The Woodlands.co.uk Blog - nature surveys
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.
Plants, past and present - Part 1
The last decade has included some of the warmest years on record. Last year, 2007, was the eighth warmest on record - being exceeded by 1998, 2005, 2003, 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2001. The signs of climate change are not only apparent in these physical measurements of temperature but also through observations of bud burst, first leaves and the arrival of migrant birds (the science of phenology). Such weather change, if it continues, will no doubt impact on the distribution of plants through the UK (and indeed Northern Europe); some species will be winners and other losers. But, how can we recognize / monitor these changes ? Read more…
Molewatch
The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES). the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and Dr Paul Bright (Royal Holloway) have been studying the hedgehog population to see how it is coping with changes in farming practices, urban developments etc. The general conclusion is that the numbers of this mammal are declining – see the woodland blog.
The mole, like the hedgehog, is insectivorous and there is concern about its numbers. It is thought to be one of the most common wildlife mammals in the UK, but we do not really know how many there are, nor where they are!
Managing Your Woodland For Birds
Managing your woodland to conserve its bird population and encourage species which are struggling is possible with a little planning.