Animal World

16/06/2022

The bearded tit is a Schedule 1 species. They are brown, long-tailed birds, usually seen flying rapidly across the top of a reedbed. Males have black 'moustaches' rather than 'beards'.

11/06/2022

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. Its colonization followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor.

11/06/2022

Lapland buntings are lightly larger than a reed bunting with a well-marked head pattern, chestnut nape and chestnut wing panel. It spends most of its time on the ground and is often seen in small flocks. Occasional birds are seen in Scotland in the summer, when males have a striking black crown, face and throat. It is listed as a Schedule 1 species under The Wildlife and Countryside Act offering it additional protection.

11/06/2022

The Leach's petrel is a starling-sized seabird. These birds are all black underneath and mostly black above, apart from a white rump. It has a forked tail. The white rump has a black line down it.

08/06/2022

Kestrels are a familiar sight with their pointed wings and long tail, hovering beside a roadside verge. Numbers of kestrels have declined since the 1970s, probably as a result of changes in farming and so it is included on the Amber List.

08/06/2022

The great crested grebe is a delightfully elegant waterbird with ornate head plumes which led to its being hunted for its feathers, almost leading to its extermination from the UK. They dive to feed and also to escape, preferring this to flying. On land they are clumsy because their feet are placed so far back on their bodies. They have an elaborate courtship display in which they rise out of the water and shake their heads. Very young grebes often ride on their parents' backs.

06/06/2022

04/06/2022

This small grebe has beautiful golden tufts of feathers on its face, contrasting with its black head and neck. Its steep forehead makes its head look 'peaked'. A rare breeding bird, it is also uncommon in winter.