Hannah's UEA Ecology blog

A water vole sitting in a stream.  water_vole_7.jpg The brown blob of a water vole. Perhaps the most exciting organism I have seen at UEA whilst being on campus is the water vole. We were walking along the river when a small brown mousy looking creature appeared. I tried to take a picture, as at the time we weren't sure what it could be, but the picture (as seen below) didn't aid the investigation too much. After doing a few google searches a water vole seemed to be the best fit for the mystical creature we had seen. Their scientific name is Arvicola amphibius and they are fairly small mammals. They weigh up to 300 g and are 14-22 cm in length. They are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 but face serious threat from the loss of their habitats and from the invasive species the American mink. They can be recognised by their blunt noses, small ears and furry tails. They are usually found along waterways such as rivers and in ditches around ponds. They...

A female mallard. There are many species of ducks that inhabit the UK including mallards, mandarins and long-tailed ducks. The scientific name for the mallard is Anas platrhynchos and they are in the ducks, geese and swans bird family. Their UK conservation status is amber meaning they are under concern but they are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. The males of the species look different to the females of the species meaning they are sexually dimorphic. Male mallards are more colourful than females and have distinctive green heads and yellow beaks. Females are all brown compared to males who have white bodies. They are usually around 60 cm in length and have a wingspan of 81-98 cm. There are between 61,000-146,000 breeding pairs in the UK. A male mallard being followed by a female. There is a close link between food and number of mallards. If there is a lot of food resources in a pond then there will be a lot of mallards but this can lead to overpopulati...

A great tit being held in the photographers hold, Parus major . As a first year ecology student I have taken part in a lot of new experiences this year and one of my unlikely favourites has been bird ringing. I went into to the activity slightly nervous mainly because I knew we had to hold the birds and I didn't want to crush them like Lenny in Of Mice and Men. My nerves soon vanished after we were told how to hold the bird properly and how they were actually more hardy than they look. A dunnock being held in the ringers hold, Prunella modularis.   Bird ringing is done in order to collect information about the health of species and their distribution. There are many bird ringers around the UK who collect data and then enter it into a national database where a bigger picture of how species are coping can then be observed. This is important for the conservation of bird species as it can tell you which species thriving or which aren't doing so well and can lead to cons...

A male chaffinch. The scientific name for a chaffinch is Fringilla coelebs and they are in the bird family finches. Their conservation status is Green which means they are under least concern and therefore their populations are at a healthy state due to their protection under The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. Chaffinches are one of the most abundant and widespread birds in the UK with a population of 6.2 million. They are well camoflauged due to their distinct patterning which enable them to be effect hunters as they can blend in whilst they feed on the ground. They are less than 15 cm long, have a wing span around 27 cm and they weigh between 18-29 g. Females and males of the species are easily distinguishable as males are more brightly coloured, like in the picture above, compared to the females who are dully coloured (mostly grey). When they fly both sexes of the species have a white flash on their wings which makes them easily recognisable. They mainly feed on insects...

A ladybrid sitting on a wooden beam. There are over 5,000 different species of ladybird across the world all with a variety of different names such as lady beetles and ladybugs. They have many different visual appearances most familiar being the seven-spotted red-and-black ladybird. Most ladybirds have dome-shaped, oval bodies and, species dependent, can have spots, stripes or no markings at all. The bright colours of ladybird's act as a defence mechanism warning other animals from eating them as it displays that they taste disgusting and if they are threatened they secrete a yellow oily fluid from the joints in their legs. The scientific name for a ladybird is Coccinellidae septempunctata and they are in the insect classification. Their lifespan is typically around one year with some living for a maximum of two years. They are surprisingly quick for their size as they are only around 1 cm long by can fly up to 24 km per hour. They live just about anywhere, thanks to t...

A blue tit being held during a ringing session. Blue tits are one of the most known birds in the UK. Their scientific name is Cyanistes caeruleus and they are in the bird family tits. Their population is doing well and the have green UK conservation status and they are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981. Their feathers are a mix of blue, yellow, white and greens. They are small birds weighing 11 g and having a wingspan of 18 cm. In the UK there are 3,600,000 breeding territories and in Europe 20-44 million pairs. A blue tit in its nest.  blue-tit-nest-amy-lewis.jpg They nest in any suitable hall in a tree or wall and often compete with other small birds such as great tits of house sparrows. They make their nests up to 15 m above the ground after both males and females have looked for an area to nest in. When the male finds an appropriate place he flutters his wings and goes into the hole calling in the hope that the female will follow. The female may...