Birds at Kiln Meadow...	In this section: A haven for birds BTO Nest Record Scheme Our survey results
A haven for birds The birdlife on the site was one of the main inspirations for developing it as a wildlife haven. The first birds you are likely to see there are magpies, but there are many more. In the hedges there are goldcrests, flocks of long-tailed tits, robins, wrens, treecreepers and bullfinches. In the dense copse at the northern end there are jays and woodpeckers. In autumn flocks of redwings and fieldfares feed on the hawthorn bushes. There are also birds of prey - kestrel, sparrowhawk, little owl and hobby. Many birds are attracted to the nearby sewage works. Pied and grey wagtails feed there and in early summer flocks of swallows, swifts and martins swoop over it, taking advantage of the insects it provides. What some might consider a blot on the landscape is actually an ecosystem in its own right. We have had nestboxes on the site for many years, all sponsored by members of the local community. Over the long term we hope to build up a picture of the site’s bird population and how it develops in relation to other activities in the area. Click on the species name for a picture and description! Click here for a full species list! Top of Page
BTO Nest Record Scheme The British Trust for Ornithology is the UK's leading bird research organisation. Its thousands of volunteer members collect information which forms the basis of conservation action in the UK. The BTO Nest Record Scheme collects and analyses information recorded from both nestboxes and natural nests. The information is collected by volunteers and submitted on record cards. The data, often going back many years, is now stored on computer and is being analysed to show the basic breeding biology of a species, or annual, regional or habitat-related variations in breeding performance for common species. Top of Page
Our survey results We have monitored the nestboxes at Kiln Meadow for several years, and since 1999 we have contributed to the BTO’s Nest Record Scheme. We monitor all the nestboxes from March to September, checking on the progress of nest building, clutch size, number of nestlings and birds successfully fledged. In 1999 we found nests in eight boxes. Six housed great tits, and two were used by blue tits. The blue tits raised the biggest number of young - eleven each - while one pair of great tits had a brood of nine. In many of the unoccupied nestboxes we found evidence of birds roosting. In 2000 we had eleven successful nests and one newcomer to our nestboxes - a pair of robins. The donation of a miniature camera, which was mounted inside a nestbox occupied by a pair of blue tits, allowed us to film the daily activities of nestlings and parents. At the same time many nestboxes were attacked by woodpeckers, pecking large holes in the front of the boxes. These have now been reinforced with metal plates, and we have also put up two boxes designed especially for woodpeckers (both green and great spotted) in the hope that they will confine their attention to these. In 2001 nestbox monitoring was held up for several weeks when the outbreak of foot and mouth disease led to footpath closures throughout the county. We managed to get back on the site while the nestboxes were still occupied, so we were able to complete our survey. There were seven nests - two blue tits and 5 great tits. In total we logged 54 eggs, with 45 pulli (nestlings), of which 44 fledged. VISIT OUR NEW BIRD SITE! Top of Page