Giant Aphids Found at Attenborough!

A colony of Giant Willow Aphids - © Rothamsted Research

Two weeks ago during a volunteer works party in Beeston Marsh one of our volunteers discovered a strange black mass covering the stump of a coppiced willow tree. On closer inspection this mass turned out to be a colony of insects similar in appearance to aphids yet bigger, in fact much bigger. They were grey with black spots and had a large distinct thorn on their back, a bit like a sharks fin. When disturbed the insects waved their long hind legs around in the air as an act of self-defence. A few photos were taken on mobile phones as a record, and hopefully to identify them from, and the conservation work continued.

On return to the Nature Centre the insects were confirmed to be Giant Willow Aphids - Tuberolachnus salignus. It would be the first time that this species has been recorded on the Nature Reserve and it is assumed to be the first time that they have been recorded in Nottinghamshire too (awaiting confirmation). According to the National Biodiversity Network's Gateway, which contains distribution maps of most wildlife species within the UK, the Giant Willow Aphid has only ever been recorded on two other sites in the country! However, it is likely that this species’ range has spread and that under-recording may be responsible for the lack of information regarding its distribution.  

Aphids are probably better known as greenfly and blackfly and the Giant Willow is one of around 600 species in the UK. Keen gardeners may be all too familiar with aphids as they will probably spend many hours trying to stop them from destroying their prized roses and vegetables. Whilst it is true that some species can cause damage to plants by piercing the soft fresh stems to reach the sap in which they feed upon, many cause little or no damage at all. That said, at around 6mm in length (which is big for an aphid) the Giant Willow Aphid looks altogether rather menacing and is thought to be one of the largest aphid species in the world (certainly the largest willow feeding species). Although it is not exactly a garden pest, a great deal of research is being carried out to see what impact this species could have on commercial willow plantations.

The lifecycle of the Giant Willow Aphid is truly amazing. No males have ever been found and it is thought that this is because males no longer exist in this species! The females are able to reproduce asexually without the need for males. Instead they give birth to live young that are exact copies of themselves - or clones. So similar are these clones that studies have shown very little genetic variation between individuals – even between individuals found on different continents!

Unlike almost every other species of aphid in the UK adult Giant Willow Aphids and their young can also survive in some of the harshest of winter conditions often remaining active through periods of snow and ice. Yet despite extensive studies having been carried out on the Giant Willow Aphid, there is still one big mystery that remains to be unsolved - where they disappear to in February. Aphids have been recorded between the months of August and March, then for almost five months of the year they completely disappear without trace.

Nottinghamshire is well known for its many different willow species and The Delta Sanctuary on the Attenborough Nature Reserve (adjacent to where the Giant Willow Aphid was first discovered) contains one of the largest continuous expanses of willow woodland in the region - around 25ha. You would therefore think that the Nature Reserve would provide the perfect habitat for the Giant Willow Aphid, and that they would be found almost everywhere. However, on returning to get some more photographs of the aphids they too had vanished and after many hours of searching, could not be relocated - and have not been seen since.

Maybe next time you visit the Attenborough Nature Reserve you could look on the branches and trunk of willow trees on the Reserve and see if you can find a colony of Giant Willow Aphids for yourself. You may help to answer the question of where the aphids disappear to for part of the year.

Contact the Nature Centre on 0115 972 1777 or enquiries@attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk to report your wildlife sightings.

All change for Attenborough's Wildlife!

October started with southwesterly winds bringing relatively mild air and rain at times and it was still warm enough to view migrant hawker dragonflies being caught by a hobby flying over the lakes on the 1^st. The southwesterly winds continued for the next two weeks, and combined with sunny days, sightings of hoverflies, butterflies and dragonflies were reported.

From mid-month, the temperature was generally cooler and the number of insects spotted by volunteers lowered considerably, with far less butterflies and hoverflies observed compared to earlier in the month. Autumn sunshine can still be strong at times however, and the 17^th was very sunny and saw the last sighting of Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies before they went into hibernation.

