Tuesday 22 December 2015

Nature's Reach Christmas and New Year Opening Times

We're happy to say we're open over much of Christmas and New Year but our elves will be having a little break, so please take a look at our opening times before deciding when to visit. And don't forget, while the visitor centre might be closed, there is access to the reserve at all times, other than Christmas Day, when footpaths will be shut to the public.

Credit: Kaleel Zibe (www.rspb-images.com)
We'll be running Christmas crafts and our Santa Trails during opening times right through December so please do drop into the visitor centre. Our holiday volunteers will be showing you how making woolly sparkle sticks, snowy pine cones and lots more, and you can pick up everything you need to take part in our self-led trail. Help the animals of Sandwell Valley find all of Santa's Christmas outfit. Just ask at the visitor desk and we'll set you on your way.

Then we start January with a refreshing gentle walk around the reserve. Join our friendly and knowledgeable volunteers to see and hear the birds that reside at Sandwell in our 'Walk It Off' New Year Walk from 10 am on Saturday 2 January. Have a quick look HERE for more information.

Credit: John Bridges (www.rspb-images.com)

Please see all opening times below...

Wednesday 23 December - 10 am - 3 pm
Christmas Eve - closed
Christmas Day - closed
Boxing Day - 10 am - 3 pm
Sunday 27 December - 10 am - 3 pm
Monday 28 December - closed
Tuesday 29 December - closed
Wednesday 30 December - 10 am - 3 pm
New Year's Eve - 10 am - 3 pm
New Year's Day - 10 am - 3 pm

We hope to see you all in the coming weeks and from everyone at RSPB Sandwell Valley a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!


Wednesday 4 November 2015

A Search for Autumn at RSPB Sandwell

Last night left dew on the grass which continued through to this morning with a drizzly start. As the clouds parted and it began to dry up, a damp undertone was left along with a somewhat chilly feel, but not as much as you’d expect for this time of the year.

However this had no effect and wasn’t to stop it being a delightful walk on the reserve. When stepping out your left ear drum is hit by the sound coming from the feeding station which stands just metres away. Happily getting on was the usual great tits and blue tits before a swarm of greenfinches and chiming goldfinches battled in. The amount of space on the feeders was limited with the numbers that had arrived. Birds caught in mid-air and frantically moving their wings. A scene which was quite different compared to the summer when I saw it thriving with the bright pink colours of the bullfinches. Below the table and feeders, were the usual suspects including the odd pigeon and of course a squirrel stumbling in.

In the distance, further down the reserve, you can see the lake where white blobs float and beckon you. As I make my way down to the hide to see what other birds I can discover down by the lake, the path takes me down through colourful woodlands and paths which weave and show of views of the valley.

Whilst listening carefully I could hear the distant traffic but this did not last for long as a robin right above me bellowed its heart out, enough to blur out any traffic sounds. Looking further down, to the greenery at my level and there’s a host of berries, including the distinctive late autumn crop of rose hip as well as sloes. Some of which have just been feasted on by the blackbird which bolted out.
Looking to the ground and how can we give the autumn treasure of fungi a miss. Whilst I kneel down, I investigate the scattering of dead bark. A common type I came across was turkey tail.  On closer examination it’s pretty obvious why it has this name. While the upper surface comprises of centric zones of red, yellow, green, blue, brown, black and white, the underside, which is covered in tiny shallow pores, is white.



Whilst still in the search of other fungi species I come across a sign saying ‘mini beast hunting’ however something tells me it’s rather quiet at the moment, not many of the smaller kind around! Nevertheless, I stumbled across a hedgehog house. A very important house, perhaps there’s a little fellow fast asleep in there right now. Enjoying the peace and quiet as the cold weather starts to kick in! There’s no doubt that RSPB Sandwell Valley is truly giving nature a home.

Further down the path and you’re presented with a view which could only match to that of an artist’s painting. With what looks like a hundred different colours, all different tones of orange, red, yellow, green and even some pink. On the path before me I’m taken through an arch with a floor of similar colours and tones. After a wet night, the smell is very distinctive. The smell of wet leaves seems to have some sort of ring about it, definitely a key smell of autumn. With the gentle breeze, more shapes, patterns, colours and tones are added.

