The Patch is a real haven for wildlife. Bats, badgers, squirrels and far from shy foxes are all welcome residents.
On weekday afternoons the loudest noise you will hear is the happy sound of children from our three local primary schools laughing and playing together.
But at other times, close your eyes for a moment and listen to the free concert provided by the Patch’s birds! This spring, neighbours have seen and heard robins, dunnocks, sparrows, long tailed tits, blackbirds, wood pigeons, blue tits, great tits, wrens and others. (As well as seagulls of course!)
There are simple free apps like Merlin and Warblr you can use to identify different birdsongs.
More about birds
The RHS website https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/identify-garden-birds has great photos of many of the birds you are likely to see in The Patch.
The British Trust for Ornithology is running a project to find out just how important greenspaces are for UK birds and provide guidance on effective greenspace management for birds and people. They want you to tell them which greenspace(s) you visited, how long you spent there, and which birds and how many of them you observed. See how to take part and sign up here. https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/greenspaces/taking-part
And the RSPB has some really useful information on what and when to feed garden birds https://www.rspb.org.uk/whats-happening/news/how-to-help-garden-birds .
So, when you are finished scrolling, put your phone down for a minute and start listening!
