Clik here to view.
Recently I have seen a few wild birds and, occasionally, a small rat or rabbit killed on one of our minor country roads. Modern, fast-moving traffic has increased the toll of wild birds and mammals on these lanes. The casualties attract more wildlife, particularly carrion crows, jackdaws, magpies and, occasionally, jays, which are tempted to risk feeding on the dead flesh. There are rich pickings for the regular carrion feeders, which have learned excellent road sense. Very few end up dead in the road. At the approach of a car, a crow standing over its meal will raise its head and watch the oncoming vehicle until it decides it is time to flee. But it is intelligent enough to know the danger will pass and it will return as soon as the car is out of hearing.
Early spring is when birds concentrate on breeding and they are sometimes heedless of the danger of vehicles on the roads – most road casualties happen in spring and early summer. Our hedges have been trimmed for generations, and this pruning provides a thick cover that is especially good for smaller birds to nest in. Blackbirds, thrushes and chaffinches will all have nesting sites in the hedgerows. But these ready breeding locations beside the lanes can be a curse as well as a blessing. Courtship chases and territorial spats can lead to distracted birds being struck.
At Kielder Water and Forest Park the Forestry Commission plans to erect more artificial nesting for ospreys. Over the past two years, one pair has raised chicks here – the habitat of wood and water is ideal. Kielder is only the second location in England where ospreys have recolonised naturally after having become extinct. They leave their wintering grounds in Africa this month and usually arrive here in late March, with breeding pairs returning to the same nest every year.