Around the 21^st to the 25^th, a warm front moved north over the region bringing a lot of grey low cloud, mist and fog, and intermittent drizzle. These conditions can cause some migrating birds to seek shelter in the Nature Reserve until the conditions have improved and they can carry on their journey. Sometimes the birds cannot see physical markers, such as the River Trent, which they rely on for orientation, or it may just be the unsettled weather is not fit to fly in.

An easterly wind dominated most of the remainder of the month and the sprinkling of snow during the early hours of the 27^th signalled the arrival of our winter migrants, those birds that breed in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe but spend the winter in our milder climate, such as goosander, wigeon and goldeneye. These easterly winds have also brought large numbers of Scandinavian thrushes, such as fieldfares, to our shores, and many are now being seen at the Nature Reserve feeding on berry-laden trees such as hawthorn.

Overall, October has been cooler than average, and if this winter is cold and the wind direction is just right, we might be in for an avian treat over the upcoming months.

Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust manages many wetland nature reserves important for overwintering wildfowl, such as Idle Valley. Please visit: www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves/idle-valley to find out more.

Arachnids on the run!

Dicranopalpus ramosus - A Recent arrival from the Mediterranean

Love them or hate them, each year as autumn approaches spider numbers seem to increase dramatically. You certainly see more at this time of year than any other as adult males are coming out of hiding to seek a mate and as the temperature drops, both adults and this year’s young start to look for somewhere to escape the cold of winter.

Over 40 different species have been recorded on the Reserve and you don’t need to go far to find them. A whole host of species can be found by simply looking on the outside of the Nature Centre building, where the un-treated oak frame provides them with a perfect winter hideaway. Whilst most of these species only come out at night to hunt for their prey, many can be seen resting by day if you look closely within the space between the wooden panels.

Some of the more commonly encountered species at this time of year on the Nature Centre building are in fact not spiders at all, but they are closely related and belong to the same order - arachnidae. These are the harvestmen (sometimes called ‘daddy-long-legs’) and they belong to the family of opiliones – from the latin for ‘shepherd’ (which is thought to refer to the way that shepherds used to stand on stilts to get a better view of their flocks). With eight long legs harvestmen look superficially like spiders, however they do not have true fangs (their ‘fangs’ are more like clasping claws) and they do not produce silk webs - using only hooks on the ends of their legs to catch their prey. They differ structurally to spiders in that they appear to only have a single body section rather than head, thorax and abdomen. Harvestmen also have only two eyes whereas true spiders have up to eight.

Leiobunum rotundum - another regular at Attenborough

Only three species of harvestmen have ever been recorded on the Reserve (of the 30+ species recorded in the UK) and one, Dicranopalpus ramosus, can be readily found on the Nature Centre building during late October. Despite its relative abundance here at Attenborough this species is quite rare elsewhere in the UK (although its range is now spreading). Originally from Morrocco and the Mediterranean, Dicranopalpus ramosus was first discovered in the south of England in the 1950’s and has slowly spread north. Unlike other species of harvestmen it can be easily identified from its characteristic resting position with its legs spread flat out to the side (see photograph).

As with all arachnids in the UK, harvestmen are often misunderstood and there is an urban myth that they are the most venomous and deadly of them all. However, with the absence of true fangs and venom – not to mention small mouthparts that would be unable to penetrate human skin – this is totally untrue. Like their spider cousins, harvestmen do a wonderful job of keeping insect numbers low (including pests such as mosquitoes) and should therefore be loved and not feared.

Colour'fall'

Many bright colours can be seen on the Reserve at this time of year

The wet summer was not all bad; a bumper crop of leaves on the trees at Attenborough Nature Reserve was the first hint of a glorious autumn. If it was hot and dry, the stress would have caused the trees to shed their bounty long before it could turn golden. It was all down to September now, would the month that herald’s autumn also herald in a season of awe and colour?

The warm start to September was like an extra growing season for the trees and this last spurt of growth ensured there were lots of sugars in the leaves before a seasonal change occurred.

As hours of daylight gradually reduced during September, this triggered a layer of cells, called an abscission layer, to grow at the base of the leaf, effectively cutting it off from the rest of the tree. The countdown to leaf fall had begun, but what colour had not been decided yet?

