Glen Parva and Glenhills Nature Reserve

Key to the list at the end of each section:
Black - Bio Blitz 2015 not photographed	Blue - Bio Blitz 2015 photographed
Red - photographed & identified by Volunteers	Green - from NatureSpot
All pictures are taken on the reserve.
Hover over the following pictures to enlarge

Birds

	Birds (Aves) are a group of vertebrates which evolved from dinosaurs. They are endothermic, with feathers. Modern birds are toothless: they have beaked jaws. They lay hard-shelled eggs. They have a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart and a strong yet lightweight skeleton. Birds are the closest living relatives of the Crocodilia. The fossil record shows that birds evolved from feathered theropod dinosaurs.
	Blackbird - Turdus merula John F Oct 2016 Blackbirds are ground feeders pulling worms and pecking at insects and berries at the bottom of hedgerows. The males are all black and the females all brown except for the yellow-orange eye ring and beak. Breeding males establish their territories early in the year with rich warbling songs, and a pair may hold their territory throughout the year if the climate is favourable.Blackbirds are one of the commonest birds in Britain and there are thought to be over four million breeding pairs, although their numbers have suffered in the last 25 years. Albino blackbirds are not uncommon and many have white patches of feathers. Completely white individuals seldom survive, as they are more conspicuous to predators.
	Blackcap (male) - Sylvia atricapilla John F April 2017 A distinctive greyish warbler, the male has a black cap, and the female a chestnut one. Its delightful fluting song has earned it the name 'northern nightingale'. Although primarily a summer visitor birds from Germany and north-east Europe are increasingly spending the winter in the UK. The Blackcap's alarm call, "tacc", sounds like two pebbles striking one another. Its song is rich and varied warble, usually starting with a chattering and finishing with a flourish of flute-like notes. Blackcaps usually pick insects, such as caterpillars, flies and spiders from among the shrubs and trees during the breeding season. At other times, and particularly in the winter, they feed on fruit, such as berries.
	Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus John F November 2016 Not really a black-headed bird, more chocolate-brown - in fact, for much of the year, it has a white head. It is most definitely not a 'seagull' and is found commonly almost anywhere inland. Black-headed gulls are sociable, quarrelsome, noisy birds, usually seen in small groups or flocks, often gathering into larger parties where there is plenty of food, or when they are roosting. Top winter plumage and bottom summer.
	Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus John Ellis Blue Tits are small birds with strong bills. One of the most noticeable features is the strong head pattern; the dark blue-black eyestripe and the brighter blue ‘skull cap’ are set against the white cheeks and forehead. The blue-green back becomes a brighter blue on the wings, while the underside is a bright lemon yellow. Although male Blue Tits are usually brighter in colour than the females, this difference is often not apparent in the field. Young Blue Tits are duller in appearance than the adults and have pale yellow, rather than white, cheeks.
	Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula John F January 2017 Female on the left and the male on the right. They are relatively recent users of our garden feeders, having been attracted to feeders by sunflower and other seeds. Seeds make up most of their diet and they favour plants like ash, elm and common nettle, but they do take insects when feeding their young. They favour deciduous woodland, but have been increasing in gardens since the late 1990s. In late winter/early spring, when the supply of seeds runs low, bullfinches turn to the buds of fruiting trees. They prefer flower buds over leaf buds as these are more nutritious, and can eat up to 30 buds a minute!
	Buzzard - Buteo buteo John Ellis The buzzard is a one of the commonest and most widespread birds of prey in the UK and the rest of Europe. It can be seen flying at any time of the year and its presence may also be given away by its plaintive, cat-like “pee-uu” call. They can grow over 50cm long with a wingspan of up to 137cm. The wings are broad and round with finger-like feathers at their ends. The buzzard is very variable in colour, but is most commonly a mid-brown, with a paler “V” on its breast. The upper wings are dark brown and the lower wings are brown at their front, with paler flight feathers behind. This one is being harassed by a Crow
	Carrion Crow - Corvus corone John F The Carrion Crow is a black crow, about the same size as a Rook, but unlike the Rook, the Carrion Crow has neatly feathered thighs, and feathers around the base of the beak. While at first appearance its plumage is black, on closer inspection it has a green and purple iridescence. In flight, the Carrion Crow has a shorter head than the Rook, as well as having slower wing beats. The tail is squarer in the Carrion Crow, and the "fingers" at the wing tips are less splayed.
	Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs John F Feb 2017 The chaffinch is the UK's second commonest breeding bird, and is arguably the most colourful of the UK's finches. Its patterned plumage helps it to blend in when feeding on the ground and it becomes most obvious when it flies, revealing a flash of white on the wings and white outer tail feathers. It does not feed openly on bird feeders - it prefers to hop about under the bird table or under the hedge. You'll usually hear chaffinches before you see them, with their loud song and varied calls.
	Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita John F March 2017 A small olive-brown warbler which actively flits through trees and shrubs, with a distinctive tail-wagging movement. Less bright than the similar willow warbler and readily distinguished by its song, from where it gets its name. Picks insects from trees and also flies out to snap them up in flight. All year round, but most arrive in late March and depart in August and September.
	Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto John F January 2017 Collared doves are a pale, pinky-brown grey colour, with a distinctive black neck collar (as the name suggests). They have deep red eyes and reddish feet. Their monotonous cooing will be a familiar sound to many of you. Although you'll often see them on their own or in pairs, flocks may form where there is a lot of food available. The Collared Dove arrived in Great Britain by 1953 (breeding for the first time in 1956) and Ireland in 1959.
	Coot - Fulica atra with chicks John F June 2020 All-black and larger than its cousin, the moorhen, the coot has a distinctive white beak and 'shield' above the beak which earns it the title 'bald'. Its feet have distinctive lobed flaps of skin on the toes which act in the same way as webbed feet when swimming. It patters noisily over the water before taking off and can be very aggressive towards others.
	Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo John F February 2017 A large and conspicuous waterbird, the cormorant has an almost primitive appearance with its long neck making it appear almost reptilian. It is often seen standing with its wings held out to dry. Regarded by some as black, sinister and greedy, cormorants are supreme fishers which can bring them into conflict with anglers and they have been persecuted in the past. The UK holds internationally important wintering numbers. Usually seen flying over the nature reserve.
	Dunnock - Prunella modularis John F February 2017 A small brown and grey bird. Quiet and unobtrusive, it is often seen on its own, creeping along the edge of a flower bed or near to a bush, moving with a rather nervous, shuffling gait, often flicking its wings as it goes. When two rival males come together they become animated with lots of wing-flicking and loud calling.
	Goldcrest - Regulus regulus John F Mar 2017 The goldcrest is a very small passerine bird in the kinglet family. Its colourful golden crest feathers gives rise to its English and scientific names, and possibly to it being called the "king of the birds" in European folklore. Once known as the golden-crested wren, the goldcrest is not only Britain’s smallest bird, but the smallest in the western Palearctic. The average weight is around 5-6g; a wren weighs 7-12g. Goldcrests are widespread throughout much of Europe, but in southern Europe are largely replaced by the similar firecrest. Immigrants arrive in Britain from late August through to early November, departing the following March and April.
	Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis John F Feb 2017 A highly coloured finch with a bright red face and yellow wing patch. Sociable, often breeding in loose colonies, they have a delightful liquid twittering song and call. Their long fine beaks allow them to extract otherwise inaccessible seeds from thistles and teasels. Increasingly they are visiting birdtables and feeders. In winter many UK goldfinches migrate as far south as Spain.
	Greater Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major Karen O'Connell About blackbird-sized and striking black-and-white. It has a very distinctive bouncing flight and spends most of its time clinging to tree trunks and branches, often trying to hide on the side away from the observer. Its presence is often announced by its loud call or by its distinctive spring 'drumming' display. The male has a distinctive red patch on the back of the head and young birds have a red crown. They eat insects, seeds and nuts.
	Great Tit - Parus major John Ellis The Great Tit has all the characters of the other tits and is unmistakable, given its large, robust size, relatively heavy bill and domed head. The head pattern shows a black cap (glossy in males), neck collar and bib set against white cheeks. The back is green turning blue-grey towards the rump and tail and on to the wings. The underside is a bright lemon yellow with a central black stripe running down from the throat. This black stripe is wider and more strongly developed in males than it is in females. Sometimes in the field you can see that in the male the black stripe extends across the belly to the base of both legs, while in the female it is not so broad and does not reach the legs.
	Greenfinch - Carduelis chloris John F February 2017 A common countryside bird found in woods and hedges, but mostly found close to man on farmland and in parks, town and village gardens and orchards. Only absent from upland areas without trees and bushes. Greenfinch populations declined during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but increased dramatically during the 1990s. A recent decline in numbers has been linked to an outbreak of trichomonosis, a parasite-induced disease which prevents the birds from feeding properly.
	Green Woodpecker - Picus viridis Sue & Roy June 2017 The green woodpecker is the largest of the three woodpeckers that breed in Britain. It has a heavy-looking body, short tail and a strong, long bill. It is green on its upperparts with a paler belly, bright yellow rump and red on the top of its head. The black 'moustache' has a red centre in males. They have an undulating flight and a loud, laughing call. What they eat - Ants, ants, and more ants. They use their strong beak to dig into ant colonies and eat the inhabitants.
	Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea John F May 2017 Grey herons are unmistakeable: tall, with long legs, a long beak and grey, black and white feathering. They can stand with their neck stretched out, looking for food, or hunched down with their neck bent over their chest. It has a slow flight, with its long neck retracted (S-shaped). They eat lots of fish, but also small birds such as ducklings, small mammals like voles, and amphibians. After harvesting, grey herons can sometimes be seen in fields, looking for rodents.
	House Sparrow - Passer domesticus John F Jan 2017 Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful exploiters of man's rubbish and wastefulness, have managed to colonise most of the world. The ultimate avian opportunist perhaps. Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations. Whilst the decline in England continues, Breeding Bird Survey data indicate recent population increases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	Jackdaw - Corvus monedula John F January 2017 The smallest member of the crow family, which also includes raven, carrion crow and jay. Like most of their cousins, jackdaws are just as much at home in farmland and woodland, as they are in urban landscapes. The latter is thanks to their adaptability and intelligence. They are highly intelligent and social, and easily pick up tricks and new skills in the wild as well as in captivity. Once a tame jackdaw was trained by some Italian thieves to steal money from cash machines but it’s more common to see them working out how to gain access to bird feeders! Jackdaws form strong pair bonds with their mates and are renowned for their devotion towards their partner. Even if they suffer from a few years of unsuccessful breeding, they still stay together, potentially due to the fact that they have invested so much time and energy into trying to raise young together.
	Kestrel - Falco tinnunculus John F Jan 2017 A familiar sight with its pointed wings and long tail, hovering beside a roadside verge. Numbers of kestrels declined in the 1970s, probably as a result of changes in farming and so it is included on the Amber List. They have adapted readily to man-made environments and can survive right in the centre of cities. They are a familiar sight, hovering beside a motorway, or other main road. They can often be seen perched on a high tree branch, or on a telephone post or wire, on the look out for prey.
	Little Egret - Egretta garzetta John F Oct 2017 The little egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. The yellow or greenish-yellow feet of the little egret are characteristic of this small heron, the coloration developing while the young are still in the nest. They usually feed in fairly shallow water, moving forward with slow and deliberate steps, interspersed with frequent halts. It is during these stops that an egret may extend one leg forward and, with a rapid vibrating motion, stir up the muddy or vegetated bottom of the water in which it is hunting. This action disturbs hidden prey, such as small fish, amphibians or invertebrates, flushing them into the open where the sharp-eyed bird can strike at them. It is thought that the yellow feet aid this process, being more obvious to potential prey than all dark feet would be in this sediment-filled water.
	Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus Karen O'Connell (& John F Jan 2017) The long-tailed tit is easily recognisable with its distinctive colouring, a tail that is bigger than its body, and undulating flight. Gregarious and noisy residents, long-tailed tits are most usually noticed in small, excitable flocks of about 20 birds. Like most tits, they rove the woods and hedgerows, but are also seen on heaths and commons with suitable bushes. They mainly eat insects, occasionally seeds in autumn and winter.
	Magpie - Pica pica John F January 2017 With its noisy chattering, black-and-white plumage and long tail, there is nothing else quite like the magpie in the UK. When seen close-up its black plumage takes on an altogether more colourful hue with a purplish-blue iridescent sheen to the wing feathers, and a green gloss to the tail. Magpies seem to be jacks of all trades - scavengers, predators and pest-destroyers, their challenging, almost arrogant attitude has won them few friends. Non-breeding birds will gather together in flocks The magpie nest - John F March 2018 .
	Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos (Male top & Female bottom) John F March 2018 The mallard is a large and heavy looking duck. It has a long body and a long and broad bill. The male has a dark green head, a yellow bill, is mainly purple-brown on the breast and grey on the body. The female is mainly brown with an orange bill. It is the commonest duck and most widespread so you have a chance of seeing it just about anywhere where there is suitable wetland habitat, even in urban areas. They eat seeds, acorns and berries, plants, insects and shellfish.The female is mainly brown with an orange bill.
	Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus John F March 2018 This bird is common to much of Europe, Asia and North Africa. It is a large thrush with pale grey-brown upperparts, a greyish-white chin and throat, and black spots on its pale yellow and off-white underparts. The sexes are similar in plumage, and its three subspecies show only minimal differences. The male has a loud, far-carrying song which is delivered even in wet and windy weather, earning the bird the old name of "stormcock". Found in open woods, parks, hedges and cultivated land, the mistle thrush feeds on a wide variety of invertebrates, seeds and berries. Its preferred fruits including those of the mistletoe, holly and yew. Mistletoe is favoured where it is available, and this is reflected in the thrush's English and scientific names; the plant, a parasitic species, benefits from its seeds being excreted by the thrush onto branches where they can germinate. In winter, a mistle thrush will vigorously defend mistletoe clumps or a holly tree as a food reserve for when times are hard
	Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus John F 2017 Moorhens are blackish with a red and yellow beak and long, green legs. Seen closer-up, they have a dark brown back and wings and a more bluish-black belly, with white stripes on the flanks. They can be found around any pond, lake, stream or river, or even ditches in farmland. Moorhens can live in cities as well as the countryside. They eat water plants, seeds, fruit, grasses, insects, snails, worms and small fish. Not to be confused with Coot or Water Rail, Juvenile below Sue & Roy 20140706 This is a bird sighting that gets many people confused because there is no picture of it in their bird book. It doesn't look like a Water Rail or a Coot nor even it's parent the Moorhen.
	Mute Swan - Cygnus olor John F December 2016 Mute swan subfossils, 6,000 years old, have been found in post-glacial peat beds of East Anglia. The mute swan is a very large white waterbird. It has a long S-shaped neck, and an orange bill with black at the base of it. Flies with its neck extended and regular slow wingbeats. The population in the UK has increased recently, perhaps due to better protection of this species. The problem of lead poisoning on lowland rivers has also largely been solved by a ban on the sale of lead fishing weights. Young birds, called cygnets, are not the bright white of mature adults, and their bill is dull greyish-black, not orange, for the first year. The down may range from pure white to grey to buff, with grey/buff the most common.
	Nuthatch - Sitta europaea John Ellis The Nuthatch is fairly easy to recognise. It is steely grey-blue above, pinky buff below and has a prominent black eyetstripe, white chin and dark, dagger-like bill. Nuthatches are busy and agile birds, typically seen working their way down a tree trunk searching for food. Mud is plastered around the entrance, side and roof of the nest cavity. When using nest boxes, they usually plaster mud around the entrance hole and boxes should therefore be opened with care.
	Red Kite - Milvus milvus John F May 2017 OK the picture isn't great but you can just make out the grey on it's wings and there aren't many raptors in the UK with a forked tail. I've seen a couple of them about over Glen Parva recently. This magnificently graceful bird of prey is unmistakable with its reddish-brown body, angled wings and deeply forked tail. It was saved from national extinction by one of the world's longest running protection programmes, and has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland.
	Redwing - Turdus iliacus John F March 2018 Some redwings come from Iceland to winter in Scotland and Ireland. Others come from Russia and Scandinavia to winter in southern England and further south in Europe. The first redwings reach the UK in October. They spend the autumn in hedges and orchards, where they feed on fruit and berries. As winter draws on, and the fruit is used up, they move onto open areas in search of earthworms. In spring, redwings leave the UK for their northern breeding territories, where they nest low down in boggy woodland and birch forest. Many redwings that spent the winter in Spain and southern Europe also stop off in eastern England to refuel as they head back north. Each year, a few pairs remain to breed in Scotland.
	Robin - Erithacus rubecula Karen O'Connell The UK's favourite bird - with its bright red breast it is familiar throughout the year and especially at Christmas! Males and females look identical, and young birds have no red breast and are spotted with golden brown. Robins sing nearly all year round and despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders. They will sing at night next to street lights. They eat worms, seeds, fruits and insects.
	Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos John F May 2017 A familiar and popular garden songbird whose numbers are declining seriously, especially on farmland making it a Red List species. Smaller and browner than a mistle thrush with smaller spotting. Its habit of repeating song phrases distinguish it from singing blackbirds. It likes to eat snails which it breaks into by smashing them against a stone with a flick of the head, it also likes worms and fruit.
	Starling - Sturnus vulgaris John F 2nd June 2020 Smaller than blackbirds, with a short tail, pointed head, triangular wings, starlings look black at a distance but when seen closer they are very glossy with a sheen of purples and greens. Their flight is fast and direct and they walk and run confidently on the ground. Noisy and gregarious, starlings spend a lot of the year in flocks. Still one of the commonest of garden birds, its decline elsewhere makes it a Red List species.
	Swift - Apus apus John Ellis June 2020 The swift is a medium-sized aerial bird, which is a superb flier. It evens sleeps on the wing! It is plain sooty brown, but in flight against the sky it appears black. It has long, scythe-like wings and a short, forked tail. It is a summer visitor, breeding across the UK, but most numerously in the south and east. It winters in Africa.
