Tagged with: RSPB
Posts (29)
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Welsh hill farmers doing their bit for conservation
Martin Aaron
Brian Lewis and his wife Sorcha are tenants of Troedrhiwdrain Farm in Powys and have recently been named as finalists in this year’s RSPB Telegraph Nature of Farming Award.
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RSPB Winter Seascape competition
Martin Aaron
If you are a keen photographer then RSPB Cymru want you to enter its first ever Winter Seascape competition.
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First osprey chick laid at Glaslyn
Martin Aaron
The first osprey egg of 2012 in Wales was laid at the Glaslyn Osprey Project near Porthmadog last night and was spotted by wardens this morning. The female laid her first egg two days later than last year on 4 April, and has been sat on the nest throughout the night, getting up to feed briefl...
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Big Garden Birdwatch
Martin Aaron
Over half a million people will be taking part in the world's biggest wildlife survey this weekend - the RSPB's Big Garden Birdwatch. Simply spend one hour over the weekend of 28-29 January, counting the birds in your garden or local park, and record the highest number of each bird species se...
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Cold snap for birds ahead
Martin Aaron
The mild autumn weather has meant late sightings of summer migrants, late broods of young for birds like blue tits and empty feeders as birds were still finding food further afield. Derek Brockway is warning of unsettled and changeable weather ahead with some short, sharp cold snaps which cou...
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Grassholm gannet nests
Martin Aaron
Grassholm Island or 'Gwales' in Welsh was the first RSPB reserve to be established in Wales back in 1948 so it's fitting that in this centenary year RSPB wardens - Lisa and Greg Morgan are fighting to combat an issue that affects the third largest gannet population in the Atlantic - plastic. ...
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RSPB: Feed the Birds Day
Martin Aaron
As the weather starts to cool down, RSPB Cymru are urging people to feed the birds and this weekend sees the launch of Feed the Birds Day, on Saturday 29 October. As the clocks go back and green leaves turn to golden brown, the extra food, water and shelter we provide for birds and other garden wildlife could make the difference between life and death. RSPB Cymru suggests calorie rich foods like mixed seed, nyjer seed and peanuts. Kitchen scraps are also good too - mild grated cheese, cooked rice and pasta, unsalted bacon and cooked potatoes will give birds the energy they need during the winter months. A supply of water is also essential for bathing and preening. Birds need to keep their feathers in top condition to ensure they insulate effectively and a dip in a clean bird bath is just what they need. Garden plants are important too and a few inexpensive wildlife friendly plants such as honeysuckle or bushes rich in fruit like rowan and hawthorn will provide extra food and shelter. Quick bird cake recipe: Melt or soften some suet or lard in a pan Mix in some or all of the following; seeds, nuts, dried fruits, finely chopped bacon rind Place in a container with some string threaded through so that half the string is inside the container and half outside (for example a plastic cup) Leave the mixture to cool Once hardened, hang up container by the string RSPB Cymru and volunteers will be holding several Feed the Birds Day events this weekend with activities such as bird cake making and nest box building. Here are a few around Wales: North Wales National Slate Museum Padarn Country Park on 27 - 28 October. Family activities and fundraising. Denbigh Plum Festival on Saturday 29 October; RSPB stand at the event offering advice. RSPB Glaslyn Osprey Site near Porthmadog will be holding daily family activities between 14 - 30 October. Fron Goch Garden Centre, Caernarfon Feed the Birds Day on Saturday 29 October at. Advice and information about how to feed your garden birds and how to attract them to your garden. Portmeirion - Feed the Birds Day / Woodland Feast on Tuesday 25 October and Wednesday 26 October from 11am - 3.30pm. Join RSPB staff for a fun day in the woodland and make bird feeders, enjoy a woodland walk, learn about woodlands and watch the birds on the feeders at the screen. Cost: Entrance fee to Portmeirion, check the website for discount offers. South WalesMargam Park on Tuesday 25 October RSPB West Glamorgan Local Group will be running activities encouraging the public to use binoculars to look at wildlife. Blooms Garden Centre in Cardiff on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 October RSPB Cymru staff will be at on hand to give talks at 11am and 1pm on both days about how to attract birds to your garden, feeding garden birds, what flowers birds like etc. Mid WalesForestry Commission Wales Bwlch Nant yr Arian site near Ponterwyd - Saturday 29 October from 11am - 2pm. What's on my feeder event where children can learn to identify the birds they see on feeders and what they like to eat, make bird feeders, a talk on feeding the red kites at 2.30pm and watch the red kites get fed at 3pm. Cost: free (car park charges £1.50 apply). Age group: Families RSPB Lake Vyrnwy on Saturday 29 October join RSPB Cymru staff and volunteers to make feeders and bird cake 1pm - 3pm. Cost: children non-members £2.50, WEX and Phoenix members £1.50, special offer if you join the RSPB on the day, the event is free for the whole party
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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
Martin Aaron
