Sun beams falling between the cracks of the houses, resting onto the dew-smitten blades of grass. A magpie flies by, almost as if bending light itself as the beams softly reflect off the elegant feathers as she makes her way across the sky, her feathery fingers stretching out, greeting the morning breeze.
Water, lapping up against the mossy banks, a scaly foot meets it. Gently descending into the honey glazed stream, her beady eye scanning for a delicious breakfast. Worms perhaps, that would certainly be a nice snack for a moorhen on such a frosty morning. As she paddles downstream, passing her fellow companion Mallard, her eyes meet those of another fond of the riverbank. This one is waiting for a midge to buzz past it's sleek beak... Aha! Wagging with delight, the grey wagtail departs to a nearby bush to enjoy it's grub, and as the midge settles in the wagtail's tummy, a shadowy figure passes overhead.
A large silhouette beneath the clouds, gliding seamlessly, effortlessly, scouring the green green grass of home for ...a mouse? Maybe. As it slides out of view, I guess we'll never know what it was looking for.
All that is left are my footprints, tracing back to the field, back to the stream, back to the bush and out of the gates. It won't be long til the frost thaws and the grass seem untouched by man, the blades of grass bouncing back up towards the sun as the day passes. And although it seems quiet, where you search, there you will find nature's bounty of beauty and life.
This is my morning flock, those familiar beaks I greet each morning, the robins, blackbirds, collared dove, parakeets, magpies, grey wagtails, pied wagtails, blue tits, great tits, carrion crows, black headed gulls, wrens, moorhens, mallards, starlings, house sparrows and dunnocks. I must admit I wouldn't be surprised if I've attracted a few strange stares as I crouch in the bush of my local park, but I wish that more of us would look up once in a while, and learn to appreciate the magnificence of our wing-ed friends.
However, there is one bird that I just cannot seem to get a glimpse of. We all know the infamous sound of a woodpecker, drumming the bark for insects and every morning without fail I hear our resident woodpecker- but never see it! I can only ever recall seeing one woodpecker, and it was in the same patch of trees around 3 years ago and I remember it so clearly, a textbook perch on the side of the tree almost as if it was posing just for me. Since then, not a single sighting. My desperate want to see one isn't just so I can metaphorically tick it off my list, but so to identify if we have a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker or a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker. Sadly, Lesser Spotted Woodpeckers are in decline and are on the RSPB's red list for bird population decline, and by identifying that we have a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, then reporting this sighting may help the RSPB and other organisations gain a better understanding of the population distribution of the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and identify how we ca prevent their population falling into a greater decline.
Conservation of birds is so unbelievably important because not only are they amazing creatures that deserve to live unaffected by human activity on the planet, but also as they are key members in ecosystems across the UK and the rest of the world. Birds help control the insect and rodent population as they feed on them, and birds are adapted incredibly well in order to catch their prey or for foraging, which in turn helps maintain the natural balance of species within nature. Hawking is a feeding strategy where birds such as flycatchers and swallows catch flying insects in the air, whilst flying themselves, enabling birds to be able to feed over a greater area as they aren't restricted to being static to catch insects and this also benefits humans during events such as swarming insects which are difficult for humans to control, but a real treat for the birds! Birds of course are also a source of prey for other birds and mammals, again showing that they are a vital part of the ecosystem and if bird populations decline, then mammals in turn will suffer as there is less prey available to hunt and this could kick start a massive chain reaction, damaging the very balance of nature. In addition, by taking action to investigate for example why the Lesser Spotted Woodpecker is in decline, this can help identify and hopefully resolve other issues that are also affecting other animal populations, which helps the bird populations, other species and the environment as well.
I sincerely hope that my morning flock will only ever increase in numbers, and I will update you if I see my friend the Woodpecker!
Also, as a very current issue, please please sign the petition to save Minsmere RSPB reserve-
DF Energy are planning to build a new nuclear power station, Sizewell C, directly on the border of RSPB Minsmere nature reserve, which is home to over 6000 different kinds of animals, plants and fungi.
This could have devastating consequences for nature. The build could destroy an area equivalent to 10 football pitches of protected wildlife site Sizewell Marshes, which is managed by Suffolk Wildlife Trust. Legally protected animals like otters, water voles and marsh harriers could lose their homes, and toxic chemicals and up to 3 million dead fish could be pumped into the sea each year.
Follow the link below to sign, it's very simple and only 10,000 signatures of the target of 110,000 are left:
Outdoorsy Stef