Arrow Valley Nature Reserve

Animals that we saw:• Mallard• Moorhens• Toad• Robin• Woodpigeons• Crows• Blackbirds• Long-tailed tits• Tortoishell Butterfly• Woodpecker• Ladybird• Earthworm• Grey squirrel• Duck

Birds

• Mallard• Moorhen• Robin• Woodpigeon• Crow• Blackbird• Long-tailed tits• Woodpecker

Mallard (Anas strepera)

The mallard is the most popular bird in the UK. A lot of people will see if they go to the local park if it has a pond or if you are going to ‘feed the ducks’ then that will probably be on of the ducks that is there. The male mallard is the one that everyone recognise because it is the one with the green head and yellow bill which is separated from the white and black plumage by a very bright white ‘collar’ around its neck. The female mallard has an orange bill and a mottled brown plumage. They live all over the UK and will stay anywhere where there is water even if it is an artificial pond in someone's garden. However, they do not live in high mountains due to the climate. Mallards will bread anywhere with shelter and water.

Male Mallard Female Mallard

Moorhen (Gallinula chlorophus)

The Moorhen is often called the Waterhen because it is seen by water a lot; whether it is a puddle on a road or a pond at a park. The moorhen will often find its food (worms, insects, slugs, berries, seeds and aquatic plants and animals) in ponds, marshes, lakes and rivers. It will breed from April to July and will usually give birth to 6-12 chicks. Rushes and reeds will be lined with grass to for the nest which is positioned near water or sometimes, in a bush overhanging the water.

Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

The robin is possibly one of the most respected, well known and loved birds in the UK. Its feeding areas are very general and its food consist of mainly worm and insects but the robin will also eat little crumbs, other scraps and fruit and berries. The robin will lay its eggs during February-July and each year will have 5-6 chicks. The shell is brown and speckled and when the chick hatches, it will look similar to the egg. The nest is made of wood, grass, moss and hair and is made in small holes in a wall, tree or bank.

Woodpigeon (Columba palumbus)

The woodpigeon is a plump, medium sized bird and often heard most of the year and has a very distinctive call: coo-coo-cooo-c-cooo. The nest is made of rather flat sticks and in a tree or bush. There are normally two eggs laid April-August but sometimes earlier or later. Their diet is made up of weed-seeds, grain, acorns, nuts, berries, caterpillars, slugs and new-sprouting green and they will find this food in woods and gardens.

Crow (Corvus corone corone)

The Carrion crow is closely related to the hooded crow however, the hooded crow has white patches but the carrion crow is all black. That is an easy way to tell them apart. The carrion crow lives in farmland, moor land and by the coast and shares its home with its relative; the hooded crow. The nest is generally in a cliff or high in a tree. The 4-5 young will be born in April and May.

The Blackbird hunts anywhere where it senses there is any of the following:

worms, snails, grubs, insects or fruit. The eggs of their chicks are greenish-blue

and finely speckled with a warm brown. They will usually produce 4-6 chicks

from March to July. The male Blackbird is black with a yellow beak but the

female is speckled brown, with an orange beak. The nests are made of grass

and mud and positioned in a tree or a bush.

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Female BlackbirdMale Blackbird

Long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

The long-tailed tit’s tail is just as long as its body. The bird often lives in a bush or hedge and the nest is deep and domed. During the night, about 12 chicks and both parents in the nest. 6-15 red, speckled eggs are born in April or may. Insects are the main source of food for the long-tailed tit however the do eat some other things.

Woodpecker (Dendrocopus)

This bird is also known as the pied woodpecker. The male bird has a bright red

patch at the back of its head and on its lower part of its chest, just in front of the

tail. The nests are generally positioned in holes of a tree to offer protection to

the birds. This also means that the hunting is going on near their nest because

most of their food is found in the trees. This food consists of insects and their

larvae (and sometimes nuts or berries). The eggs are born in may and often in

groups of 4-7

Male greater spotted WoodpeckerFemale greater

spotted Woodpecker

Toads (Bufo Bufo)

The toads are small tailless animals which look a lot like a frog. The

toad is in the amphibian class of animals. Toads do have lungs to use

when they are on land, but in the water the oxygen goes straight

through the skin and directly into the blood stream. The frog will flick its

tongue out of its mouth and insects will get stuck to the tongue. Insects

are the main part of the frog’s diet.

Tortoishell Butterfly (Aglais urticae)

The tortoishell butterfly is one of the most well known butterflies because it is one of the most common butterflies.

Ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

The lady bird is also known as the ladybug. The seven spotted ladybird is

probably the best known ladybird in the country but is not quite the biggest at

8mm. A female can lay up to 200 eggs and while they are still larvae, the newly

born ladybirds can eat so much that it actually becomes 13mm which is larger

than the adults. Both adults and larvae eat aphids and live in nooks and crannies in the bark on trees.

Earthworms

Many people do not like earth worms; however, they are very important for the

soil because the churn it up and bring all of the nutrients to the surface.

Earthworms are hermaphroditic which means that the are both male and

female even though they do need a partner to breed. They can vary in size

from 1millimeter to 3meters.

Grey squirrels (Sciurus caroliniensis)

The grey squirrel is actually brown with a light shading of grey on the fur. At

university campus’ there are many grey squirrels at and around universities

because there are a lot of good places for nests and food such as trees and

nuts. The habitat in the countryside is not much different: woodland near oak,

beech and other nut trees. They will eat nuts, seeds and berries, and

occasionally greenery-mainly in spring.

Ducks