Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
Today is World Wildlife Day. The aim is to raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. 3rd March was chosen to commemorate the signature of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which took place on 3 March 1973. These pictured species may be familiar […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
Top tips for successful nesting
Wild waterfowl death reporting requirements intensify
Reporting dead wild birds – surveillance sensitivity increases In Great Britain, members of the public should use the new online reporting system or call the Defra helpline (03459 33 55 77) if they find one or more dead wild birds of prey, gull, swan, goose or duck, or five or more dead wild birds of […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
The lush green grass of summer could well be a distant memory. Maybe you have a few patches or edges that are now mud and need some repair. If soil temperatures are below 9 degrees, most grass seed won’t be able to grow, but in gardens it can be successful to do cold seeding. Dormant […]
Swans killed in Essex
As waterfowl lovers, it is hard to understand why anyone takes pleasure harming these beautiful creatures. Large, close and slow moving, they could not even be described as ‘sporting’ targets. Following catapult attacks on four Mute Swans early in the new year, 2 firms with local connections have each offered £1000 for information leading to […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
What’s in a name — Maned Duck or Maned Goose? Life is a gradient of relatedness and what taxonomy tries to do is put it in that order. When the common names were thought up for waterfowl they were either called a duck or a goose according to how we traditionally recognised each — ‘ducks’ […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
UK Breeds at Risk. Where do you stand if your collection succumbs to bird flu? Geese Brecon Buff Buff Back Chinese Embden Greyback Pilgrim Roman Sebastopol Shetland Steinbacher Toulouse (British standard) West of England Ducks Abacot Ranger Aylesbury Cayuga Orpington Pekin Rouen Shetland Duck APHA tells us that each outbreak is examined individually, but […]
Online Reporting Service for Dead Wild Birds
Defra has launched a new online reporting system to be used by the public to report dead wild birds in Great Britain, as part of the Government response to the ongoing avian influenza outbreak. The new online system will be available to use 24/7, making is simpler and quicker for the public to report dead […]
Pal-Mates … weekend web tip
Many of our northern species are well adapted to the cold, but some from warmer parts of the world will appreciate shelter and dry bedding. Giving them the opportunity to stand off frozen ground will protect their feet. However you source your straw, it’s vital to keep it covered and protected from wild bird droppings […]
Housing requirements
We are about to see weather challenges across large parts of the country. Wet snow particularly can bring net and poles down. Maintaining biosecurity whatever the weather is still a priority. Since the Housing Order was introduced for Wales on 2nd December, the Declaration for that nation has now been amended to include notes bringing […]
