 Since starting the survey on first day of March I have been able to add Mallard, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel (my bird of the week), Stock Dove, Tawny Owl, Garden Warbler, Marsh Tit and Siskin to my list of sightings and hearings. I was recording a total of 46 native species and 5 naturalised species of bird across the four transect walks but the cold spell at the end of the month meant that records were down 46% on previous weeks. The sheltered conditions in our wildlife garden and the mature scrub and woodland of the riparian walk helped keep the sightings up for those two semi-natural habitats. Left a kestrel on the look out for its next meal
0 Comments
 Since the arrival of spring, both in terms of calendar March and physically warmer days, the bird song in our wildlife garden has risen to a crescendo morning and evening as resident and visiting species establish new territories, select breeding pairs and build nest sites. Last week I was able to add Stock Dove and Garden Warbler to the survey and this week I recorded Sparrowhawk, Marsh Tit and Siskin for the first time. I am now recording a total of 50 species across the four transect walks.
The most sightings of songbirds occur in our wildlife garden (30%) and the riverine habitat (30%), which is a consequence of mature and extensive hedgerows and scrub habitat that provides food, shelter and secure nest sites. The farmland and woodland walks register slightly lower sightings (20%) but both support larger species of birds such as birds of prey, owls, woodpeckers and wetland species. There are some species that are seen frequently across all four walks, including Wood Pigeon, Wren, Robin, Blackbird, Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, House Sparrow and Ring-necked Parakeet. My bird of the week is Redpoll (Carduelis flammea), a finch that favours treetops where it feeds on the seeds of birch and alder. Our house backs onto the River Mole valley and the riverine survey walk and it is characterised by mature willow and alder woodland and riparian thorny scrub. Redpoll often feed in flocks alongside Linnet (open farmland species) and Siskin (riparian woodland species), both of which are recorded in my surveys. We have been lucky to see and hear all three species on the trees in our wildlife garden as they move through the local area feeding.  My interest in bird watching started as a young child staying with grandparents every summer. During breaks from picking fruit and vegetables with my grandad I would spend happy hours with my nanny on the wild open heath at the end of their road Corfe Mullen, Dorset. She shared the delights of tiger beetles, bumblebees, sand lizard, smooth snake and Dartford Warbler. So began a lifelong journey as a biologist and wildlife illustrator. In later years, as a countryside ranger, I used wildlife surveys to help me monitor the impact of our ecology and conservation work improving the habitats on our nature reserves. I was actively involved in butterfly transects and the Common Birds Census (CBC), a pioneering UK scheme coordinated by the British Trust for Ornithology, using volunteer-based territory mapping to monitor breeding bird populations, particularly on farmland and nature reserves. After retirement, during the dark days of Covid 19, I found distraction and solace surveying the wild plants and animals found in our garden, which we have managed as a haven for wildlife since 2010. This was an opportunity to renew my interest in bird watching and started to record annually wild birds that I saw in and around our garden. This year a friend introduced me to the Merlin Bird ID app that I downloaded onto my smartphone and this simple tool has enhanced my ability to record local bird populations. New project In February 2026, I decided to start surveying local bird populations in a more consistent way. I wanted an approach that was sustainable in the context of my other commitments. A daily dog walk takes me through two different but linked habitats, farmland along the Greensand Way from our garden to the graveyard at Betchworth and small spinney next to the barns. Regular trips from our house to the Spar and Reading Room Café on Brockham Green offered a third, riparian habitat to include in surveys.   During these daily walking surveys, my visual observations are enhanced by using the Merlin app created by Cornell University, to record birds by songs and calls. This information complements daily sitting surveys in our garden, primarily at dawn and dusk. All in all this amounts to a substantial data base. I collate the bird sightings on a spreadsheet recording presence or absence for each week. My intention is to continue this survey for a complete annual cycle. A few weeks after I began my survey I am discovering interesting data about local bird populations I attach my survey so far. I am slowly learning bird songs and calls and I find the activity very relaxing as well as intellectually stimulating. Over the coming year I will be sharing some of my survey results through a 'bird of the week' post.  March, April and May are the most dynamic and active period of the bird calendar — a lot is happening all at once, which makes observation especially rewarding. Peak migration - Millions of birds are on the move. Summer visitors — swallows, house martins, cuckoos, warblers, and flycatchers — are arriving from Africa, while winter visitors begin their journey home. It creates a brief, brilliant window in which you can encounter species that are simply passing through, here for only a matter of days before pressing on northward. Breeding season in full swing - Resident birds are in full breeding mode: singing loudly to defend territories, displaying to attract mates, and industriously building nests. This urgency makes them far more visible and vocal than at any other time of year. Behaviour you might wait weeks to observe in autumn can appear in minutes on a still April morning. The dawn chorus - The dawn chorus reaches its annual peak in late April and throughout May. Birds sing with particular intensity at first light — the air fills with a layered, almost overwhelming cascade of calls. International Dawn Chorus Day falls on the first Sunday of May, a recognition of just how extraordinary this seasonal spectacle truly is. Getting up early is richly rewarded. Bright plumage and easier identification - Males are wearing their finest breeding plumage. Great tits, blue tits, chaffinches, and many others are at their most colourful and distinctive — making identification simpler even for relative beginners. Field guides come into their own at this time of year. Bare trees and longer days- In April, foliage is only just emerging, meaning woodland birds are still relatively easy to spot before the canopy closes over. Longer daylight hours extend your observation window significantly, morning and evening both yielding good sightings. Over the next two months the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative will be undertaking a number of surveys and drawing on the observations and surveys of residents to enhance our knowledge of local bird popuations.  I have had little success in hunting for frog spawn this year and I wondered whether the general absence is something that has been observed elsewhere. According to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust 2026 has been unusual. https://www.arc-trust.org/
.In 2026, the breeding timing for frogs and toads has continued a long-term trend of starting earlier due to increasingly mild and wet winters. However, specific local patterns vary significantly across the UK based on regional weather fluctuations. Current Breeding Trends
So it is not surprising that by mid March there was little frog spawn left. If there had been any in a pond then the eggs would have hatched or been eaten. |
4Bs Nature Group BlogThis blog is maintained by the 4Bs Biodiversity Initiative Team. Its purpose is to provide brief updates of activities and encourage the sharing of experiences and learning. We welcome guests and contributions from members of the 4Bs WhatsApp Nature Group and wider community. To contribute a post please email the editor at biodiversityinititiative1 @gmail.com PagesArchives
May 2026
Categories |
RSS Feed