Catch ‘em young!
Day 271 #365DaysWild
Day 271 #365DaysWild
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Day 270 #365DaysWild
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Day 269 #365DaysWild
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Day 268 #365DaysWild
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Day 267 #365DaysWild
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By torchlight, last night..
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Day 266 #365DaysWild
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Day 265 #365DaysWild
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Day 264 #365DaysWild
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Day 263 #365DaysWild
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Day 262 #365DaysWild
Wetland Bird Surveys (WeBS) at the Mill Lakes, Bestwood Village, Nottinghamshire.
It is always a pleasure talking to Norman Hayes. Norman is now in his 83rd year but his relentless recording of bird numbers continues. His long, uninterrupted recording of the birds of Bestwood inspired the Friends of Bestwood Country Park to create its’ hugely successful Wildlife Group.
We chatted about his WeBS counts over the years.
Norman explaining the difference in the shapes of elephants and mammoths backs .. |
His WeBS records show several gradual but serious declines over the past twenty years.
In 1983, Norman recorded 23 little grebe. In 2023 this had fallen to five birds.
Ruddy duck are now extinct due to culling. His highest count of ruddy duck (formerly a breeding bird with us) was 26 birds in September 1991.
He’s seen a big decline in pochard. In 1999 he counted a peak of 26 birds but this year zero.
Shoveler reached 22 in the same year but now he records only single birds.
In December 1999 his highest count for teal was 49 and now the highest count is up to 20.
The current highest count for coot is 15 but in 1999 the highest count was 132.
Little egrets are now present.
Greylag have increased with the highest count being 156 birds in October 2023. Greylag were unrecorded in Norman’s first years of counting.
A days birding with Norman and Ray Fox. |
Marsh and willow tits bred here. Willow tits raised three young in July 2014. Hearing marsh warbler in song was a particular highlight.
Heron appear to be nesting with us again for the first time in years.
Norman’s unabated enthusiasm continues. As we sat reminiscing about his WeBS counts our conversation was suddenly interrupted as he spotted a pair of red-legged partridges on the lawn!
✔️His first for the year.
Norman Hayes: a Nottinghamshire birding legend.
The Wildlife Group is currently working with the Rivers Trust and Severn Trent to monitor pollution in the River Leen and Mill Lakes.
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Day 261 #365DaysWild
A fascinating, wide-ranging discussion on Wednesday.
In partnership with Erin McDaid (Notts Wildlife Trust) and Scott Blance (Derbys Wildlife Trust) we’d gathered a group of Notts & Derbys keenest wildlife activists together to discuss what practical steps the soon-to-be-elected East Midlands Regional Mayor could take to support and promote biodiversity.
So much practical experience that could be harnessed by the new mayoral authority.
I hope Claire Ward (The Labour Party candidate) found it helpful in understanding how complex and fundamental are the issues impacting biodiversity - and how these, in turn, are fundamental to the health & wellbeing of our communities and landscapes.
I’m sure I speak for everyone in saying that we hope that the newly-elected mayor will embed nature and biodiversity at the heart of the raft of policies she will develop for the new authority.
This was a first discussion. I hope it can become a springboard for something really powerful in the future.
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Day260 #365DaysWild
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Day259 #365DaysWild
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Day258 #365DaysWild
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