Wild Birds

A ✓ indicates that the species has also been indentified by sound using Merlin.

Introduction

The following is taken from the sections titled "Broadleaved Woodland", "Coniferous Woodland","Winter Visitors", and "Summer Visitors" [last four pages] in an undated leaflet entitled "Birds of Linn Park" which we think was published in the mid 1990's.

Broadleaved Woodland

The mixed woods of Oak, Ash, Elm and many other tree species are home to some of our most familiar birds. Great Tits (with their black breast band). Blue Tits (with their blue cap) and the tiny brown Wren can be seen and heard all over the park. Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and the larger, greyer Mistle Thrush are also frequently sighted, often when feeding on the ground, turning over leaves to look for worms and insects.

With its pink breast, grey head and white lines on its wings the male Chaffinch is both conspicuous and approachable; the female, though lacking the bright colours, is equally bold. Boldest of all however is the Robin, whose sharp 'tic-tic' alarm call is a warning to intruders.

If you are lucky, especially in winter when there are few leaves on the trees, you may see Treecreepers and Woodpeckers. The Treecreeper's brown colour suid quiet nature make it difficult to detect but it s long curved bil l and method of spiralling up tree trunks make it quite distinctive.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers are black and white and feed high up in the canopy. You may hear one drumming rapidly on a dead tree to attract a mate or see large holes in trees made by the Woodpecker as nest sites.

Coniferous Woodland

Conifer plantations of Scots Pine, Spruce or Larch are generally quite dark places where few plants will grow. Consequently there are relatively fewer insects and other food for birds, but plantations are home to a small number of birds that specialize in feeding in such woods.

The Goldcrest is Britain's smallest bird and seldom keeps still long enough to give good views. It likes to feed in the high foliage of conifers where it finds spiders, insects and larvae. It gets its name from the black-bordered orange crest on its head. The body is a greenish colour, but paler below.

With its black cap, white cheeks and white patch at the back of its head, the Coal Tit can be separated from other members of its family. Again, it feeds high up in the canopy but its song - like the Great Tit's teacher-teacher-teacher though higher pitched - is quite distinctive.

The dense canopies of plantations can also be good for owls and birds of prey. The Tawny Owl is nocturnal and more often heard than seen. By day it sits close to the trunk of a tree, but by night flies silently through the woods catching Woodmice and Bank Voles. The familiar hooting call is made by the male only; the female makes a sharp keewick in response.

The Sparrowhawk feeds on small birds which it takes by surprise, chasing them through the woods on its short rounded wings and gripping them tightly in its shaip claws. It has a barred breast and flies with a pattern of a few wing-beats then a short glide.

Winter Visitors

The abundance of seeds and fruits produced in autumn by trees, bushes and flowers enables many small birds to survive the winter. Insect-eaters either adapt or migrate to maintain their food supply. Some birds migrate to this country to take advantage of the variety of foods available.

Scandinavian birds like the Fieldfare and Redwing migrate in huge numbers. The Fieldfare is a large thrush with a grey head and rump. The Redwing is a smaller thrush with red sides and underwings and a white stripe through the eye. Both eat berries, worms, snails and insects and are often seen in small flocks.

One of the highlights of the winter is the occasional appearance of the Waxwing. a delightful bird the size of a Starling but with a pinkish colouring and a small crest on its head. It feeds mostly on berries but also on any insects it may find.

Pine cones provide the food source of the Crossbill - an irregular visitor to the park - whose powerful bill enables it to extract the seeds. The Siskin is a yellowgreen finch which also eats tree seeds, most often those of Birch and Alder, and often feeds in a noisy flock.

A regular winter visitor to the river is the Goosander, a large fish-eating duck which breeds further upstream. The male is mostly white and the female and juveniles brown with an untidy reddish-brown head and neck.

Summer Visitors

Warblers are slim insect-eating birds which arrive in spring to feed on the many insects living in our grass, shrubs and woods.

The Willow Warbler is a greenish-coloured bird with a prominent white line above its eye. It is often seen picking insects from leaves on bushes or small trees. Its close relative the Chiffchaff usually feeds higher up in trees. Only its song, a repeated 2-note chiff-chaff makes it easy to separate trom the Willow Warbler.

The Blackcap is easier to identify. The male is greyish, with a glossy black cap. The female however has a reddish-brown cap. It has a beautiful loud song which it sings from high up in bushes or trees.

Other summer visitors to Linn Park include Swifts. Swallows and House Martins which can often be seen over the river or soaring over the park on warm summer days hawking insects, twisting and turning with incredible speed.

The elusive Spotted Flycatcher is another insect-eater. It is a brown bird with a speckled breast and a peculiar habit of catching a fly and returning to the same perch every time.

Birds that are not on the list on page two include the Nuthatch and Raven, as well as the Buzzard.

Birds for which we do not yet have photographs include Blackcap, Blue Tit, Crossbill, Fieldfare, Gold Finch, Great Tit, Green Finch, House Martin, House Sparrow, Little Grebe, Magpie, Spotted Flycatcher, Starling, Stock Dove, Swallow, Swift, Tawny Owl, Waxwing, and Willow Warbler.

Where one of the Gents has recorded a species using Merlin, a link to eBird has been added. [This is work in progress !]