Before entering the hide I’m rung deaf by a volery of long tailed tits, all squabbling in the tree above but a delightful sound.  Once sat in the hide I’m not only greeted by the regular bird watchers here but also some of the usual bird suspects. I’m also told about the morning’s sightings of a pintail which was part way through maulting, wigeon, shoveler, snipe and the kingfisher from earlier which gave a display which can only be classed as showing off! As I look out from the hide, in front of me stands six cormorants balanced on one of the platforms. One of which was bathing itself in the mid morning mist and making the occasional rattling call. I also spotted a few goosanders, some to early to identify as either male or female. However those in the hide did get some good sites as one flew right over to go and sit opposite on one of the platforms, mixed in with the gulls. I also managed to see a shoveler out  on the lake, with the startling white colouration on its body as well as plenty of teal.




As the drizzle begins again another squabble occurs within the group of gulls and a couple of lapwing hop around the island. On my way back up to the visitor centre, the rain clears away once more and the rich, golden autumnal landscape continues to glow.

Georgia, RSPB Sandwell volunteer

Thursday 8 October 2015

Sandwell Scene on Screen!

We've long wanted a new viewing screen for the reserve, to replace the one by the Hugging Tree. Something to brighten things up in winter and be functional for all our visitors - not just those of a certain height!

We were very lucky to be offered help with this by RSPB Loch Leven volunteer, David, who travelled all the way down to Sandwell to give us a hand for two days.



Along with our regular volunteers, Brian, Tony, Dave and estate worker Paul, David created this magical nature scene. They were inspired by creatures found at Sandwell Valley, so all of the shapes you see should also be elsewhere on the reserve too!




They're intentionally positioned at various heights so that children of all ages will be able to spot the amazing birds that visit Sandwell, and have fun while they're doing so.



Have you seen it yet? Tried it out? We'd love to see photos of you making good use of it and hear which is your favourite shape!



Find us one Facebook HERE and follow us on Twitter HERE.

Jenny (Connecting People and Nature Intern)




Thursday 1 October 2015

Fly by Night - Bat and Moth Night, September 2015

We had a fabulous bat and moth night on Saturday 5th September. We had a great number of visitors of the human variety, and some very obliging bat and moth visitors too.

We started the evening at Nature's Reach with a really informative presentation about bats from Morgan, our expert. We learnt all about bat behaviour and the various beasts we can find both here and worldwide.
Bat Detector (Tim Hunt)
Then we got our mitts on the super-cool bat detectors! Morgan treated us to a few different types, some relatively simple: detecting bat sounds based on the frequency they were tuned to, and some a bit more techy: capable of recording a number of different bat sounds, all at the same time, for analysis later on.

Bat Walk (Tim Hunt)
And so we were off! We walked down to the hide and within minutes, we had bats! We stood on the path by the Mini Beast Meadow listening intently to Morgan's instructions on using the detectors and were quickly interrupted by our winged friends flying overhead. We saw several pipistrelles on our way down to the lakeside hide and were treated to lots more, while shining our torches out across the water.

Toads in the hole
Before heading back up to see what moths were about, volunteer (and regular blogger) Tim spotted some more obliging beasts hanging out in the bee bank. We saw the unlikely trio of two newts and a toad sharing a hidey hole and plenty more scattered about the slope.

Moth Trap (Tim Hunt)

On our return to the visitor centre, butterfly and moth expert, Mike gave a brief talk on what we'd be likely to find and gave some great tips on identification. Then it was off out to the moth traps. We were quite early for our winged friends but still managed to see a good number.

Large yellow underwings were out in force and we had a fabulous swallow prominent. Small square-spots made a good showing, as well as a silver y, a couple of copper underwings and old ladys.
Large Yellow Underwing (Chris Shields www.rspb-images.co.uk)
We also had phoenix, flame shoulder, white shouldered house moth, double sqaure-spot, setaceous hebrew character, angle shades, six-striped rustic, common rustic and flounced rustic.

A fantastic night was had by all and we can't wait for the next one! A big thank you to Morgan, our bat expert, and our brilliant team of moth-ers for making it possible.

Jenny, Connecting People and Nature Intern.

Wednesday 30 September 2015

Mammals and Monsters - October Half Term

October half term is fast approaching and we've got lots of delights in store for our fabulous visitors.

We kick off with Marvellous Mammals on Sunday 25 October, from 10am-12pm. We have small creature expert, Nick, dropping in to lead a morning of finding out all about our furry friends. We'll learn about the habits and habitats of mice, voles and shrews, along with their life cycles and what their preferred bite to eat is.

