Bird Surveys

Between Christmas and the New Year I have been taking part in the on-going Bird Atlas survey organised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO). This ambitious project aims to map the distribution and abundance of all the birds nesting and wintering in Britain and Ireland between 2007-11. If you are a birdwatcher it is a great way to contribute to a big project and find out more about the birds in your local area. Visit http://www.bto.org/ for more information.


Basically it involves walking around a 2 kilometre by 2 kilometre square and counting all birds seen over two hourly periods. I have chosen a square between Gislingham and Burgate that is mostly large arable fields and hedges. I didn't expect to find a great variety of birds but did record 30 species. Two big flocks of Skylarks totalled over 120 birds - an impressive count for this declining species. There were also good numbers of Yellowhammers and Bullfinches. As is usual in this part of Suffolk you count an awful lot of Woodpigeons and Rooks! I was hoping to find a flock of Lapwings or Golden Plovers but they had probably moved on to the coast in this cold weather. The winter survey has to be repeated in January or February.

Here are the answers to the Bird Brain Quiz:

1. Sir Christopher WREN

2. Nicholas CRANE

3. Clarice STARLING

4. Graham SWIFT

5. MERLIN

6.BLACKCAP

7. MALLARD

8. GOLDENEYE

9.MAGPIE

10. The HOUSE MARTINS

A happy New Year to you all.

Winter Weather

Well it has been the coldest start to winter for 30 years according to the Met Office and after days of gloom the sun has finally come out. The heavy rain last Saturday has affected our work as we have had to cancel a joint operation with the Broads Authority to clear Floating Pennywort from the upper stretches of the River Waveney. This invasive weed from North America has spread downstream from Diss and the worry is that if it gets into the Broads it will clog up the system with a dense carpet of floating vegetation - a disaster for our local wildlife and holiday boats. We have postponed this work until early spring because of high water levels.

Here is a Christmas quiz to keep the brain cells active over the festive season. It is taken from our recent Wildlife Quiz at Thornham. The answers are all birds that nest in this country.

1. Architect of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
2. Presenter of first TV series of ‘Coast’.
3. Film character played by Jodie Foster in ‘The Silence of the Lambs’.
4. Booker Prize winning author whose works include ‘Last Orders’ and ‘Waterland’.
5. Rolls Royce engine that powered the Spitfire.
6. Was worn by a judge when announcing the death sentence.
7. British steam locomotive with world speed record.
8. Author Ian Fleming’s house in Jamaica.
9. ITV children’s programme that was a rival to ‘Blue Peter’ in the 1970s.
10. 1980s band from Hull – members went on to form ‘The Beautiful South’ and perform as Fatboy Slim.

Answers next time.

The cold weather has produced some beautiful ice crystals:

A merry Christmas to you all

A Trip Down the Waveney

The source of the River Waveney lies in the vast reed and sedge-beds on Redgrave & Lopham Fen National Nature Reserve.

The muddy ditch soon becomes a slow-flowing river heading eastwards towards the North Sea. It passes the edge of Wortham Ling, an unexpected area of heathland that is a popular walking site for people living in the nearby town of Diss.

Beyond Diss the river widens and is suitable for canoeing. Waterplants, including lilies are abundant and this stretch of the river is very attractive in the summer months.

The river is very important for wildlife. Otters can be found along the full length of the river and water voles are making a comeback now that escaped mink are being controlled. Kingfishers are common but not often seen - mute swans are far more showy.

On its way to the sea the Waveney flows past the attractive market towns of Harleston, Bungay and Beccles. For much of the year it is a placid river but after heavy rain in the winter it will burst its banks and spread out on the floodplain.

After 70 miles or so the Waveney finally reaches the sea at Great Yarmouth. You can follow the full length of the river by walking the Angles Way long-distance footpath.

More next week.

Thornham Owl Project

The Thornham Owl Project is now in its sixth year with over 160 nest boxes sited along the Waveney Valley in North Suffolk and South Norfolk. More suitable sites for boxes have been identified so we need to keep making and putting up new boxes to build on our success over the last few years.

We have an abundance of low-lying open farmland with tussocky grassland and ditches that is an ideal habitat for Barn Owls. Woodland and copses also suit other birds of prey such as Kestrels, Little Owls and Tawny Owls. Nest sites are often few and far between because many old farm buildings have been converted to offices or homes. Here is a Barn Owl box in an old barn:

All our nest boxes are made by two volunteers, Roger Buxton and Keven Boyce who spend much of their free time working on the project. All the funds needed to pay for our boxes are raised by sponsorship. Each nest box can be adopted by members of the public, schools, clubs and businesses - a great way to help our local wildlife.

If you would like to sponsor a box please contact Tim Page on 01379 788008 or email upperwaveney@midsuffolk.gov.uk Each new sponsor receives an information pack and their own personalised certificate as well as yearly update reports on the success of the box. Sponsorship is £25 per box and they make great Christmas presents!

More soon