September 13th 2018

101 Things You Never Knew About Garden Birds
Chris Ward

Most of us love watching the birds in our garden, but what do we really know about them? We can recognise the robins, blue tits, blackbirds, etc., but do we know anything about their lives and habits?

Come and listen to Chris and maybe you will find out something that you didn’t know before!

Review of the evening

Chris is passionate about his subject and this was quite infectious as we  were all drawn in to the wonderful world of garden birds. Most of us enjoy watching the birds in our garden and recognise the native ones but we perhaps don't know many facts about them. Did you know that females are not always drawn to the songs of the males which we have been led to believe in the past, but they are looking for the strongest and flashier coloured plumage seem to indicate this? Blackbirds nest throughout the year and can have up to 5 broods a year! The Long Tailed Tit family stay together a a family group longer than most birds, often including extended family members. One pair had been recorded building a nest, flying 700 miles to complete it with 2000 feathers involved! The Swift flies to Africa to live for 3-4 years, never landing, but always in flight, feeding on the wing. They have the capability to shut down half their brain at a time to sleep whilst the other half works harder. They fly back to the UK to breed and an average life span is 5.5 years. They can fly for up to 500 miles a day!

These and many other fascinating facts amazed and delighted our members.

Chris brought with him a selection of photographs as prints which he had taken ready for framing as well as prints made into greetings cards for sale. They were well presented and several members were tempted to buy them.