One consequence of the abscission layer forming is that chlorophyll, the green pigment that gives leaves their characteristic colour, is not produced anymore and gradually disappears from the leaf, allowing other pigments such as xanthophylls (yellow) and carotenoids (orange) to be seen. Lots of sunshine and cool nights hasten the destruction of chlorophyll, thus revealing these other pigments which are less susceptible to low temperatures. During the first half of September high atmospheric pressure brought clear skies both day and night; the solar panels regularly reached generation levels akin to summer and 12 nights recorded temperatures below the average minimum for September of 10.9^oC.

If your idea of a perfect autumn includes shades of red and purple, then another pigment, called anthocyanin, is needed. This pigment results from the breakdown of sugars that are left in the leaves after the abscission layer has formed, and put simply, the brighter the light the more anthocyanin is produced during autumn! September had slightly above average sunshine levels, but there are a few flies in the ointment that could dispel any arboreal treat this autumn.

Minima below freezing will stop the leaf from manufacturing anthocyanin, so an early frost is bad news for a colourful display. September was frost free as usual but another factor to consider is wind. Stormy weather can cause the leaves to fall from the trees before they take on their colourful hues. A deep depression did bring 76% of the month’s rain on the 24^th but we escaped the worse of the winds and no mass leaf fall was recorded at the Nature Reserve. 

If the rest of autumn is sunny and calm, with some cool but not frosty nights, we might witness one of nature’s spectacles, and one you can see on your doorstep.

If you want to enjoy the colours of autumn, Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust manages some excellent woodland reserves. Please visit www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves to find out more.

Nature in the Dark

Our Homemade Moth Trap

A break in the wet weather along with a recent news article reporting on the re-discovery of the once locally extinct Small Ranunculus moth, has inspired us to set up a moth trap at the Attenborough Nature Centre. With well over 1000 species of plant and animal having been recorded on the Reserve since the 1960’s (including some 220 macro moths), we thought it would be a great opportunity to learn a little more about some of our less seen nocturnal inhabitants – and hopefully see the Small Ranunculus moth for ourselves.

As the trap was to be left overnight, we chose to use a low voltage UV blacklight bulb to attract the moths, set upon a waterproof plastic container that would withstand any unexpected rain showers. The UV bulb would not attract as many moths as the typically used 125w mercury vapour bulbs, however they use far less energy than MV bulbs and are somewhat less obtrusive. Cardboard egg boxes in the bottom of the container provide shelter for the moths in the trap where they settle overnight before being identified and released the following morning.

Our first trapping session on the 22^nd July produced very few individuals; a single Large Yellow Underwing, a Common Rustic and two Dark Arches. However, it was not the moth trap that provided the excitement the following morning! Whilst releasing the few moths that had been previously trapped, an unusual moth was spotted resting on some Purple Loosetrife in the margins of the Nature Centre garden pond. After a number of photos were taken (in-situ), the moth was collected for identification. The species turned out to be the Wormwood Moth (Cucullia absinthii), a first for the Reserve and one of only five sites in Nottinghamshire where this species has been recorded – the last being in 2009 at Misson Carr.

The Nationally Scarce, Wormwood Moth

The Wormwood Moth is a Nationally Notable species in the UK and a Grade 1 species for Nottinghamshire (Nationally Notable Group B species recorded from five or fewer 10Km squares in Nottinghamshire since 1990). As both the common and the Latin name suggest, the larvae of this species feed on the flowers and seeds of Wormwood (although can also be found on Mugwort). This species report has been described as the best moth find at Attenborough Nature Reserve to date – narrowly beating the Red-Tipped Clearwing (a Red Data Book species). We released the moth later that day.

Following a couple of adaptations to the moth trap (involving a plastic drinks cup funnel), the number of species being caught began to increase. Some common yet very attractive individuals such as the migrant Silver Y and Burnished Brass were found during a trapping session on the 3^rd August, along with a number of previously un-recorded micro moths including the Grey Knot-Horn (Acrobasis advenella) and the Bulrush Veneer (Calamotropha paludella) – a scarce species at the very north of its range, to name just a couple.

