Anything For Animals

posted by admin on Jul 30

There are hundreds of wetland birds and waders - and even avid birdwatchers don’t always get them right!

So why should you try to get them right either!  Why not get really really good at identifying the basic ones first and then if you spot something different, you can take them as they come. 

If you already know the obvious birds, you can more easily spot when something is slightly different - like knowing how to identify an adult herring gull - a very common British seabird.  Identifying this bird is very easy when you know how, but without knowing this one 100%, you could find it difficult to spot a Yellow-legged gull, which is virtually identical to the Herring gull apart from - you guessed it - the yellow legs!

And believe me - if you have stared at and identified Herring gull after Herring gull - when a Yellow-legged appears - you will definitely spot it!

So, lets look at 5 wetland birds that you can easily identify, so that you can spend more time looking for those rarer birds amongst them!

The Mute Swan - Cygnus olor
The only UK swan with a bright orange bill - and it has a knob on the top to make it extra obvious!  The other 2 common swans that are resident in the UK (the whooper and Bewicks swans) have yellow and black bills.

The Mute swan is the only one of the 3 species to nest in the country too - so if you see one on a nest or being followed by a chain of cygnets - or an older cygnet on it’s own (baby swans are grey, or patchy grey and white) - it must be a Mute!

Canada Goose - Branta canadensis
Out of all the common geese visiting the UK, the Canada goose is an obvious one.  It is a large bird and has a white strap under it’s chin on a long black neck, and a black head.  It also has a lovely pale chest and underbelly.

It looks like someone has wrapped a white neckerchief under it’s chin - although it doesn’t meet at the back.  They are a very common bird throughout the year and breed here too - so will be seen with goslings.

The Eider Duck - Somateria mollissima
This - some say ugly - duck is a spectacular species (when adult male) - and strikingly black and white.  You can’t get an eider duck wrong as they have a yellow huge bill that starts right at the top of their head on top - but the sides of it are the same colour as the face with very low nostrils.  It is a very unique profile.

Once you have seen one - you won’t ever get it wrong again - and only the 1 species is commonly found in the UK - all year on the northern coastline but only in the winter to the south of the country. I love them!

The Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus
If you see a group of large black and white waders (black on top, white underneath) with a giant straight orange bill probing the sand - then it will be an oyster catcher.  These chunky birds are often seen along the tide line on many of the UK’s beaches - and they are nearly always in a small group although can be seen alone in nature reserves.

They have quite a noticeable thick beak and matching thick orange legs - slowly walking through mud or sand-flats probing their bill into the soft material. 

Avocet- Recurvirostra avosetta
This is another black and white wader, but you can’t mistake this one - and you certainly won’t get it confused with an oystercatcher!  They are mainly white all over with a black outline to it’s folded wing and a black stripe across the back of it’s head and neck - and if you can see them: blue legs!

These feisty little critters are tall dainty little things with a very noticable curved tip to it’s thin black bill - and it goes upwards!  Often seen in the wet mud or sand,  they feed by swinging their heads from side to side with the bill open and are also seen pecking at the surface.

This final species was all but extinct in the UK until recently and still found mainly in the south - and is the adopted emblem of the RSPB today!

Good Luck Twitching These 5!

posted by admin on Jul 25

This article details all you need to know as a beginner about a year in the life of a Red Fox:

Animal Type: Mammalia - Carnivora - Canidae

Species Info: There is only 1 Red Fox Species: Vulpes vulpes, however, there are around 12 species of true fox in the world, but there are around 24 other species with ‘fox’ in their name like the Bat-Eared Fox (Otocyon) and the Arctic Fox (Alopex). 

UK Distribution: Red Foxes are the only fox species to be living in the UK and are found almost everywhere in the country - particularly in towns and cities! 

Preferred Habitat:  These creatures are ground dwelling and generally nocturnal - although you will often see then during the day when they have young or are ill.

In urban areas they are known to be scavengers - although will take the odd unattended rabbit or chicken!  But in the countryside they need to be in areas of high rabbit density - but will eat fruit, berries and even fish and reptiles! 

In Spring: The Fox Cubs Start To Appear.
The cubs are born quite helpless underground in March, and at this time you will still see the male and female together - with the male bringing food back to the den for the female.  It is only about 4/5 weeks later that the young will start to leave the den as well and investigate their surroundings. 

In Summer:  The Cubs Are Training To Be Adults.
The cubs spend quite a while with their parents in the same area, learning to hunt by themselves and getting to explore the dangers of the area - it will be autumn before they are full size and able to head of alone.

