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| Scrub at the top of the Cley Spy meadow. |
Inspired by Gail
Quartly-Bishop (@gailqb) starting the #gardenlist2014 on Twitter and
@Susie_WFE taking up the challenge, I have started compiling a list
of every identifiable species in our hay meadow. The area is around
half an acre, consisting mostly of wild flower meadow and includes a pond and some
low scrub at the far end. This may not technically be a garden, but is a
relatively small area with great potential for some interesting
species of all kinds.
Pan-listing
(identifying and recording everything you see) is a great way to
broaden your natural history horizons and makes it possible to find
interest in just about anything in your garden or local patch. So
what ever the weather or when there are no birds about, there is
always something new and interesting in almost any location. I myself hope this exercise will be a great way to improve my knowledge of groups of organisms that I have not looked at in detail before.
So far I have jotted
down this year's bird list and a few plants and animals found on a
quick scan. Hopefully many more to come time, weather and ID skills
permitting.
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| Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) |
- Brambling (Fringilla montifringilla) – A nice start to proceedings, feeding on the seed mix we put on the ground.
- Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs)
- Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis)
- Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris)
- Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) – Over the winter we have had a flock of over 150 of these talkative finches.
- Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus)
- Great tit (Parus major)
- Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto)
- Wood pigeon (Columba palumbus)
Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) – A young male occasionally causes a bit of stir amongst the next species when he zooms in.- House sparrow (Passer domesticus) – We are fortunate to have a good flock of these chirping away in the hedges and on the buildings around the yard.
- Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) – A bit exciting this one, a cracking male drifted across the field delighting the customers who were testing binoculars at the time.
- Dunnock (Prunella modularis)
- Common buzzard (Buteo buteo) – Our local population is starting to display over the woods on the hill in preparation for spring.
Blackbird (Turdus merula)Blackbird (Turdus merula)- Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
- Black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus)
- Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)
- Pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus)
- Feral pigeon (Columba livia)
- Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
- Reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
- Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)
- Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)
- Jackdaw (Corvus monedula)Now for the plants...
- Common reed (Phragmites australis)
- Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
- Dog rose (Rosa canina)
- English oak (Quercus robur) – These were planted around ten years ago along with some hawthorn at the top of the meadow.
- Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
- Wild strawberry (Potentilla vesca)
- Alexander (Smyrnium olusatrum)
- Stinging nettle (Urtica dioica)
- Colt's foot (Tussilago Farfara)
- Weld (Reseda luteola)And the animals
- Common frog (Rana temporaria)
- Brown rat ( Rattus norvegicus) – One dead in the middle of the meadow. Part eaten by something...
And one more this morning singing its heart out in the clear blue sky...
38. Skylark
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