I was excited to spot a Common/Smooth Newt “Lissotriton vulgaris” in my own pond at home as well as the other day at the fishing lake. We have had frogs before, but as the pond has been establishing itself more life has appeared.
The plants in the pond needed some repotting which is when I spotted the common newt. It swam down into the pond weed before I could get a photo, but I’m sure it will be back to the surface sometime for its photo shoot.
I could tell the one in my pond was a smooth/common newt due to its colouring (Grey/Brown) and smooth skin.
Adults grow between 8 and 11 cm long.
The smooth/common newt is the most widespread throughout the UK and Ireland.
Its great to have both Frogs and Newts in the garden to help with the control of grubs and insects.
Image below is of a smooth/common newt taken at the fishing lake/pond.
The bamboo cage around the pond is holding strong against the Heron which is back this year again, eyeing up the all you can eat buffet of fish, so at least this will help to protect the frogs and newts as well.
I am lucky to have a small lake/pond nearby that I use on a regular basis for fishing (member of a club) and often sit on the bank not catching much, but appreciating the nature that is around. Its an open season pond so not affected by the course closed season on most rivers.
People often stop and ask, why do you fish? my response is simple. Just stop, listen for 5 minutes then you will understand. The stillness of the water, the bird song filling the air, the flowers around, its not always about catching any fish, but being with nature.
This is one of my favourite times of year as a lot of things happen, such as the Lilly Pads start to appear and the flowers will soon follow. The banks are alive with plant and insect life.
Whilst I was on the bank it was great to watch the myriad of tadpoles rising to the surface for a bit and then diving back down to the depths. A newt appearing and basking in the sun, just under the surface, whilst water boatmen skim along the surface as easy as we walk along the pavement.
Yellow flowers of the Iris that adorn the bankside blooming, whilst the nettles and brambles try to take hold.
I will break down more about the pond in future blogs.
Next time your at a pond or lake, stop, listen and see – what will you discover.
Taking a walk out in a wood or forest you are most likely to spot a Squirrel. More often it will probably be a Grey Squirrel, which has taken over a good proportion of the UK and has helped in the reduction in numbers of our native Red Squirrel. There are however some protected areas where only the Red Squirrels are, such as Formby, Isle of Wight, Anglesey and Brownsea Island (there are other areas as well).
There are two species of squirrel in the UK; Red Squirrels and Grey Squirrels. Populations are currently estimated at approximately 140,000 red squirrels and 2.5 million grey squirrels. Red squirrels are our native species and have lived in the UK for around 10,000 years, Grey squirrels were introduced to the UK from North America by the Victorians in the 1800s, the first record of them escaping and establishing a wild population is 1876.
Well there is actually another Squirrel that has made its way to the UK.
Black Squirrels are the result of “interbreeding” between their grey cousins and the North American fox squirrel, a study has concluded.
There are thought to be around 25,000 Black Squirrels in the UK, with numbers largely concentrated in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The first wild Black Squirrel was recorded in Woburn in 1912, and was believed to have escaped from a private zoo having been imported from the United States.
Whilst out on Anglesey recently on a nature walk we went to several areas where Red Squirrels are regularly sighted. The first was Plas Newydd, which is a National Trust property and grounds. Unfortunately we were too late in the morning to spot any. You need to be up early to see them out for their morning forage.
Next we moved on to a Dingle Woodland where they are often spotted. We were up early enough to spot them and came across two near to some feeders that were placed in the area. Keeping our distance the only picture we managed to get this time was a bit blurred due to the phone camera zoom.
Its always great to see a Red Squirrel in its natural habitat.
Red Squirrels live in nests called Dreys or Dens. Dreys are built in broad-leaved and coniferous trees mainly, unless a Squirrel Box has been put up to encourage breeding. They normally build their nests at around 6 meters or more for protection or the thick canopy. Dens are built in the trunks or branch forks of deciduous trees after the leaves have fallen to protect the Squirrels from the elements.
A Red Squirrels Year
JANUARY – Peak mating chases. Male and female fully reproductively active. (Many males run over on roads whilst ranging in search of females).
FEBRUARY – First litters born. Females refurbish or build litter dreys.
MARCH – Peak spring litters born. 1-6 young, usually 3.
APRIL – Young squirrels first emerge from litter drey but do not yet leave it. Spring moult.
MAY – Spring litters weaned and leave litter drey to become independent.
JUNE – Light-weight summer dreys of grass start to appear, often built by new juveniles.
JULY – Peak summer litters born. Dispersal of spring young. Begin to grow new ear-tufts and hair tails.
AUGUST – Squirrels fatten for autumn on hazel. Moult into winter coat.
SEPTEMBER – Male squirrel testes regress. Summer juveniles become independent.
OCTOBER – Dispersal of summer young. Males inactive.
NOVEMBER – Male squirrels start to become reproductively active as testes descend into scrotum and grow.