Many people will find their garden filled with fox families at this time - much to the horror of some!  It is very difficult and time consuming to try to ‘get rid of’ a whole family, but why would you want to anyway!  They are very interesting to watch, and it is only for a few weeks

In Autumn:  Foxes Start To Split Up And Hunt Separately.
Not only will the male have been long gone by now, but the mother will be starting to get a little fed up with the young hanging around and sharing her food, so she will start to tell them off a lot more and try to get them to go away.  And this can lead to some noisy nights and short ‘fights’ between nighttime foxes.

The young will soon get the message, and you will start to see single foxes all over the place as the young head off in search of their own territory - so you can find them in some quite unusual places as they try to find an unoccupied area to live in.  The more food available means there can be more foxes living in an area, although in more rural areas, the young foxes may have to travel quite far to settle down.

In Winter: Pairing Up And Mating.
As the cold draws in foxes will have formed monogamous pairs and set up home in a large den - either freshly dug or having been improved from an existing smaller den.  Once settled, they will start mating around January which results in a lot of nighttime garden screeching!

Other Facts: Most Red Foxes have an average lifespan of about 3 years due to accidents and injury - although 12-14 is achievable in the right conditions!   Red Foxes can also be totally black (quite rare) or even almost white (very rare).

Fox Groups: 
UK - The Fox Website 
UK - League Against Cruel Sports

Other Information:
If you find a ’sick’ fox in your garden during the day, the best thing to do it to slowly approach it head on.  If it doesn’t move when you are within 2 feet of it - then it is really ill or seriously injured and you need to call a rescue centre to come and collect it.  If you don’t try to approach it, or it runs away when you do - then it will probably run away from a rescue centre operative when they arrive so will be a waste of time!

If it seems ‘ok’, then offer the fox some food (anything meaty) and fresh water, and leave it alone and with a clear exit (open gate) - as with the extra strength the food and water gave it, it may well then be strong enough to wander back to where it ’lives’ and leave your garden. 

posted by admin on May 25

This article details all you need to know as a beginner about a year in the life of a bat in the UK: 

Animal Type: Mammalia - Chiroptera

Species Info: There are 2 main Orders of bats in the world: Megachiroptera and Microchiroptera - but only the latter are found in the UK. 

UK Distribution:There are 17 species of Bat in the UK, with all these found in the South including the tiny Pipistrelle (only 5 grams) and the larger Daubenton’s and Noctule Bats, with only a few species found in the North.

Preferred Habitat: Around water (as this attracts their insect prey) and in quiet locations - although are quite happy to live in towns on canals or by lakes.  They need roosting sites nearby to where they feed - one for hibernating and another for summer roosting, so a variety of buildings, caves and holes in trees (or bat boxes) are essential.

In Spring:  Waking Up After Hibernation.
In early March, bats may still be hibernating but some will start to feed if necessary - however April is the month that you are most likely to start seeing many bats feeding at night in the UK.  By May there will be plenty of activity in the Bat world as the females are actively looking for communal nursery sites in which to have their young.

In Summer:  Giving Birth & Young Taking To The Skies.
The young are usually born in June (usually only 1 young per female per year).  These young stay in the nursery though most of July, building up strength until they start to leave the nest in August.  After the young have left, the females go off in search of males to mate with.

In Autumn:  Mating & Searching For A Hibernation Site.
The adult males and females spend most of September mating, as well as starting to build up fat reserves for the winter ahead by feasting on insects.  If the weather stays warm there could still be feeding into November, but when temperatures start to drop, the bats start to hibernate.

In Winter:  All UK Bats Are Hibernating.
You will rarely see a Bat through the cold winter as they will be be hibernating somewhere quiet and secure.  As the winter moves on they will stay in that place, gradually using up their fat reserves to stay alive.  Only when temperatures warm up nearing Spring will they naturally begin to stir and set out hunting again.

UK/World Events: 
May: UK National Moth & Bat Night
August: European Bat Weekend

Bat Groups:
UK - Bat Conservation Trust
US - Bat Conservation International
Other - South-East Asia Bat Conservation

Other Information:
Bats in the UK are protected by strict laws and you can be liable for a fine of up to £5000 and possible imprisonment per incident or ‘per bat’ if you deliberately capture, injure or kill a bat, destroy a roost - even if not in use, or intentionally block access to a bat roost.  So call an expert if in doubt!

posted by admin on May 20

Scruffts is the alternative dog show - where there isn’t a pedigree dog in sight!

