http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/ en BCahn@nottswt.co.uk Copyright 2012 2012-05-17T11:40:46+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/were-100-new-video/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/were-100-new-video/#When:13:49:23Z Happy Birthday to The Wildlife Trusts - we're 100 today! Check out this video message from our President - TV Wildlife Expert Simon King, recorded this morning especially for us...   2012-05-16T13:49:23+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/gedling-peregrines-updates/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/gedling-peregrines-updates/#When:10:40:46Z It’s Peregrine frenzy as the eggs laid by a pair of peregrine falcons on the church tower at All Hallows have hatched. In the latest video (12th May) there are 2 chicks, with a possible third appearing to lie at their feet. The Peregrines did not breed last year, probably because they were too young but this year a nest box and a video cam was put in the place, provided jointly by the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and All Hallows Church, to record their activities. The little ones are getting on nicely with clips of the mother and father feeding their brood. Click here, to catch all the latest clips of the Gedling Peregrines since the story began at the end of March! 2012-05-17T10:40:46+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/check-out-our-free-events-calendar/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/check-out-our-free-events-calendar/#When:09:05:46Z A supplement to the What’s On booklet, our free, downloadable events calendar will make sure you never forget a date again! Stick it on your fridge, on your wall, place it anywhere you like, it’s a convenient new way for you to find out what’s happening at your Local Nature Reserve. Click below and download your event calendar for: May events at Attenborough May events at our other Nature Reserves June events at Attenborough June events at Idle Valley Family events in June 2012-05-10T09:05:46+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/strawberry-hill-to-get-a-facelift/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/strawberry-hill-to-get-a-facelift/#When:08:30:44Z Over the next two years, Strawberry Hill Heath Nature Reserve has been given funding to be restored to its original beauty. This special habitat is known as lowland heathland is typically a landscape recognised for the bright purple heathers that scatter open grassy areas. Since 1800, Nottinghamshire has lost 90% of the original heathland that covered a vast area; Robin Hood’s Sherwood Forest would have been made up of clear heathland – not just dense trees as we imagine it. Agriculture and forestry management has meant that this has been gradually destroyed. This is very important not only locally but globally due to its rarity; surprisingly one fifth of the remaining lowland heathland of this type is actually found in the UK! We hope that this project will help to encourage the regeneration of lowland heathland and protect its important species such as the nightjar , which is a species under threat globally, and the common lizard.  We will also be delivering an education programme for young people from schools and other groups from the Nottingham area, with activities including practical conservation tasks. The programme aims to help connect young people to the value, history and future of our local landscape.  The project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund scheme which helps Sites of Special Scientific Interest; we hope that the work at Strawberry Hill Heath will play a big part in continuing to educate young people on the value of our rare habitat.   2012-05-10T08:30:44+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/blue-tit-cam-now-live-online/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/blue-tit-cam-now-live-online/#When:15:41:17Z We now have a special blue tit nest box webcam for your viewing pleasure, as well as our popular Peregrine Cam! Fitted at the Attenborough Nature Reserve a few weeks ago, things certainly looked promising with the blue tit laying an impressive eleven eggs. Over the weekend several have now hatched - so Mrs Bluetit has many hungry mouthes to feed! Curious viewers will be able to see all the ins and outs on the special camera by visiting the Attenborough Nature Reserve’s website at www.attenboroughnaturecentre.co.uk/sightings   2012-05-07T15:41:17+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/birdsong-with-breakfast-for-wildlife-gardeners/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/birdsong-with-breakfast-for-wildlife-gardeners/#When:12:42:23Z As Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust celebrates International Dawn Chorus Day (Sunday 6 May) gardeners who bring birdsong into their backyards have the chance to win prizes in the process... Whilst television producers search for ‘The Voice UK’, garden birds are battling it out to be the loudest and proudest in their quest to attract mates and mark territory.  Spring is when the dawn chorus is at its peak, generally during the first hour after sunrise. Resident UK species like blackbird and song thrush can be heard, along with summer visitors including chiffchaff and nightingale. The dawn chorus is one of nature’s greatest events and gardeners can host it by creating space for songbirds on their patch. Through providing food, water, shelter and the right plants, gardens can be transformed into territory worth fighting for. The Big Wildlife Garden Competition has been created to recognise the importance of individuals’ action for nature. It is run by The Wildlife Trusts and the RHS, with funding from The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). To find out how to enter visit www.bigwildlifegarden.org.uk. Morag Shuaib, The Wildlife Trusts’ Big Wildlife Garden Awards Project Manager, said: “It’s not just wildlife that benefits from us making space for nature in our gardens.  