DECEMBER – Young squirrels near full size; spring young may become reproductively active for next season – particularly males. Adulty males capable of fertilizing females. First females in oestrous at end of month.
Squirrels by Jessica Holm – Whittet Books
The picture above is one I took a few years back whilst on holiday in a Centre Parcs near Perth. The Red Squirrels loved the bird feed that we left out.
Typically they will eat:
Cached food
Catkins
Flowers (e.g. Blackthorn and Oak)
Fungi
Hips
Insects
Seeds – Acorns, Beachnuts etc
Shoots
Tree Bark
Squirrels also peel back bark to eat the sweet sap beneath.
The main threats to the Red Squirrel are Humans and Grey Squirrels.
The grey squirrel is the main reason for the decline of the red squirrel. Habitat loss has also contributed to the red squirrel’s decline. This occurs when areas of woodland are destroyed or become separated by development and changing land-use. This leads to isolated areas which cannot sustain viable populations of wildlife, including red squirrels in some places. Squirrelpox virus is fatal to red squirrels but is carried by grey squirrels without causing them any harm.
Other threats are predator’s such as Birds of Prey, Foxes, Pine Martins and Stoats.
Red squirrels that survive their first winter have a life expectancy of 3 years. Individuals may reach 7 years of age, and 10 in captivity. Survival is positively related to the availability of autumn-winter tree seeds; on average, 75–85% of juveniles die during their first winter, and mortality is approximately 50% for winters following the first.
Nature is all around us and it is good to get out walking and seeing it first hand. On this particular walk my family and I came across a Robin “Erithacus rubecula” sat next to the path.
Robin “Erithacus rubecula” watching passers-by
It was happily watching the walkers out on this route picking up anything that a walker may have given it such as a scrap of sandwich.
It was then we noticed movement down near our feet and spotted the mottled brown feathers of a fledgling Robin.
Fledgling Robin with Mottled Brown Feathers
We therefore assumed that this was a parent Robin watching its baby.
A female Robin typically lays 4 to 6 eggs in 2 broods. How many hatch and survive to adulthood is down to nature.
A typical Robin grows to 14cm long and has a wingspan of 21cm. They only weigh around 18 grams.
The Robin is a familiar sight across the UK in woods, fields and gardens. They will follow a gardener around their garden in the hope of an upturned worm or disturbed insect, grub or spider.
Robins have also been associated with people who has passed away with a Robin appearing when loved ones are near.
Robins have a nice song and is one of the few birds that will sing all year long. The RSPB have an audio clip of a Robin singing – Robin Song.
The beach is a great place to track footprints. Okay so they are typically Human and Dog but look closer qnd you will find other types of track and sign.
The best place to look for these is when the tide is out and on the wet sand. Although you can find sign (something disturbed or left) on dry sand, prints and some sign can dissappear quickly.
Shoe print in soft beach sand
There is a lot to tracking, but in a basic form, looking at a print or sign you can determine what left it, its direction and how quickly it was going.
Lets start with the obvious prints and sign first.
Humans
Lots of footprints on a busy beach or less so on a less crowded one. Some in footwear of different types and others barefoot.
Male adult footprint in wet sand.
Not all prints will be full. You may only see a partial print depending on how that person was walking or even running.
The great part of tracking is to work out what they were doing, direction etc.
Dog
On a beach that allows dogs you may come across a set of tracks made by one.
Dog paw prints in wet sand.
Like the human print the depth will depend on if the dog was running or walking. The pattern on the prints will depend upon the dogs gait. The gait is the pattern of movement from the animals limbs.
Different breeds of dogs of course leave different prints and spacing depending on their size.
Mechanical Tracks
Not everything that travels on a beach is animal or human. Sometimes you can find tracks from bikes or even tractors that are launching boats into the sea.
Tracks left from a pedal bike
Lugworms
“Lugworms” or “Arenicolidae” can be found on sandy beachea and mud flats. They leave a sand cast on top of their burrow which shows where they are.
Lugworms are normally greenish or yellow-black in colour.
Lugworm – “Arenicolidae” casts on top of their burrows in the sand.
Razor Shells
Razor Shells come in many types under a genus called “Ensis” Such as
Ensis siliqua
Ensis ensis
Ensis arcuata
There are other types under the family ” Solenidae”
They burrow vertically in the sand and extend downwards with their bodies (short syphon and large foot).
The burrows are normally a small indentation or hole in the sand. (Lugworms also have holes in the sand before they have casts of sand).
Razor Shell burrows
Water – Sea
The sea can make tracks in the sand such as tide lines and ripples.
Sand ripples caused by the waves of the incomming tidePatterns in the sand formed by waves from larger fragments of sand ( broken shells)
Water – Fresh Water
Fresh Water come down to the sea can also form patterns in the sand as it races to join the sea.
Patterns formed by fresh water heading for the sea.
There is lots to see and track at the beach. What will you discover on your next visit?
Sparrowhawk Bushcraft 