almost always nest in holes, nooks and crannies high up in buildings, declining nesting places gives rise to a decline in the swift population. As more properties are renovated the swifts are finding it increasingly difficult to find somewhere to nest.

Some interesting facts about swifts:

• Swifts pair for life
• They return from Africa to the UK each spring to the same nest sites
• They spend alomost their entire life on the wing
• They eat, mate and even sleep in flight.

The Scottish SPCA has said that it has noticed a sharp rise in the number of attacks on birds by other birds.

They have had reported cases of:

• adult owls attacked by groups of crows
• tawny owl chicks attacked and killed by larger birds
• increasing cases of birds being attacked by domestic cats, crows or gulls.

I’ve no idea if this rise in attacks is unique to Scotland or whether England and Wales are seeing similar increases too.

With Fathers Day fast approaching you might want to treat Dads & Grandads in the family to a great RSPB membership.

RSPB Membership offers FREE entry to over 100 nature reserves across the country and aFREE quarterly magazine that’s packed with amazing photos of birds and wildlife plus news and views on nature and the environment. What’s more, people can also choose a FREE joining gift to give to their Dad, Grandad . or perhaps even keep for themselves!

Right now, if someone buys RSPB Membership online, they can choose either the RSPB Handbook of Garden Wildlife (until 30 June), the RSPB Handbook of British Birds or a qualityRSPB seed feeder to help attract birds to the garden!

Join here

I read the other day that the RSPB is urging home owners not to try and rescue young birds. The RSPB phone lines were jammed in May with calls from concerned people who have found young birds that appear to either abandoned or distressed.

Richard James from the RSPB says:

Many people think that they are helping by placing stray chicks in a box, some greenery or back in the nest they came from. But they could be killing them with kindness and it’s vital that the chicks remain untouched.

Although they sit there looking vunerable and sounding distressed you can be sure that the adult birds will be close by and they will know what to do.

The Telegraph had an interesting article about bird attraction – or lack of in this case. A survey suggests that city and rural birds do not get on with each other – just like us humans – because they aren’t attracted to each others songs!

A survey of the garden bird across Britain has shown that in urban and city areas that are quite noisy the birds pitch their songs higher than in quieter, rural areas. When recordings were played to birds from differing urban and rural locations the birds failed to respond to the recorded songs.

The scientists suggest that male great tit birds pitch their songs higher to be heard over the urban noise.