A little later, we'll set off on an expedition around the reserve, to see whether we can find any four legged lovelies. We'll make notes on where we find them and how we can help them thrive both at home and out in the countryside. Booking is essential, so please call 0121 357 7395 or email sandwellvalley.rspb.org.uk to secure your place. Find out more, including prices, by clicking HERE.

Bank Vole (Tim Hunt)

Wednesday 28 October sees the start of a 5 day long celebration of Halloween, with our Bat Trails! Take a trip around the reserve, answering spooky questions and decoding creepy clues. Collect all you need and you'll earn yourself a ghoulish prize on your return to Nature's Reach!

No need to book, just drop into the visitor centre on any day between Wednesday 28 October and Sunday 1 November and for just £1 per person we'll give you everything you need to get you on your spooky way.

Rahul Thanki (www.rspb-images.co.uk)
Then after all that excitement, we'll be really geared up for our family Spooky Halloween Walk on Saturday 31 October, the night when all the ghosts and ghouls come back to life! We'll start our descent in the hair-raising world of the reserve at 5:30pm, meeting the creepy crawlies that call it their home on the way.

There'll be a range of spine-tingling activities to get the goosebumps going, then hot drinks at Nature's Reach to bring us all back to life.... Mwohahaha! Click HERE for more information... if you dare!

Eleanor Bentall (www.rspb-images.co.uk)

If you'd like any extra information on any of the above events, or about the goings on at RSPB Sandwell Valley in the lead up to Halloween please don't hesitate to get in touch.

We look forward to welcoming you to Nature's Reach for a week of mammals and monsters!

Jenny, Connecting People & Nature Intern, RSPB Sandwell Valley.


Wednesday 9 September 2015

RSPB Sandwell Valley Photo Competition 2015

To celebrate the opening of our shiny new visitor centre in July, we launched a photography competition in Spring, inviting visitors to showcase their amazing snaps of the valley on our Facebook page. The winner would be the one to generate the most 'likes' for their photo, being offered tickets for our VIP Residents Launch Event.

To see some of the cracking entries we had (and maybe spot your own) please click play below (full screen button in bottom right corner).





We had some stunning entries and a very worthy winner in Neil Mabon's 'Grey Heron'. Thank you to everyone who entered, what talented visitors we have!

Grey Heron by Neil Mabon


Jenny
(Connecting People and Nature Intern)

Wednesday 2 September 2015

Fly by Night - 5 Fun Facts about Bats!

We've had a fantastic response to our Fly by Night - Bat and Moth Night on Saturday 5th September and we're now fully booked! Thank you to everybody who has enquired and we look forward to welcoming those of you with a space on Saturday.

After our recent blog Fly by Night - 5 Fun Facts about Moths, we didn't want to leave our flying furry friends out, so here are 5 facts about bats...

1. There are around 1100 species of bat in the world, the only flying mammal. Some of them can fly at speeds of up to 60mph and some can live to 30 years old!

2. The largest bat in the world is the flying fox. Found in Indonesia, they have a wingspan of 5-6 feet! In contrast, the smallest is the bumble bee bat, which resides in Thailand. It is just 29-33mm and weighs in at a teeny weeny 2 grams. The smallest you'll find in the UK is the pipistrelle, it's appetite however, does not match it's size...

3. The pipistrelle is a greedy little beast, it can eat up to 3000 insects in just one night!

Pipistrelle Bat (Chris Shields - www.rspb-images.com)


4. All UK bats use echolocation to find their way and their prey in the dark. This involves sending out high frequency calls and analysing the sound that bounces off objects around them. Clever, huh?!

5. Vampire bats are named after the bloodthirsty creatures in mythology, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula. However their saliva actually contains an anti-coagulant (conveniently called draculin) which may be able to help combat the causes of stroke and heart disease. Yay bats!

(Robin Boutell - www.rspb-images.com)


We're sorry if you didn't manage to grab a space on our event this Saturday but make sure you look out for the winged lovelies at home too. They're often spotted flying battily about in gardens nationwide!

If you've seen any in your own garden we'd love to hear about it on our Facebook page and Twitter!

Jenny (Connecting People and Nature Intern)

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Home Grown Wildlife

Up until a few years ago I had always looked at overgrown areas of my garden as a bad thing, and that they needed maintaining like a lawn. 

