Hannah's UEA Ecology blog

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...

A dunnock having its health observed during a bird ringing session. These beautifully understated birds weigh roughly the same as a 'AA' battery (24 g) and are the same length as two and a half golf tees (14 cm). The dunnock, Prunella modularis are in the bird family accentors and have an amber UK conservation status even though they are protected under The Wildlife and Countryside Act. They are very quiet and unobtrusive birds and are usually seen along flower bed edges or near to bushes. They move in a shuffling gait and come across quite nervy until two rival males meet and then they become very animated and aggressive. Their colouring is quite simple as they are just brown and grey. A dunnock on the look out.  Dunnock-min.jpg Dunnocks have gone through many adaptions in order to use different breeding strategies. Females mate with more than one male in order to make sure her genes are passed onto the next generation and in hope that they will both help rear her c...

A great tit being held during a bird ringing session, Parus major Great tits are the largest of the UK tits weighing 18 g and are a favourite in gardens and parks. Males of the species have slightly larger bodies than females.  Their striking appearance makes them easily recognisable. The main bulk of their feathers is green and yellow with a black head and white cheeks. In the UK there are 2,500,000 breeding territories making them have the green UK conservation status meaning they are under least threat. As all birds in the UK, they are protected by The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 which forbids intentional killing of the birds. A great tit sitting of a branch of a tree.  talgoxe_johan_n_611.jpg By late January, great tits have found their monogamous pairing and have established their breeding territories. They defend their territories from the end of winter and reoccupy them each year even if one of the pair dies as long as the brood has been successfully ...

A goldfinch being held during a ringing session. Goldfinches are some of the mist striking birds that can be seen in the UK. They have beautiful feather patterns including yellows and reds. Their scientific name is Carduelis carduelis and they are in the finches bird family. They have a green UK conservation status and are protected, as all UK birds are, under The Wildlife and Countryside Act if 1981. They have a bright red face and a yellow patch on their wings. They are very sociable creatures and breed in loose colonies. They feed on seeds and insects due to their thin beaks allowing them to get to inaccessible seeds from thistles. Primarily, goldfinches feed on seeds but depending on the season their diet slightly alters. In the early months of the summer they feed on things like small plants where as in later summer they feed on thistles A goldfinch in flight.  p0370m7y.jpg The females have the biggest role when it comes to nest making as they build the entire thi...

We used the leaf miner as an example of different methods of sampling. Leaf miners are small flies, moths or sawflies whose larvae burrow in between the two surfaces of a leaf. They can restrict the growth of plants and their health but they are not a massive threat to plants and if the plant is healthy enough to start with then it won't sustain too much damage. Many plants are susceptible to leaf miners including holly, cabbage, citrus trees and shrubs. In spring, as temperatures warm, larvae enter the pupal stage and then appear as young adults in April time. Females lay up to 250 eggs under the leaf epidermis and these eggs appear as raised spots on the leaf. After about 10 days the larvae hatch and tunnel through the mid tissue of the lead whilst feeding on the leaf.  A leaf miner, Liriomyza brassicae,  on a holly leaf. Photo: Olivia Davis In order to estimate the population size of the holly leaf miner, which is what we were doing, the abundance of holly trees in t...

A rabbit looking for food. Rabbits are one of the most loved pet species in the UK. Their small, cute and furry appearance gives them the appeal to be kept as pets. They are around 40 cm long and weigh under 2 kg. Their typical life span is around 3 years depending on whether they are kept as pets or are wild rabbits. They are native to Spain and were originally introduced into the UK for food and fur by the Normans in the 12th century but soon became very common. Rabbits are easily identifiable due to their long ears ad hind legs, grey-brown colour and white fluffy tail. Rabbits and hares are in the same family called  Leporidae  and there are 30 species of rabbits across the planet. They are herbivores which means they eat only plant-based foods mainly including grasses and cruciferous plants, such as  broccoli, but as rabbits are opportunistic feeders, some also eat seeds and fruits. They tunnel underground to create their homes in systems ca...