I spotted this little guy in the garden a few weeks and he has become a regular visitor to the bird table. At first I was unsure what sort of bird he is but when I managed to get a photo I realised it was a jackdaw with black and white markings.
Category: Birds
Bough Beech Reservoir
We recently visited Bough Beech reservoir after seeing it mentioned in the Kent Wildlife’s Trust handbook. The handbook mentioned a visitor centre but on driving around the area for a while we couldn’t find one so eventually parked at the side of the road looking onto the reservoir. The views across the reservoir were amazing…
New Bird Table
The old bird table which was here when we moved into our house around 15 years has served us well but following a series of unfortunate accidents both weather and cat related it was looking increasingly battered. I purchased this new one recently from the RSPB website. I took it out of the box today…
Chickens Kept in Gardens May Need to be Registered Under New Rules
That’s according to this article, which suggests all birds kept outside could soon need to registered. The Proposed changes come as the government tries to curb the spread of bird flu. They would apply to all chicken, pigeons and birds of prey kept in gardens but would not affects caged birds kept inside, such as…
Kent Wildlife Trust
I recently became a member of the Kent Wildlife Trust after seeing one of their stands outside the Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve on a recent visit. I was unaware of the organisation and what they do and was interested to see all of the projects they are involved in. They work with local communities, landowners and…
Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve
We needed some outdoor time today so took a walk to Sevenoaks Wildlife Reserve. The reserve is located on the site of an old gravel quarry, leased from Tarmac which has been developed for nature conservation. There are 2 main routes you can choose around the reserve, the walk around the West Lake and the…
Big Garden Birdwatch
Its the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this weekend. All you need to do to take part is count the number of birds you see in your garden for an hour during the weekend. It runs from the 25th to the 36th of January and helps the RSPB to get an idea of how our birds…
Do Birds Have Different Accents?
Is something I have always wondered. This article suggests that male chaffinches, at least develop different accents depending upon where they live. US scientists studied 723 male chaffinches in 12 different populations across Europe, the Azores and the Canaries. They found that the notes became more unpredictable they further they moved, with those birds in…
Chickens are No Bird Brains
Research suggests that we might have underestimated the intelligence of chickens. Studies have shown that they exhibit intelligent behaviour within just a few hours of hatching. In fact they are cleverer than four year old toddlers. Hens are able to master a number of complex skills including numeracy, self control and structural engineering. They are…
Ducks Cause Mile Long Tailback
I always like the cute and fluffy stories so was pleased to come across this one about a family of ducks who caused havoc in Shrewsbury. The ducks decided they wanted to have a leisurely stroll through town and managed to cause a mile long tailback in the town as drivers waited to let the…