BirdwatchingBirdwatching
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Great Tit Portmeirion, North Wales |
Barheaded Goose Martin Mere WWT Reserve |
Ducklings Parque de Retiro, Madrid |
A truly special place. We never tire of going there. In winter the incredible sight of thousands of overwintering swans and geese has to be experienced. The past two winters have brought record numbers of hooper swans from Iceland. ........more to come.
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Bar Headed Goose and goslings |
Hawaiian Nene |
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Chilean Flamingos |
Swans |
Take the M6 to junction 27 (don't follow the signs from Junction 28 it takes the most circuitous route ever), then follow signs for Parbold then Burscough Bridge. Turn right onto the A59 at Burscough Bridge, and then left just after the railway bridge. Martin Mere is a mile further on on the left.
9am-5pm every day except Christmas Day. You can stay later in the summer and let yourself out through a special turnstile.
£5 adults, £2.50 children. WWT members free.
Martin Mere, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 0TA
Tel:(01704) 895181.
The British Trust for Ornithology's Garden BirdWatch Survey is a year round scheme designed to monitor wildbirds in the garden and urban environment.
The purpose is to quantify and interpret the value to the wild bird population of the garden habitat and our feeding of the birds in our gardens.
It also monitors changes in individual species populations, and their seasonal habits.
It shows population trends and which new species are relying on our gardens for survival as the intensification of agriculture and changes in the countryside continue to result in loss of traditional habitats.
The data for this important research is collected by thousands of volunteers. We have no specialist knowledge just a genuine concern for wildlife and the ability to recognise the common birds visiting our gardens. The BTO provides and excellent handbook to help with recognition.
It costs £12 to join the scheme (to cover BTO administrative costs), but you do receive the handbook mentioned above and a £5 discount voucher to spend with CJ Wildbird Foods who are major sponsors of this project.
Further details and information pack from: Garden Birdwatch, BTO, Thetford IP24 2PU or gbw@bto.org
We joined the survey as volunteer counters towards the end of Winter 1999. Natural history is a great interest for both of us with ornithology being a particular enthusiasm. Already members of the RSPB we wanted to do a little more to help preserve our wildlife, and taking part in this research offers the chance to help collect vital data, but is simple to do without any disruption to daily life.
We record the birds in our back garden which is small but there are mature trees and plenty of shrubs. The garden is managed totally organically, so that the garden is safe for all visiting wildlife. (Except the poor little mouse that got stood on by accident and squashed).
We have tried to choose plants that are attractive to insects, and we have a thriving and varied population of beetles, ladybirds, hoverflies and spiders, (yes we know they are arachnids not insects), as well as slugs, snails and the hated vine weevil. We also get an incredible number and variety of bees visiting. Butterflies and moths we think are on the decrease, and we are certain the number of yellow underwings is decreasing, our buddleia used to be absolutely covered in them on warm Summer nights, but the past couple of years we have hardly seen any.
There are also some berry producing plants, and late in winter the Pyracantha berries tempt in the pair of Mistle thrushes every year.
Last winter we a also had a reed bunting searching for food, no doubt driven in by the bad weather, and seeing him was incredibly exciting.
Birds noted For a graphical
analysis of the numbers of regular |
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Email
us: website @ weben.co.uk
All photographs © Copyright by Weben, 2000.
Last revised: April 2002.
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