Take your shaggy hound or your short-haired long-legged crossbreed along to the heats - and you could be best in show! There are heats across the country throughout the year, and the final is held at Discover Dogs in November 2010.

You could be there!

There are 4 classes for you to enter, and of course you need to make sure that your dog qualifies for Scruffts in the first place, and then each of the classes.

Your Dog:
For obvious reason your dog can’t be a pedigree dog - as that is what Crufts is for! - but your dog does need to be a ‘crossbreed’ rather than just a ‘mongrel’.  The difference being that a mongrel is a dog of unknown parentage - whereas according to the official definition - “A Crossbreed dog is a dog of mixed blood, whose parents are of two different breeds, or a mixture of several breeds” - taken from the official Kennel Club ‘Scruffts’ Website.

Yes, Scruffts is also run by the Kennel Club (as is Crufts) and they are very strict on the rules here too! So you need to deal with them in a professional manner and act according to their rules and regulations - like your dog being at least 6 months old for starters!

You don’t need to have your dog registered with the Kennel Club before you can enter the 2010 Heats for Scruffts, so just get started by finding out where your local heats are being held - take your £1 entry fee - and get started!

The Classes:
There are 4 basic classes for the competition, with the winners from each class, going on to the overall final:  The Scruffts Champion!

Your dog will not be eligible for all the classes as they are covering different things, and your choice are really limited to the age and sex of your dog.

Most Handsome Crossbreed Dog
Males Crossbreeds over 6 months but under 7 years of age.  Any handler.

Prettiest Crossbreed Bitch
Female Crossbreeds over 6 months but under 7 years. Any handler.

Child’s Best Friend
Any Dog or Bitch over 6 months but under 12 years. Handler must be between 6 and 16 years old.

Golden Oldie Crossbreed
Any Dog or Bitch 8 years and over.  Any handler. 

What Are They Judged On?
It is important to realise that they are not being judged on bone structure and how they hold their tail - like at Crufts, they are being judged on their ability to be a great dog!

For example, the judges will be looking for Good Health, Good Character and Good Temperament with other people and dogs!

So as long as your dog is perfectly turned out, full of beans and very friendly - then you are in with a good chance of winning - and 1st, 2nd and 3rd places of each heat win a rosette - and although only the winner is guaranteed a place in the Scruffts final, if they can’t make it the runners-up could be asked to attend instead!

So you could come third in the heat - but still win the show!

Get Going!
The heats are already underway for the 2010 competition - so get straight to the official Heat Website, and find out if you still have time to prepare for the show!

Buy a new collar and lead, give the dog a trim or a shampoo, cut those nails and dig out your best outfit as well!

Good Luck!

posted by admin on Jan 31

This weekend saw the annual garden bird count get underway - and I had great fun!

I chose to help with 3 counts, as I love watching the birds - and I like to practice my identification skills!  I did my garden, which is a large lawn an orchard next to a wildlife reserve in a small village, my niece’s garden which is a huge lawned garden in suburbia, and finally my friends tiny town garden that she uses to grow vegetables in.

And surprisingly, she got the most species visiting her garden!

I couldn’t believe the numbers and the types of birds she got hopping around her garden and surrounding hedges - and I only watched out the window for and hour!  She had wrens, pied wagtails, song thrushes, starlings and house sparrows, along with blackbirds, robins, crows, collared doves, wood pigeons, magpies, blue tits and seagulls!

My countryside garden did get a great spotted woodpecker, but everything else was the expected species.  Bit unfortunate really as we have seen redwings, bullfinches, partridges, long-tailed tits and even red kites in the garden over the past few weeks - yet for the survey, they all stayed away!

My nieces garden got some standard fare, but nothing that wasn’t seen in the other 2 gardens.  However, the added bonus of doing this garden was that I was able to teach her some of the names of the species we saw!  She was very interested in the count for the whole hour, and came away knowing blackbirds, magpies and wood pigeons (and that caterpillars turn into butterflies!).  Not bad for a 3 year old!

What Else Can You Do?

This survey is only done in January every year, but there are other surveys and birds counts you can get involved in throughout the year in the UK with the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and the BTO (British Trust for Ornithology) by just learning to identify the most common species native to this country.

There are no doubt surveys across other countries by their national bird-loving charities and organisations, and by joining them (usually for a few £’s or $’s a month) you may well get some books or booklets on local birds and how to identify native and migrating species.

This way - even if you don’t stand outside and count birds every year, you are helping others to do just that.  You will be funding research into common and endangered species in your country and around the world.

Now that can’t be a bad thing!