As the last egg box was turned over a small yet intricately marked moth was spotted. The moth’s greeninsh grey forewing with a scattering and border of orange spots could only mean one thing – Small Ranunculus! Another first for the Reserve! Having spoken to other local naturalists, who have also noted this species at their trapping sites, it would seem that the fortunes of the Small Ranunculus Moth are beginning to change and that it will once again become a common species in Nottinghamshire.   

We are currently experiencing a general northward shift in distribution of native species and this, along with constant effort monitoring will mean that the number of moths recorded on the Reserve will continue to rise - in particular the micro moths - a group of species that have historically been under-recorded at Attenborough.

With the help of visitors to the Reserve reporting their sightings, our knowledge of local wildlife can increase further. If you would like help in identifying a species you have found on the Reserve, or would like to report your sightings, please send the details along with a photograph (if you are able to take one) to: enquiries@attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk

When possible species caught during moth trapping sessions on the Reserve will be displayed in the Nature Centre (as they mostly remain inactive during the day). Details will appear in the ‘News & Events’ section of our website: www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk

Butterflies Suffer Through Wet Summer

Brown Argus - A Scarce Species at Attenborough - © Sean Browne

If the soggy summer is getting you down, spare a thought for your local wildlife – in particular the butterflies. Prolonged wet weather during the spring and summer months can literally spell disaster for these usually abundant insects. A recent walk around the Reserve produced only a handful of individuals including ringlets, meadow browns and a single red admiral thus giving an indication of the true impact the weather might be having.

Whilst wet summers are not uncommon in the UK, this year we have seen unprecedented levels of rainfall along with localised flooding and below average temperatures. It is this combination of events that has started to have an impact on many species of British butterflies – drowning and washing away eggs, reducing food availability and grounding adults so that they are unable to seek a mate.

Around 20 species of butterfly are typically recorded on the Nature Reserve each year along with a few local rarities such as the purple hairstreak and brown argus. Some of these, including the purple hairstreak, have flight periods of just a few weeks – giving them a very short window of opportunity to find a mate and lay eggs and putting them more at risk from inclement weather. Most other species are more fortunate and have two generations within a single year (usually one in the spring and one in late summer) or a longer flight period. Many would have taken advantage of the warm and dry start to spring to successfully lay their eggs, however those butterflies emerging during the warm spell towards the end of May would have been confronted with downpours throughout June.

As adult butterflies will not emerge from their cocoons until the conditions are just right there are further concerns that if the cold and wet summer continues it could result in delayed emergence of second generation adults. The length of time that they will have to find a mate and lay eggs will be subsequently reduced and this will in turn lead to further population crashes next spring.

Butterflies in the UK are already suffering huge declines through habitat loss with almost three quarters of species having reduced in number over the last ten years. The recent wet weather can only add to this situation. Whilst we have had wet summers in the past (one of the wettest Junes locally being in 1982) wildlife habitats were once better connected, via green corridors, and gave butterfly populations the opportunity to recover more quickly.

How can you help?

The ‘Big Butterfly Count’ organised by Butterfly Conservation runs between Saturday 14th July and Sunday 5th August 2012 and is a survey that members of the public can get involved in to help build up a picture of butterfly populations across the UK. These results will give the first indications of the impact that the recent weather has had on butterflies on a national scale. It only takes 15 minutes to complete and a full list of information can be found at www.butterfly-conservation.org

Wildlife Webcam Update

Our First Glance at the Newly Hatched Reed Warbler Chick

This summer the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust have set up a series of special webcams to capture some of the action from the amazing wildlife here at Attenborough Nature Reserve. All of which we will be broadcasting live on our website.

Earlier, we reported on the success of a Blue Tit family occupying one of the recently installed camera nest boxes. At the time of writing, nine chicks, which had been eagerly watched from the moment the eggs were laid, were preparing to leave the nest. The following day all but two of the chicks, which sadly didn’t go on to survive, had left the box.

