DOWN TO EARTH in The City

Habitat areas of importance along the Rea Valley between Cannon Hill Park and Dacer Close, Stirchley RSPB Centenary Woodland Location: Cannon Hill Park,  OS Reference SP 06646 83393,  Latitude 52.448458, Longitude -1.9036388 Activities between 2010-2014 Coppicing (Rangers and Volunteers) Dead hedge management/habitat creation (Rangers, Volunteers) Tree felling (Rangers, Volunteers and NIAB&BCWT Tree planting (Rangers, Volunteers, NIAB&BCWT, Down To Earth) Wildflower planting and seeding (NIAB&BCWT, Rangers) Bird box scheme (Birmingham University)  Bird ringing scheme, (Birmingham University) Footpath improvements (Rangers, Volunteers) Active Parks Down To Earth (Rangers, Volunteers) Wildlife surveying and recording (Rangers, Birmingham University, Volunteers, B&BCWT) 2015-  Active Parks Down To Earth (Environmental Education) Bird ringing scheme (Birmingham University) Bird box scheme (Birmingham Unive...

D ear Alf, Please see summaries for recent ringing sessions at Cannon Hill; Cannon Hill Park - RSPB Woodland 02/02/2015 SPECIES       NEW        RETRAP        TOTAL Blue Tit         9               8                    17 Great Tit      5                5                    10 Long-tailed Tit  2           5                    7 Coal Tit       1               5                      6 Nuthatch      1             1                       2 Blackbird ...

Dan's report Evening all, Many thanks for your help this week. I did fear the Jay was going to be our only catch at Burbury Brickworks but fortunately some late arrivals bumped the totals up. Then after a drop in temperature on Tuesday we had a fantastic session at RSPB Cannon Hill Park which included good numbers of Goldcrest and Coal Tit. Please see session summaries below:  RSPB Cannon Hill 22/10/2014 SPECIES NEW RETRAP TOTAL  Blue Tit    13        4            17  Great Tit   10        4            14  Long-ta Tit 7        1              8  Coal Tit      2         6             8  Goldcrest    8         -              8  Nuthatch ...

CENTENARY WOODLAND Cannon Hill Park Species Box Outcome ------------------------ Box 131 - BLUE TIT - 7 eggs laid, 5 hatched, 5 fledged:------------------ Box 133 - BLUE TIT - 9 eggs laid, 6 hatched, 6 fledged:------------------- Box 135 - BLUE TIT - 8 eggs laid, 6 hatched, 5 fledged:---------------------- Box 137 - BLUE TIT - 11 eggs laid, 9 hatched, 9 fledged:------------------ Occupancy: 40% TOTAL = 35 eggs, 26 hatchlings, 25 fledglings -------------------------------- 40% occupancy may be considered disappointing compared to other sites within our region, namely Cowley Road Recreation Ground = 60%, Holders Lane = 100%, and Selly Oak Recreation Ground = 50%. But look at BOX 137, 9 fledglings! There are other boxes within Centenary Woods but we have no record of occupancy. Combined with the above data we also have details of the first ringing day at Centenary Woodland on 7th September -------------- GREAT TIT - X21 CAUGHT WITH X15 NEW BIRDS AND X6 RE-TRAP----------...

 Forest Schoolers at Centenary Woods Sam travelled from Halifax, arising at 4.30 am, the others came from Brum and gathered at Centenary Woods to talk and practice Forest School. 6th September 2014. It's always interesting to meet new Forest School practitioners, the enthusiasm is infectious and satisfying to us 'old boys' and girls, as they absorb the finest detail regarding their newly acquired skills, keen to position the billhook the correct way or carry the loppers the FS way. One tends to get a bit blasė after a while, slightly tired of the minute details involved in describing a bowsaw - "this is a bowsaw, this is the blade, this is the handle.........blah blah". But how arrogant of me, this tried and tested method ensures that children as young as 5, or less, can be taught to use tools, such as lopper and bowsaw, correctly, safely and methodically thus enabling them to approach the world at an early age with acquired skills, knowledge and confi...

Summer 2014 A mixed bag of Summer weather this year but good for plants, both wild and cultivated I suspect, although the mean temperature might be slightly lower than previous years, we'll see. Bird Box scheme Still awaiting the bird box scheme report for Centenary Woods, but a little bird told me the uptake was slightly better than last year, once again, we'll see. By comparison, yon little bird also said the Holders Woods, (more mature woodland), box uptake was 80-100%, TBC. Bird ringing This year's ringing sessions are due to begin again in September/October, looking forward to those. Trees and plants from Nature Improvement Area (NIA) project Many of the NIA trees planted last Winter are in leaf with no signs of failures, likewise, all the Woodland Trust 'nursery' trees seem to have flourished and will be planted out during Autumn/Winter, the wildflower planting successes will not be determined until next Spring. Centenary Woodland origin...

Blue Tit's egg Hogweed LORDS AND LADIES LEAPING