	Treecreeper - Certhia familiaris John F Mar 2017 The treecreeper is a bird that many people have not seen but with over 200,000 breeding territories in the UK, it is a lot more common than you might think. It is rarely reported in gardens, but not necessarily because it isn’t there. A quiet, unobtrusive bird, it blends in with its habitat and rarely ventures out to bird feeders. Treecreepers are more likely to be found in gardens between November and April, probably due to the fact that they are more conspicuous in the winter when there are no leaves on the trees. They are solitary, sedentary birds – you’d be lucky to see more than a pair. Once a treecreeper establishes a territory, it tends to stay within the boundaries. Ringing research in Nottinghamshire found that the treecreepers studied did not usually venture further than 500m. A local West Country name for the treecreeper is the ‘tree mouse’, which suits it perfectly.It climbs up tree trunks in a ‘mouse-like’ manner, supported by its long, stiff tail.Unlike the nuthatch, it can’t climb back down head first. It has to hop down backwards due to its tail getting in the way so will often choose to fly down instead. If a treecreeper is disturbed, it generally freezes on the tree trunk. Its black and brown mottled plumage provides camouflage and makes it look like the bark of a tree. In my experience, the species has an annoying habit of avoiding you by moving quickly to the other side of the tree the minute you spot one. In Britain, the treecreeper traditionally favours broadleaved woodland, though it is found in many other habitats. The treecreeper’s song and call is high-pitched and easily missed, sounding almost insect-like with a ‘see-see-see’ call.
	Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus John F The UK's largest and commonest pigeon, it is largely grey with a white neck patch and white wing patches, clearly visible in flight. Although shy in the countryside it can be tame and approachable in towns and cities. Its cooing call is a familiar sound in woodlands as is the loud clatter of its wings when it flies away. They eat crops like cabbages, sprouts, peas and grain. Also buds, shoots, seeds, nuts and berries.
	Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes John F Oct 2016 Wrens are stocky, restless birds that are easily recognised by their rich brown plumage and short cocked tail which they flick repeatedly. The upperparts and flanks have dark barring and the pale eyebrow (supercilium) is prominent. The underparts are paler with grey barring. The bill is brownish and the legs are flesh-brown. Juveniles look similar to adults but the eyebrow may not be as prominent until they get their adult plumage. In flight, its wing beats are rapid and it usually flies short distances and in a straight line.
Bio Blitz ------ 26-06-2015 blue & black Blackbird - Turdus merula Blackcap - Sylvia atricapilla Black-headed Gull - Chroicocephalus ridibundus Blue Tit - Cyanistes caeruleus Bullfinch - Pyrrhula pyrrhula Buzzard - Buteo buteo Carrion Crow - Corvus corone Chaffinch - Fringilla coelebs Chiffchaff - Phylloscopus collybita Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto Cormorant - Phalacrocorax carbo Coot - Fulica atra Dunnock - Prunella modularis Garden Warbler - Sylvia borin Goldcrest - Regulus regulus Goldfinch - Carduelis carduelis Great Spotted Woodpecker - Dendrocopos major Great Tit - Parus major Green Woodpecker - Picus viridis Greenfinch - Chloris chloris Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea House Sparrow - Passer domesticus	Jackdaw - Corvus monedula Kesterel - Falco tinnunculus Lesser Black-backed Gull - Larus fuscus Lesser whitethroat - Sylvia curruca Little Egret - Egretta garzetta Long-tailed Tit - Aegithalos caudatus Magpie - Pica pica Mallard - Anas platyrhynchos Mistle Thrush - Turdus viscivorus Moorhen - Gallinula chloropus Mute Swan - Cygnus olor Nuthatch - Sitta europaea Red Kite - Milvus milvus Redwing - Turdus iliacus Robin - Erithacus rubecula Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos Sparrowhawk - Accipiter nisus Starling - Sturnus vulgaris Swallow - Hirundo rustica Swift - Apus apus Tree Creeper - Certhia familiaris Whitethroat - Sylvia communis Willow Warbler - Phylloscopus trochilus Wood Pigeon - Columba palumbus Wren - Troglodytes troglodytes
Added by John F Jay - Garrulus glandarius Kingfisher - Alcedo atthis Added by Jools Partridge Barn Owl - Tyto alba Added by John Ellis Nuthatch - Sitta europaea	Added by Harry Ball Common Tern - Sterna hirunda Coot - Fulica atra Fieldfare - Turdus pilaris Garden Warbler - Sylvia borin Little Grebe - Tacchybaptus ruff

Glen Parva & Glenhills Nature Reserve - Species List

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