The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - nature surveys
Claro Tree Sparrow Project, 2009
A request to all woodland owners for assistance with the Claro Tree Sparrow Project from David Watkins, project manager:
A Guide to Common British Plants
Now that it’s the time of year for bluebells, we turn our thoughts to woodland flowers. Read more…
Woodland Birds in Decline?
The latest Breeding Bird Survey for the British Trust for Ornithology in partnership with The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, has highlighted a significant decline in woodland bird species. The annual survey has revealed numbers down by more than 50% in several species, the worst hit being the willow tit down by 77%.
The Rosemary Beetle
In recent years, there has been a new entrant to the RHS list of top ten garden pests. Its ‘top ten’ list is based on the number of inquiries that it receives to its advisory service. The newcomer is the rosemary beetle, Chrysolina americana.
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Now the weather is warmer, dragonflies and damselflies are quite common around ponds and areas of water. Their beautiful iridescence and double wings are quite distinctive, but what is the difference between a dragonfly and a damselfly?
Buttercups, Old and New - Ancient Meadows
Already some buttercups are in flower. They may be found in fields, pastures, hedgerows meadows, and of course, lawns and gardens! The early flowers are often those of the bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus). These may be distinguished from those of the meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris) by looking at the way the green sepals are arranged beneath the flower. In the meadow buttercup, they lie against the flower, whereas those of the bulbous buttercup are said to be “reflexed” – the sepals hang down. Read more…
BirdTrack – Recording Bird Migration and Population Patterns
Watching the swifts swooping around in this week’s blue skies reminded me of the BirdTrack (originally Migration Watch) online recording scheme. BirdTrack, run in conjunction by the British Trust for Ornithology, the RSPB and BirdWatch Ireland, tracks migration patterns and distribution of species in Britain and Ireland. Read more…
Plants, Past & Present Part 2
In recent years, the BSBI and the (NERC) Centre for Hydrology and Ecology have been involved in major projects that have mapped our flora.