Attracting in songbirds means we can sit back and enjoy a sublime symphony. If your garden’s planting or wildlife-friendly features are attracting birds, you could also enter the Big Wildlife Garden competition, with the chance of winning some excellent prizes. Time is running out though – the closing date is Sunday 20 May.” Helen Bostock, RHS wildlife expert, said: “Early summer is a busy time for songbirds. Give nesting birds and young fluffy fledglings a good start by avoiding clipping hedges and ensuring domestic cats are fitted with bells on their collars. Many bird food brands offer special mixes for ‘robins’, ‘blackbirds and thrushes’ or simply ‘songbirds’; these are usually high in insects, sunflower hearts and dried fruit. If feeding on a ground table, put out little and often to deter rodents.” Environment Minister Richard Benyon said: “I’d like to encourage as many people as possible sign up to enter Defra’s Big Wildlife Garden Competition. It really is a win-win for everyone. “The Government’s working hard to reverse the decline in wildlife and habitats – but we can all do our bit - whether it’s simply planting a few flowers on our doorsteps or planting whole wildlife gardens. We are committed to being the first generation to leave the environment in a better condition than we found it – and every effort counts.” So if you have been taking steps to help wildlife in your garden, click here to enter the national competition. To mark International Dawn Chorus Day, we have also been thinking about the best birds you might hear in your own garden... A guide to bonding with your garden birds: Song thrush The song thrush can often be the first to pipe up in the dawn chorus. It sings from an elevated position, repeating one melody before moving on to the next, and throwing in a bit of mimicry in between. Song thrushes feed on slugs and snails, so using an alternative to slug pellets is a great way to support this declining species.   Blackbird A favourite of The Wildlife Trusts’ President Simon King OBE, the blackbird has a rich and fluid song. Blackbirds eat a diet of earthworms and insects, foraged from earth, grass or leaf litter.  So make sure you have a shady spot, perhaps with a log pile, where leaves are allowed to accumulate.  This will be especially helpful in droughts when dry lawns mean that worms go too far underground (to stay moist) for blackbirds to reach them. House sparrow House sparrows hang out in groups and have a chattering, chirruping call. There has been a sharp decline in numbers thought to be linked to reduced availability of insects to feed their chicks.  Adult sparrows have a varied diet of seeds, insects, flower buds, berries and kitchen scraps.  A garden full of shrubs, trees and grass will help attract insects, and grass allowed to grow longer is a good source of seed.  Great tit The largest member of the tit family, the great tit is known for its ‘teacher-teacher-teacher’ call. Hanging bird feeders filled with sunflower seeds will draw them in. Avoid whole, loose, peanuts as there is a risk these will be fed to fledglings which can choke on large, dry chunks.   Goldfinch Goldfinches are finding their way into more gardens, and they are a welcome addition, with their high pitched twittering call and colourful plumage.  Their thin beaks mean they can access small seeds from thistles and teasels, and they are attracted to Niger seed feeders. Dunnock At first sight a rather plain grey/brown bird, but its markings are delicately beautiful, and it has a lovely warbling song.  They are insect eaters, foraging from the ground, so good shrub or hedge cover and leaf litter will help them.  They are probably best known for their promiscuous habits! Blue tits Blue tits are one of our most common garden birds.  They have a tseeping call.  Blue tits rely heavily on caterpillars at nesting time.  You can increase your chances of having caterpillars in your garden by planting native trees, grasses, and even wildflowers that would normally be considered weeds, such as dock, nettles and dandelions (leave aside an untidy corner for them).  Moths need native trees such as oak or birch, or hedge plants such as hawthorn or hazel.  For really quick results sow some nasturtium seeds – white butterfly caterpillars love them. Wren Wrens produce an amazingly big sound for such a small bird.  Their piercing song often ends with a huge trill.  Wrens tend to like to remain hidden but you may catch a glimpse as they flit between shrubs.  They eat insects and spiders, so have plenty of varied planting, including trees, shrubs and climbers. 