As well as a wide array of interesting plants growing along the Greenway, we are lucky to see many species of wildlife thriving in the wildlife corridor that the Greenway has created.
After the success of the What’s Growing on the Greenway we noticed that our vigilant Greenway users started to send in some stunning images of wildlife caught while out exploring. Through these images, we have a glimpse into the lives of swans, mallards, squirrels, robins, herons, egrets and even the illusive Kingfisher to name only a few.
If you are out and about on the greenway early on a Wednesday morning, you may have spotted some women equipped with binoculars and notepads. Since April 2023, myself and staff/ volunteers have been out twice a month, spotting birds at either The Hollow or in Orangefield Park.
Initially inspired by our monthly bird-walks with Sorrel from the BTO, we get up at the crack of dawn to watch for and listen to the diverse and abundant birdlife on the greenway.
We have paid attention to the seasonal changes – the birdsong is super-noisy in the spring, and much less noisy as autumn approaches. On our October birdwatches it has been very quiet, though the long-tailed tits at The Hollow still had plenty to chat about!
In the spring we delighted in watching a family of grey wagtails fishing at The Hollow. Earlier on, the three chicks are very dependent on parent birds for food, but as the months went by, we saw them finding food for themselves, often with a parent close by.
We have been bombarded by a posse of long tailed tits chattering away as they fly through the trees beside us.
We have been thrilled as goldcrests have flown so close they almost touched our heads.
We are still waiting to see a great spotted woodpecker in Orangefield Park, though we have heard it!
We have loved seeing chicks in the spring. Great tits, robins, goldcrests, goldfinches, hooded crows; because they look adorable and it’s so uplifting to observe new life.
Did you know that you can upload your bird spots to BTO’s BirdTrack app? That is what we have done from the beginning, and that enables us to see at a glance on any date how many birds and different species we have seen/ heard. So far, our best record for species has been 25.
You might have noticed that birds have been getting a bit noisier this month! We certainly heard a lot more chatter on our January birdwatches at The Hollow and Orangefield Park. In fact, at Orangefield Jess & I identified a record twenty-four different species, including a couple of redwings for the first time.
A couple of days ago I noticed a pair of mallards head-bowing to each other on the Connswater. Most garden birds sing to attract a mate, but ducks prefer to dance! I understand they pair up in autumn, but now is the time they start to get ready to mate with each other. Look out for bobbing mallards when you’re out on the greenway.
If you completed the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, you will be waiting patiently for the results. It is a real pleasure to sit and watch for birds for an hour – you obviously see so much more. I was very happy to spot 2 greenfinches on my watch, and jess identified 18 species in her garden this year.
Did you know that the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) are interested in your garden bird spots all year round? Go to their website, create your login details & look for the Garden Birdwatch page. You can send records in weekly, which obviously helps the BTO build a picture of garden sightings all over the UK.
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