BIRDLIFE COULD DECLINE EVEN FURTHER IF WE DO NOT PROTECT OUR OPEN COUNTRYSIDE

BIRDS OF GREAT TURNERS WOOD AND SURROUNDING AREAS

This is a non-exhaustive brief report of the current known birdlife which uses Great Turners Wood and the immediate surrounding areas on a regular basis, including fields and hedgerows behind Springwell Road and Highland Road in Beare Green.

There are many wild birds that enjoy and use the countryside around Beare Green. Many are very common and would adapt to varying kinds of habitat including an urban habitat but there are those that wouldn’t. Many species of birds, like other wild animals, rely on a particular type of habitat. In the case of where we live, we are lucky and privileged to have open farmland with hedgerows and much ancient woodland – which is all part of Beare Green. These habitats are ideal and indeed essential for the many different species of birds and animals residing in our area and if we lose this important habitat then we will lose our birds along with other wild animals. It is already well documented about birds and animals that are in serious decline, some of which we are still lucky enough to see around Beare Green. Such species of particular interest to our area include Bullfinch, Greenfinch, Marsh tit, Tawny owl, & Song thrush – all reliant on woodland for breeding. Skylark, Lapwing, & Yellowhammer are more reliant on open fields and hedgerow for breeding.

 

The skylark is completely reliant on open fields for breeding.

You may hear one singing high above the fields behind Highland Rd in the spring and summer

 

You may see a Marsh tit if you’re lucky on a feeder in your

Garden in the winter but they need the woods to breed.

 

Below is a list of resident birds that use the area and its peripheries for breeding, roosting, and feeding and are seen on a regular basis;

House sparrow, Dunnock, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Long tailed tit, Marsh tit, Goldcrest, Starling, Blackbird, Robin, Song thrush, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Linnet, Greenfinch (declining in numbers rapidly), Bullfinch (also in decline), Tawny owl, Wood pigeon, Collared dove, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Rook, Magpie, Jay, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Red kite (a likely new breeder), Green woodpecker, Great spotted woodpecker, Nuthatch, Tree creeper, Grey wagtail, Pied wagtail, Skylark (another declining species), Pheasant.

Try walking round the village sometime and count just how many different birds you see and hear. Don’t forget to include the Moorhens and Mallards that you’ll see on the pond!

 

The beautiful Bullfinch can be seen in Great Turners Wood but can be quite

secretive and rarely ventures into gardens.

 

The Greenfinch has sadly rapidly declined over the last 20 years.

Loss of even more wooded habitat could wipe them out from local areas completely

 

Birds that may visit the area and its peripheries, mainly in winter and have been seen recently include the following.

Lapwing, Redwing, Fieldfare, Brambling, Lesser redpoll, Siskin,

Birds that may visit the area and its peripheries, mainly in summer and have been seen recently include the following.

Swallow, House martin, Swift, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Cuckoo

Birds that may occasionally use this area and its peripheries and have been seen in the past include the following;

Barn owl, Little owl, Mistle thrush, Yellowhammer.

There are, needless to say several other birds not listed above which will also be seen in and around and indeed over our village. Very occasionally there could be quite an unusual or even rare bird visiting our area so this makes it ever more important to protect what we have.

 

I saw a pair of Red kites very recently flying low over Great Turners Wood.

They seemed to be ‘casing the joint’. How wonderful it would be to have them breed here in Beare Green

 

Redwings visit Beare Green every winter in good numbers attracted by the wooded areas

 

Report compiled by Derrick Robinson