Wildlife News with Andrew Shepherd (From Worcester News)

Wildlife News with Andrew Shepherd

9:29am Monday 15th June 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

AT the RSPB, we know that you enjoy attracting wildlife into your gardens.

Thousands of you are following the advice we provide in our Homes For Wildlife gardening project.

We know you love the nature on your doorstep and we know that you want more, so we’ve come up with a brand new summer wildlife survey for you to take part in: Make Your Nature Count.

What visits my garden? Why should I do it? Gardens are alive with wildlife in summer. Swifts and swallows have returned from Africa, hedgehogs fill their bellies with worms after their long winter sleep, and trees, hedges and shrubs become nursery schools for baby birds.

There is so much going on, right on your doorstep. An amazing variety of creatures are waiting to be discovered.

Taking part in the survey is a fantastic way to enjoy and get to know the wildlife that lives in your garden. You’ll be surprised at what you find!

We’d like you to record birds in the same way as Big Garden Birdwatch, which hundreds of Worcester residents take part in every year, but we’d also like to know about other garden wildlife, such as frogs, toads, squirrels and even badgers.

Big Garden Birdwatch helps us to identify trends among wintering birds. We hope that Make Your Nature Count will build a picture of wildlife that visits gardens in summer – and show how important it is.

Hopefully during the Make Your Nature Count survey you will find some of these creatures.

● The common frog: Frogs have smooth skin in various hues from grey, olive green and yellow to brown.

● The blackbird: One of the commonest birds in Worcestershire is with its mellow song is a favourite.

Watch for the spotty chicks following their parents around and begging for food.

● Blue tit: Almost any garden in Worcester with feeders, or bushes and trees, will attract blue tits. They readily breed in nest boxes.

● Cats: Although, not strictly ‘wildlife’, we’d like you to keep an eye out for visiting cats.

● Grey squirrel: These acrobats have grey fur and often sit upright with their large bushy tails arched over their backs.

Visit the RSPB website at rspb.org.uk/naturecount to take part in the Make Your Nature Count survey or visit the Worcester peregrines stand at St Andrew’s Spire to collect a leaflet and see the peregrine chicks.