Bird Life at Bowlers Copse - from Alan Peck
As you walk through Bowler’s Copse the chances are that the first evidence you will find of bird life will be what you hear and not what you see.
Your attention will be drawn to a rustling of the leaves under cover at ground level. Your expectation will be that you have alighted upon a small mammal and no doubt you will be drawn to investigate.
As you close in on the foraging noise, up will pop a Blackbird, and as it scuttles off to a safer distance it will scold you with its noisy “rattle” alarm call. The bird will have been turning over the leaf litter, searching for insects or worms.
During the spring and summer months Blackbirds are very territorial, defending nesting sites. At this time its alarm call will be directed more toward other Blackbirds and potential predators such as Magpies.
Sadly, Blackbird numbers have declined by about 20% in the last 25 years. Whilst we can’t be sure, this has been put down to farming practices such as the removal of hedgerows and the use of pesticides. Fortunately these practices have been reversed in recent times.
Did you notice that during the cold snap in early January 2009 Blackbird numbers significantly increased in your garden? Normally numbers increase threefold with winter visitors from the Continent but this year, as a result of the severe weather, there appears to have been a far greater influx.
As you continue walking you might possibly notice a very melodic song as this particular bird sings the whole year round. The sweet musical warble is often mistakenly assumed to be that of a Nightingale but that is unlikely as the Nightingale is a summer visitor only between the months of April and July. The bird you have heard will almost certainly be a Robin. Your presence is unlikely to alarm the bird and eventually you will, by tracing the source of the song, be able to spot it in a nearby bush or tree.
The affable nature of the Robin makes it the nation’s favourite bird. The relationship between bird and man is in complete contrast to that between neighbouring Robins in that Robins are very aggressive when defending their territory.
The red breast is an emblem of their domain and it is not uncommon for a Robin to attack any small item with a red colouring.
Happily the Robin is one species which is increasing in number. Perhaps the growing interest in feeding garden birds has something to do with this. Meal worms are Robin’s favourite bird table treats. If you buy the live wriggly variety I can almost guarantee that with a little patience you will be able to coax a Robin into your house, or if you’ve really got time to spare, hand feeding is a real possibility.
During your journey through the Copse you may well encounter some of the Tit family. If you hear a little song from fairly high in the treetops, look out for a Blue tit (Binoculars would help!).
Caterpillars are this bird’s favourite food and during May, in particular, both parents toil away looking for these larvae to feed their brood. The abundance of Caterpillars is very weather dependent and in poor years Blue tits struggle to get their chicks to fledgling stage.
The largest Tit you might find is the Great Tit. This is distinguishable by the black markings on its head which contrast with the light colour cheeks. If you don’t see the bird you might identify its presence by its two syllable call. The call is likened to the word “teacher” and is loud and often repeated in a monotonous manner. This is all very well in the Copse but if the bird is calling at 5.00 in the morning close to your bedroom window, it can be a little irritating!
For a real treat you might be lucky enough (like me) to encounter a flock of Long tailed tits. These are delightful little birds often likened to the appearance of fluffy lollipops. You will probably hear their little ticking call before you see them. Look out for tiny birds with tails bigger than their body. They give the impression of being happy in their social group as they move excitedly through the high bushes looking for insects. They rarely stay in one spot for long, so enjoy their company whilst you can because they will be moving on after just a few seconds.
If you entered the Copse via the bridge at the Wendlebury end, when you get to the far end look out for Treecreepers on the trunks of the larger trees. These are small birds with brown backs and at first sight give you the impression that you are seeing a mouse running up the tree. They are very active as they work their way up the trunk (they only travel upwards). They usually spiral up the tree so periodically disappear out of sight. They have long curved bills which they use to probe under the bark in search of insects and spiders.
Happy birding!