Yes, it's that time of year again when the RPSB Big Garden Birdwatch returns to a garden near you, over the weekend of 29-30 January. I mentioned this last year and we had a huge response, so hopefully this year will be just as successful if not better and with all this cold weather, I'm sure the birds will be out in force. Greenfinch and a goldfinch on a bird feeder. Image by Brian Mottershead. How to take part: All you need is a pen, some paper (or a print out of the RSPB bird ID sheet and an hour to spend watching the birds in your garden on either Saturday 29, or Sunday 30 January 2011. Then simply record the highest number of each bird species seen in your garden, or local park (not flying over) at any one time, and let the RSPB know what you saw. How to submit your results: From Sunday 29 January - 18 February you can, visit the RSPB website to submit your sightings. This survey is vital in helping the RSPB to understand what is happening to our feathered friends and in particular our more at risk bird species. In recent times we have lost more than half of our house sparrow population and three quarters of our starlings. If you want to attract more birds to your garden, have a go at making these simple garden feeders from your old kitchen waste: How to make a garden bird feeder: What you'll need: plastic drink bottles, scissors, string, bird seed, yoghurt pots and milk cartons (make sure they're clean) Cut a hole in the side large enough to allow a free flow of seeds, but in such a way that it won't all fall out on the ground in the slightest puff of wind, and won't get wet if it rains. Make a few small holes in the bottom of your feeder to allow any rainwater to drain away. Hang it with wire, or even strong string from a tree or your washing line. If your feeder starts to wear out or the food in it goes mouldy, recycle it and make another one. Remember to keep your feeders well stocked, especially over winter as birds come to rely on them and will go hungry if you forget to top them up. We've also got some great feeding tips videos on our website. Feeling peckish? Try making this speedy bird cake. What you'll need: Good quality bird seed, raisins, peanuts, grated cheese, suet or lard, yoghurt pot, string, mixing bowl, scissors. Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of a yoghurt pot. Thread string through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Leave enough string so that you can tie the pot to a tree, bird table or washing line. Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, but don't melt it. Then simply cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix them together with your finger tips. Keep adding the seed/raisin/cheese mixture and mixing it in until the fat holds it all together. Fill your yoghurt pots with bird cake mixture and put them in the fridge to set for an hour or so. Hang your speedy bird cakes from trees or your bird table. Keep an eye out for greenfinches, tits and possibly even great spotted woodpeckers. Feel free to let us know how you got on by leaving your comments here in the blog, but don't forget to visit the RSPB website to submit your findings from January 29 onwards. Gull
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RSPB celebrates 100 years in Wales
Martin Aaron
This year the RSPB celebrates100 years of working in Wales and has come a long way since its humble beginnings. The charity's work protecting birds, wildlife and habitats in Wales started in 1911 with a Mr and Mrs Jones carrying out a small project to look after roseate terns on the island of Llanddwyn, off the coast of Anglesey in North Wales. Llanddwyn Island on Anglesey. Image courtesy of the RSPB. In 1948 RSPB bought it's first nature reserve - Grassholm Island, to protect the third largest gannet colony in the UK. RSPB Cymru now manages 18 nature reserves, covering nearly 17,000 hectares and has already helped save a number of birds such as the red kite, chough and black grouse here in Wales. In 2004, the magnificent osprey nested in Wales for the first time in recorded history, sparking the beginning of the RSPB Glaslyn Osprey Project near Porthmadog. The Glaslyn osprey pair has now successfully raised 15 chicks and last year the site attracted almost 35,000 visitors. RSPB now employs 150 staff members and has over 800 volunteers; attracting over 300,000 visitors and tourists every year to its nature reserves which also offer environmental education experiences to over 9,000 children every year. Aerial view of the gannetry at the RSPB Grassholm nature reserve. Image by John Archer-Thompson, RSPB Images. RSPB Cymru Director, Katie-Jo Luxton, says: "RSPB Cymru's centenary year is something for us to really celebrate as it marks various milestones in conservation in Wales and shows what a difference we've made." "Through our increasing number of nature reserves, we're helping more and more people to enjoy the wildlife of Wales and giving them first hand experiences." "One of the key species that urgently needs our help and we will be fundraising money towards as part of our centenary celebrations, is the curlew." "An RSPB Cymru survey in 2006 showed a decline of 81% in curlew breeding numbers in Wales. It is believed this large wading bird is suffering because much of its habitat has been degraded." A curlew coming in to land in the River Dee by Ashley Cohen. To help celebrate the centenary, RSPB Cymru has also formed a partnership with Girl Guiding Cymru and as part of this, the girls will help survey birds across Wales by taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch and Volunteer Famer Alliance project. Every Girl Guide in Wales, including Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, leaders and members of the Trefoil Guild, will also spend a day at one of RSPB Cymru's nature reserves, learning about nature and taking part in different activities. To find out more about RSPB Cymru's centenary celebrations please visit www.rspb.org.uk/wales/centenary.
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It's snow joke for birds
Martin Aaron
Unless you've had your head buried in snow, you'll have already heard from Derek that a cold snap is on the way! RSPB Cymru is asking people in Wales to remember that birds also need our help to survive the harsh wintry conditions. This year it looks as though wild birds will face an earli...