Within days of turning the camera off in the Blue Tit box, we started to notice increased activity around a Reed Warbler’s nest that we had been closely monitoring for some weeks prior. We hoped to use a small mobile camera, similar to that used in the Blue Tit box, to deliver live images of the rarely-seen nesting behaviour of this species both online and on our big screen in the Nature Centre.

The Reed Warbler is an incredible little bird (smaller than a Sparrow) which makes its way to the UK each spring from its over-wintering grounds in sub-Saharan Africa - some 4000 miles away! As their name suggests, Reed Warblers inhabit the marginal vegetation surrounding wetlands where they choose to nest deep within patches of Common Reed – typically in areas of lowland central, Southern England and Wales. Due to the Reed Warbler’s breeding habits they often go un-noticed, nests are rarely seen, and the bird’s location is only given away by the male’s song.

Fortunately the nest we had selected for the camera was located in a thin strip of reeds adjacent to the Nature Centre. This meant that we could position the equipment on a nearby bank and still get clear footage – without being too intrusive. Even still, the mobile camera (not much bigger than a bulrush head on a stem and camouflaged to match) had to be moved into position by experienced staff at the Nature Centre over a period of a few weeks - so as not to cause disturbance to the prospecting birds (all wild birds nests are protected by law).

When we switched the camera on we noticed that four eggs had been laid – the average clutch size for this species. In just 12 days (on June, 6^th) the eggs had started to hatch. At least three chicks have been spotted in the nest so far and both the adult male and female have been busy bringing food to their young. In only 12 or 13 days after hatching the chicks will be ready to leave the nest. They will remain in and around the reedbed and will feed up through the summer before they make their first long migration to Africa.

You can follow the Reed Warbler chick’s progress and view this and our other webcams online at: www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/sightings

Big brother’s watching BLUE!

Our Blue Tit Family

Despite enduring the wettest April on record and more typically autumnal conditions to the start of May, around 10,000 people have still managed to enjoy the wildlife at Attenborough Nature Reserve in the last few weeks without even having to step foot outside their homes! A family of Blue Tits have been at the centre of all this attention as live footage from our newly installed nest box was streamed online for the first time. 

The Blue Tit box is just one of three camera equipped nest boxes and two mobile nest cameras funded through the CEMEX community fund as part of a project to engage the wider community into wildlife conservation. A pan, tilt and zoom camera (also provided through the fund) has been positioned on the roof of the Nature Centre and will provide stunning panoramic views around Coneries Pond through the winter when the nest boxes are not occupied.

Whilst they are not exactly one of the rarest species to be found on the Reserve, the Blue Tits have provided a rare insight into some of the more intimate behaviours of birds that often go un-noticed. They certainly surprised staff at the Nature Centre when they began to investigate the nest box less than five minutes after it had been erected!

Regular visitors to the café, where video footage is being projected on to a big screen, have been repeatedly popping in for updates on the Blue Tit’s progress – many of which have followed them from day one.

A Young Blue Tit Prepares to Leave the Nest

In total approximately nine eggs were laid, and at time of writing (as some of the chicks are already starting to leave the nest) it would seem that nine chicks will successfully fledge. If you were not able to watch the Blue Tits in time, then not to worry, we plan to have another nest featuring live on the website very soon. Visit www.attenboroughnaturecnetre.co.uk to see the live video stream.

This camera project has been a dream of ours for some time and has only been made possible by the CEMEX Community Fund which is a dedicated grant resource for enabling and assisting communities local to CEMEX quarry and landfill sites to carry out projects which improve or enhance local community facilities and places of interest. As Attenborough Nature Reserve is former quarry that has now been restored for nature conservation we were delighted to be awarded the funding and hope everyone will enjoy the new images.

From Alder to Ashes

A Charcoal Burn at Attenborough Nature Reserve

At the far end of the Nature Reserve, behind the locked gates of the Delta Sanctuary, a light coloured smoke appears above the tree canopy. As the smoke starts to thin and take on a blue tinge we can relax - as this is our clue to close off the air intake to the charcoal kiln, during our first charcoal burn of the year.