It suddenly occurred to me one day that there wasn’t much insect life. In fact there wasn’t much life in general. 
It was time for change! Since then, I have been letting areas of my garden grow naturally. As another attempt at creating a home for wildlife, I placed wooden boards throughout the garden, which mammals and hopefully reptiles would utilise.

One of my wildlife boards amongst the grass
Juvenile bank voles in a nest under one of the boards

My results were astonishing. Within one week of placing down the boards I had mice, voles, shrews, toads and frogs living underneath them.

Within a few more weeks I had nesting voles under every board, even multiple nests under some. It was amazing to know that I had created an environment whereby creatures such as these voles, could see it as a home. 

Bank voles become sexually mature at just five weeks old. Female bank voles can produce up to four or five litters a year which explains the numbers found within my garden.


Adult bank vole


Juvenile bank vole

I think that until people can actually see how diverse wildlife in their gardens can be, things will not change for the greater good. Seeing is believing, so hopefully this blog post will excite you to let your garden grow. It’s really as simple as that. It doesn’t cost anything. Just sit back and watch your garden grow. The long grass provides shelter and protection from the elements for many creatures.

Since starting the study of my garden I have wanted to photograph a shrew with my field studio. Unlike the other mammals in my garden the common shrew is very elusive. I was once fortunate enough to come across a nest containing a litter of common shrews, but these types of situations are best left undisturbed.

I found this shrew (pictured below) under one of the boards that I placed down in the paddock. The image does not show size but I can tell you it was only around 5cm long (body only), so very small. It's long pointed nose and tiny eyes make the shrew stand out from other mammals such as voles and mice. Their short life-span means that it is uncommon for them to live for more than 12 months. Their diet consists of mainly insects but they will also eat slugs, snails and earthworms. The common shrew can be found widespread throughout Britain and comes in at second place in being the most numerous Mammal in Britain.


Common shrew

The wood mouse is one of the most common rodents found here in the UK. This one in particular lives under the stone slabs outside our kitchen. Every day I watch as they harvest up the spilt bird seed from the feeder that hangs above. Where there is food you will most likely find mice, or at least evidence of their nocturnal activities. In our conservatory there isn’t a seed packet that hasn’t been opened or bulbs that haven’t been nibbled.

From a photographic point of view, they are one of the hardest subjects to photograph using my field studio, due to their athletic ability and lighting fast reactions. So getting these shots was rewarding and a welcome change of subject.

Wood mouse
For the first time ever I came across a hedgehog in the garden. I’m still amazed at how bizarre they are with their spine-covered bodies and with their ability to curl up into tight ball. These amazing creatures are one to look out for as their numbers are in decline.


Hedgehog in defensive position (left) and non defensive (right)
Sometimes the places you least expect can become occupied by nature. This bag of builders sand was left over from some work we had done on the house. After several months the bag and it's contents had become a home for a whole host of wildlife.

This bank vole had built a nest in the sand bag. The nest has been built with dried grass. When I took this picture the voles had very recently collected some fresh grass to bulk it out. Nothing like a bit of home improvement!


Juvenile bank vole emerging from nest in builders sand bag
This toad is a full time resident in the bag.
   
This year had been an exciting one. Three out of the five boards I put down had multiple grass snakes underneath them. Being only juveniles it meant that I had breeding grass snakes in the vicinity, which was great to know.

Juvenile grass snake basking on top the builders sand bag   
Juvenile grass snake profile

I have very recently made use of this old children’s playhouse. Rather than dispose of it I cut the roof off it to make it into a grass cuttings box. I intend to attach a tarpaulin over the top. This should hopefully warm up in the sun and together with the warmth, produced by the decaying grass, should create a haven for grass snakes.


It's worth seeing what you have in your garden that could be made into a home for wildlife. Even if it’s an old bucket, you could upturn it, creating a dry home for some creature in need. Give it a go, you may be pleasantly surprised.

If you'd like to find out more about the mammals residing on the RSPB Sandwell Valley reserve (maybe even meet a few!) and more about how you can encourage them to visit your own garden, why not join us for our Marvellous Mammals event on Sunday 25th October?? Find out more about it here... https://www.facebook.com/events/1686105998287474/

Tim Hunt (RSPB Sandwell Valley volunteer)