Happy New Year to all of Binfield Environment Group’s supporters. This winter is officially a “waxwing winter” which means that flocks of these beautiful birds are turning up on fruit trees everywhere from suburban gardens to supermarket car parks. Has anyone seen them in Binfield this year? The nearest sightings that I’m aware of were in one of the car parks off Ascot High Street.
2023 has been a year of contrast’s for Binfield’s nature. More people than ever are taking part in our activities, including regular surveys of six green-spaces around the parish. Those surveys show that more than 60 species of birds and 15 species of butterflies grace those green-spaces. However, a number of special trees across the parish have been destroyed, and two of our green-spaces are being neglected.
Note that these numbers only include the species seen by the surveyors during their surveys. The data that our surveyors gather is being shared with councils and the local record centre to inform nature recovery and development plans. The data will also give us an idea of how things change over time and hence where BEG and others should target conservation work. The surveys also show us some of the remarkable things that turn up here.
The picture above is of a firecrest, a rarer relative of the goldcrest which is itself an uncommon sight. Firecrests are generally a winter visitor to the UK, but a small number do nest here and it is possible that they nest in Binfield. We now have records of them visiting three different green-spaces in the north of Bracknell Forest.
There is some concern amongst UK bird watchers that there has been a significant decline in blackbird numbers in the second half of 2023 and the British Trust for Ornithology are looking into this. Our own data suggests that there may have been a drop in the number of blackbirds in people’s gardens, but not in our green-spaces, and that the number being seen in gardens is now back to normal levels.
Thank you to David, Penny, Frank, Derek, Stuart and all the lovely ladies in the WI for the surveying they have done in 2023.
2023 has also had its negatives. A number of special trees across the parish have been destroyed or given a severe haircut, and two of our green-spaces are being neglected while arguments are resolved about their long-term management. For more information on these have a look at my blogs: https://ecoworrier133969581.wordpress.com/2022/12/08/in-memoriam/ and https://ecoworrier133969581.wordpress.com/2023/10/19/neglected-green-spaces/
In addition to our regular work parties and actions to address the issues mentioned above, 2024 will also see BEG working closely with the St Marks and All Saints eco-church project; trying to get support to establish a swift colony in the Blue Mountain development; and extending our biodiversity surveying.
Our survey data is feeding into the local biodiversity action plan, the county-wide nature recovery strategy and will help to prioritise the work of BEG and other groups. Hence, we’d like to survey more sites (e.g. Nash Pond, Pockets Copse, our churchyards and Keephatch Meadow), gather a bit more data on birds and butterflies, and survey a wider range of species types (taxa).
Please get in touch with us if you want to help with any of the things mentioned above.