The process of making this year’s charcoal actually started over two years ago when the alder was coppiced and stored as large logs to allow it to season. Coppicing is a very traditional method of woodland management and involves cutting back broadleaved trees to near ground level in winter and letting them regenerate in the spring. The re-growth of coppiced trees produces multiple stems that we can continue to harvest in a sustainable way for decades. Managing the woodland like this has benefits for a wide range of species including native flora as it enables light to pass through the otherwise dense canopy. Coppicing also creates a varied age structure in the trees which is beneficial to many invertebrates.  

Preparing Wood for the Charcoal Burn

Sadly, across the UK, coppiced woodland has diminished as a habitat by 95% in the last century and species such as the pearl-bordered fritillary butterfly and the nightingale have declined sharply as a result. The Delta is considered to be one of the largest willow and alder woodlands in the region. This carefully managed woodland, with its glades and rides, provides a sanctuary for many threatened species including willow tit, lesser-spotted woodpecker and nationally scarce species of fungi.

Amazingly of the 60,000 tonnes of charcoal purchased each year in the UK, only around 5% is actually produced in this country. 20% of what we import does not have a Forestry Stewardship Council certificate and this means it is either unsustainably logged, illegally supplied or both. Countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, Brazil and Indonesia are exporting uncertified charcoal into this country with massive impacts for tropical rainforests and fragile mangrove habitats. 

Attenborough charcoal is a by-product of this sustainable method of woodland management and it is sold in both the Attenborough Nature Centre and Out of This World in Beeston. with all proceeds helping to support the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust.

Heronry at Attenborough Reaches New Heights

Grey Heron - © Daren Chapman

After completing the heronries count last week we have discovered a total of 40 grey heron nests on the Reserve. This is the greatest number of grey heron nests ever to be recorded at Attenborough and the site has now become the largest active heronry in Nottinghamshire! 

The Attenborough heronry was first established in 2007 following the collapse of the historic 'Brandshill Wood Heronry' – adjacent to the A453 (that had peaked in the 90's with 70 nests present). It was at the start of the 2007 breeding season that an unknown disturbance event displaced the herons from their traditional nesting site and caused the birds to relocate along the Trent Valley. In the years since, the nests had been rather scattered along the Trent, recorded as far away as Highfield’s Park on University Boulevard.

It is only in the last couple of years that the herons have formed a more typical 'heronry' on the Attenborough Nature Reserve with around 30 of the total number of nests recorded this year being situated in the Wet Marsh area of Tween Pond. Outlying nests have been counted on Main Pond, nearby the main colony.

As a top predator in the freshwater foodchain, grey herons can only thrive if there is an abundance of prey. Monitoring their numbers through the Heronries Census at Attenborough provides us with a valuable indicator of the quality of the wetland habitat on the Reserve.

The data gathered from the Heronries census is sent to the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) each year to be added to their national survey data. The BTO’s Heronries Census began in 1928 and was originally intended to only last for one year. Still going strong and carried out annually since then, the Grey Heron data collected through the census represent the longest-running monitoring data set for any breeding bird in the world!

Visitors to the Reserve can get fantastic views of one of the islands within the heronry, containing three heron nests (and their chicks), from the barge channel bridge on Main Path. If you look closely you might even notice a fourth heron's nest in the tree - being used by a female mallard to incubate her eggs!

Cold weather has visitors seeing red!

Having enjoyed warmer than average temperatures through most of December and January, the freezing temperatures, ice and snow at the start of February has had visitors to the Nature Reserve and local residents seeing red! – Redwings that is. It is safe to say that we have received more calls asking for help identifying these beautiful winter thrushes in the last couple of weeks than any other wildlife related enquiry.

The Redwing is the UK’s smallest thrush and is arguably the most attractive. They get their name form the orange-red flank patches (under the wing) which can clearly be seen in flight. A broad creamy white eye-stripe makes them easily distinguishable from our other resident and migrant thrushes - even so, they can often catch you off guard when they appear in your garden for the first time.

Despite their small size, around 650,000 individuals make their way to the UK from their breeding grounds in southern Scandinavia. Migrating through the night they begin to arrive in September - having completed a non-stop journey of around 1,000 miles. Numbers peak through October and November although they often go un-noticed as they roam the countryside feeding in fields and hedgerows.

