Hard times for us all. So many pressing concerns. Not least of these, for many of us, is the way in which our access to the natural world has suddenly become so constricted. Absence, it is said, makes the heart grow fonder. How true this seems now, regarding not just family and friends, but also […]
Written by Wildwatch volunteer Sean Garvey in the summer 2019, as an update to our page on climate change at St Nicks This heatwave seems as good a time as any to consider climate change. Extreme weather events of all kinds are set to become more frequent as global warming affects us all. Here in […]
The Magpie (Pica pica), a member of the crow family, will be a familiar bird to almost everyone who wanders around St Nicks. Noisy, large and strikingly marked with a long tail, they are easy birds to see and identify. There are probably 3 – 5 pairs of Magpies breeding at St Nicks, although no formal […]
Weather: Thin cloud, calm, cold (-2C) Observers: Ian, Kaye, Roger It was certainly a bit nippy today! But the persisting frost added a new dimension to St Nicks, with everything glistening white and shining, despite the dull light. The calm air encouraged the birds to come out and show themselves, and the plants and trees […]
Weather: Overcast at first, then sunny intervals. Cool breeze at times. Observers: Barbara, Ian, Kaye, Kaj Spring is unstoppable! Despite a wet weekend and overcast skies, there are more flowers and blossoms emerging on the reserve. Both becks had subsided after the rain and, although flowing well, there was little water over the small flood […]
In cold, still, sunny weather, ten visitors joined Ivana and three Wildwatch regulars to take part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. We decided we had enough confident observers to cover seven different areas of the reserve, including the Environment Centre garden. Between us we found 20 species – not quite as high as on […]