Song thrush in Princes Court,
Bourne
by REX NEEDLE
| ANNUAL SURVEYS by various organisations indicate that
birds in England are in decline, both in numbers and in species. Birds
once familiar in the countryside around Bourne are no longer to be seen
and many of those we know from recent years are now on the list of
endangered species. Records from the 19th century show an abundance of wildlife in the woods and fields where such birds as the curlew, red grouse, woodcock, bittern and even the rare and beautiful hoopoe were frequently seen. Other unusual species were spotted such as the red-breasted merganser, the great snipe, peregrine falcon and great crested grebe but unfortunately the awareness of our environment was practically unknown and birds however rare were invariably shot and stuffed. Today, most birds are protected by law but their decline continues through other factors, mainly the erosion of habitats through intensive agricultural practices including the use of chemicals as insecticides and herbicides. The birds we are used to seeing in our gardens, for instance, have declined by 20% in the past four years and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has warned that farmland birds are at their lowest ever level. Ironically, we have more woodland than ever but larger deer populations have been blamed for eating away foliage and changes in the structure and management of forests have led to the decline. The steady disappearance of farmland birds has also shown a worrying trend with numbers of grey partridge, kestrel, lapwing, turtle dove, skylark, yellow wagtail, starling, linnet, yellowhammer and corn bunting all showing significant drop in numbers. Another evocative bird that has suffered is the cuckoo whose arrival from Africa normally heralds the onset of spring but their numbers have dropped by as much as 50 per cent in some areas. Fortunately, there are still birds in our gardens and the countryside although the rarer species may be elusive and this feature is designed to show what can be seen by those with patience to watch and wait. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
The elusive kingfisher, photographed
perched above the Bourne Eau |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A backyard bath for a visiting song thrush. |
 |
|
|
Pied wagtail in the garden |
Nuthatch in Bourne Wood |
|
|
|
|
See also
Go to: Main Index Villages Index