It is only in the coldest winters, when snow covers the ground that you will start to see these usually shy birds appearing in parks and gardens. Closer to home, berry producing bushes and trees such as Rowans, Hawthorns and Cotoneasters provide the Redwings with a welcome supply of food to see them through these harsh times.

As the winter progresses, Redwings often join large feeding flocks with other thrushes including their larger Scandinavian cousin, the Fieldfare. Like the Redwing, this colourful thrush only visits the UK for the winter. The Fieldfare’s size (similar to our native Mistle Thrush) and their striking pattern of grey body, speckled breast, chestnut brown wings and dark tail make them unmistakable. Fieldfares can also be very vocal in flight, so if you hear a chuckling sound overhead as you stroll around the Nature Reserve it’s more than likely a flock of Fieldfares nearby.

If you would like to encourage winter thrushes into your garden, why not try leaving apples or sultanas on the lawn during the cold weather. Specially formulated ‘Song Bird’ seed mixes for ground feeding birds are available to buy from the Attenborough Nature Centre; these can be left on the lawn or placed on a flat bird table. If you prefer a more natural approach, planting native trees such as Rowan and Hawthorn will provide a plentiful supply of food through the autumn and winter.     

Make Your Move on to the Wildlife Property Ladder

Despite the festivities of Christmas and the New Year remaining fresh in most of our minds, the ever lengthening days and lighter evenings provide a cue for many bird species to start prospecting nesting sites for the forthcoming spring. In the case of Tree Sparrows and House Sparrows, some species may have done so already, using a nestbox or nest site as somewhere to roost through the winter. Just this morning I was even welcomed on to the Nature Reserve by the spring-like sounds of an enthusiastic male chaffinch in full song.

With the start of the bird breeding season already underway it could be a cue for you, if you haven’t done so already, to consider placing a nestbox in your garden to provide a habitat for, and encourage breeding birds.

A Need for Nestboxes

People often ask the question: "Do nestboxes in gardens really serve any useful purpose other than giving pleasure to us humans?" The answer to that question is quite simply - yes they do! Gardens are an extremely important wildlife habitat. The total area of all gardens in Britain well exceeds that of all nature reserves. Over the past 50 years, the landscape around us has changed dramatically. Towns and cities have become larger and the countryside has become more intensively managed. This has led to the loss of valuable wildlife habitat to the extent that natural nesting sites are now in decline. Nestboxes placed in gardens can therefore make a real difference to the success or failure of a breeding species in a given area.

Even on a Nature Reserve as wild and diverse as Attenborough, nestbox schemes have provided a lifeline to local bird populations such as the Tree Sparrow, which may otherwise have fallen victim to habitat loss in the surrounding farmland. In January 2009, 12 nestboxes were erected on the Willow Peninsula (the Nature Centre’s wildlife garden). Many of these boxes attracted nesting birds within the first year, and subsequently went on to raise multiple broods. So successful has this scheme become that over 100 Tree Sparrow chicks have been raised since it began (based on ringing data).

More recently, in 2011, we launched our Willow Tit nestbox scheme. This species has suffered an alarming decline of 91% in the UK since the 1970’s, through the destruction of its damp woodland habitat. It is hoped that careful habitat management combined with the installation of special nestboxes (designed to resemble rotting tree stumps) will provide an opportunity for this once common woodland bird to thrive again at Attenborough.

Tips for Choosing and Siting Your Nestbox

If you’d like to provide a home for birds in your garden there are a few simple tips to follow: The size of the hole will dictate which species of bird will use the box – a 32mm hole will suit most common garden birds such as Great Tits, Blue Tits and sparrows. When siting your box, make sure that it is out of reach of predators; Site your box in a position where it will not be in direct sunlight for a large part of the day (preferably north facing); Robins like their open-fronted boxes fairly low down and in the cover of an overhanging ivy or shrub, but again think about predators; For the hole-type boxes for Starlings and House Sparrows, the higher the box, the better. Make sure there is a clear flight path in to the nestbox; Make sure that wherever you site the box, that it is securely fixed.