2012-05-04T12:42:23+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/cyclist-raises-500-for-cow-appeal/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/cyclist-raises-500-for-cow-appeal/#When:13:07:58Z Our Cow Appeal has just been boosted, with Jonathan Cross taking up a challenge of a 250 mile cycle ride and achieving an impressive total of £533.75! On 4th April, Jonathan Cross cycle mission began at Bridgford and ending at Bovey in Devon on a 4 day journey. Through his sponsorships, he has managed to raise enough money for a third of the cow! Jonathan’s efforts were awarded with a certificate presented by John Everitt along with an Adopt an Idle Cow gift box and a box of gingerbread cow biscuits. Speaking of his success, he said: “I am pleased to be the first person to have completed the 'Bridgford to Bovey', from the land of Robin Hood to the Hound of the Baskervilles. Thank you for all my support and the kind messages throughout this challenge; it has been fun and a brilliant experience!” Jonathan is also an Official BT Olympics Storyteller with his cycle ride marking his personal sporting contribution to the 2012 Olympic year. The Cow Appeal aims to raise £25,000 during 2012 to purchase a herd of rare breed of Lincoln Red cattle, which will be used to graze and help preserve wildflower meadow habitats in Nottinghamshire. If you are in the moo-d to donate? Please visit our Cow Appeal page to find out more on what you can do to help us achieve our target. Click here, to read Jonathan Cross blog!   2012-05-03T13:07:58+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/success-with-the-woodland-spectacular/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/success-with-the-woodland-spectacular/#When:11:08:18Z On Friday 13th April, the Woodland Spectacular event was a huge success at Breck’s Plantation Nature Reserve in Clifton, with the local community enjoying a special treat of seeing our horses at work! There was a multitude of free activities on the day from heavy horses dragging massive logs around the woodland, chainsaw sculpture demos and woodland crafts – to special family trails around the wood and Wildlife in the City experts providing information on wildlife in Nottingham. Lucy Wallington, Wildlife in the City Project Officer, is particularly delighted with the turnout of local and non-local residents, and the amount of local young people who got involved with planting trees. Talking about the improvement of the site and future plans, Lucy said “we have had to remove a number of trees for safety reasons near a path, so have decided to use this opportunity to look at the busy path, and widen it by removing a few more trees. This means more light will get in and the trees that are left will grow healthier! We will plant trees next Autumn/winter that will improve the woodland further by creating a range of heights and ages.” Lucy added “Everybody loved watching the horses move logs to reinforce the site barriers.  They were definitely the hit of the day!” Visit our new initiative, Wildlife in the City, to DISCOVER more about the urban wildlife all around you, FIND OUT about your local parks and Nature Reserves, get INVOLVED by telling us what wildlife you have seen, KEEP UP TO DATE with the latest news and events happening near you, and much more!   2012-05-03T11:08:18+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/the-one-show-wildlife-expert-pledges-his-support/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/the-one-show-wildlife-expert-pledges-his-support/#When:10:09:25Z The One Show’s Wildlife Expert, Mike Dilger, has pledged his support for the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust. He has quoted, “I have a passion for all wildlife and I’ve travelled the world and seen some amazing places and amazing creatures. However, my interest in wildlife was sparked by watching birds such as blue tits and blackbirds on my local patch and today I am passionate about opening people’s eyes to the wildlife that lives right on their doorstep. The work of groups like Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and their partners is crucial to protecting nature reserves and green spaces where people live – providing space for wildlife to thrive and for people to enjoy nature every day of the year.”  Visit our new initiative, Wildlife in the City, to DISCOVER more about the urban wildlife all around you, FIND OUT about your local parks and Nature Reserves, get INVOLVED by telling us what wildlife you have seen, KEEP UP TO DATE with the latest news and events happening near you, and much more! 2012-05-03T10:09:25+00:00 http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/news/item/nottingham-writers-studio-poetry-workshop/ http://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/site/nottingham-writers-studio-poetry-workshop/#When:08:34:13Z On Saturday 5th May, Nottingham Writers’ Studio is calling all budding poets to come along to a workshop at Attenborough Nature Reserve. Why not combine your love of wildlife and writing together by joining their wildlife journalist and poet Matt Merritt in this one day workshop. From 10.30am – 4.30pm, the session will attempt to translate birdsong into poetry, track down long-distance travellers in transit, turn the tables by watching the birdwatchers, and finally make maps of your experiences. No previous experience is needed, but remember to bring a pen, paper, bags of energy (and a pair of binoculars if you have them), and create a snapshot of an ever-changing scene. The workshop includes a buffet lunch and a light dinner with tutors and participants at the local restaurant, costing £55 per person. Matt Merritt is a poet and wildlife journalist from Leicester, and is currently acting editor of Bird Watching Magazine. His poetry collections, Making The Most Of The Light (2005), Troy Town (2008) and hydrodaktulopsychicharmonica (2010) include the relationship between man and the natural world among their themes. To check out all his latest goings on, check out his blog. Please reserve your place by downloading the booking form, or call 0115 959 7947 More details on Nottingham Writers’ Studio courses on their website!   Attenborough 2012-04-26T08:34:13+00:00