Wildlife Out There Around Us

Most of us who enjoy the great outdoors do so partly as a result of creatures that we see there

. Wildlife is, needless to say, all around us and I feel it is specially entertaining when one has to wander no further than ones own house to observe it. We live in a remote position in the midst of the Yorkshire Dales and have a stream or beck as they are known around here running across our small garden. Over the coming few articles I will describe the many and varied species that we can see from our windows; what we call our window list

At this point of year in early March we are, of course, eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring but we can already see and hear signs of it. For the author the 1st indicator that Spring is on its way is the banging of the woodpecker. Here in the North of England the male begins to mark out his domain and entice females in February. The indigenous birds also grow to be more vocal for the same reason. Great tits specifically seem to develop a great variety of really melodic songs at this time of year.

However, we have recently had a visit from a rare bird for us, a siskin. The Siskin is a small finch, about the size of aBlue Titand with similar agility. They are a glorious bright lime green colour with a dark streaked belly and striking yellow rump, wing bars and sides of the forked tail. Other birds that we see regularly are the Great, Blue, Coal and Long Tailed Tits. The long tailed tits are invariably in flocks of about a dozen all year round and being in such a grouping makes them very brave, 10 birds have 20 eyes and so greater chance to spot trouble. They have a lovely pink colour and my wife refers to them as lollipops due to their distinctive shapes.

Another bird popular because of its apparent braveness is, of course, the robin with its lovely bright breast and willingness to come very near to catch seed and other food thrown in its direction as I replenish the feeders. The robin is quite possibly the most loved of all wild birds and very bad are the omens in the event you kill one. The story that it turned out to be a robin who covered the unlucky 'Babes in the Wood' with leaves to help them keep hot has done much to endear it to little ones all over the place. Tradition states that it got its particular red breast when it tried to haul the blood soaked thorns from Christ's head as he hung on the cross.

As I sit here writing this I am also treated to the sight and sound of a wren on the fence near to the river. The wren is one of the UKs smallest birds but it for sure has one of the loudest and prettiest songs as it marls its territory and tries to attract a mate. Finally I can also see a field vole that lives in the walls of a 200 year old outbuilding as it flits in and out for food. Many people confuse these with mice, however, the latter have longer tails and bigger ears.

by: Bruno Blackstone

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