My Birdwatcher's Guide: Something New Flying Over our Homes

This is the full article that I wrote for Houghton Park Hall but they are going to cut out the parts about other reserves so I am publishing it on here, so people can read the whole thing.

We are quite fortunate to have an abundance of wildlife near our homes and also roaming around our streets in the early morning when most of us are still asleep in our beds like Foxes and the occasional Badger too. If your lucky this time of year you might see Redwings and Fieldfares in the surrounding fields around the Visitor Centre and surrounding countryside.

However, you may have noticed something new above you in the sky above Houghton Regis. No, it is not a Buzzard, Sparrowhawk or Kestrel it is infact a majestic bird called the Red Kite, they are beautiful birds and if your lucky and the sunlight hit their backs, you will see how red they actually are. They were introduced initially to the High Wycombe area in 1989 and then a few years later were released in the fields between Luton Airport and Hitchin. They have been doing really well all over this area mainly because of what they eat, which is road kills. You may have noticed on your daily travels how many rabbits, foxes, badgers and other animals are run over, well the Red Kites eat them. Contrary to what you might hear they don’t eat cats, dogs or children and they will not hurt you. They are marvellous birds to watch so just enjoy them.

It is my intention to help educate the people of Houghton Regis about Birds and Wildlife in this area. What they might see in this area and where to go to see something unusual that might be occurring in this area. For example in late February the Grey Heron starts building it’s nest, so it will be on the look out for ponds which have fish in so if your pond is not covered with netting beware. You can if you want to go and see them on their nests at Rushmere Country Park in Heath & Reach, they have a Cafe and viewpoint where you can sit and watch the Herons.

There are lots of places around here where you can walk like Ashridge which is just the other side of Dagnall going towards Berkhamsted. It is a nice walk around and they have a café so you can get a nice cup of tea or coffee to warm yourself up if it is cold. One of my favourite places to walk is the Marsworth reservoir where if your lucky you might see THE MINKS OF MARSWORTH, it is a small black little creature and looks a bit like an Otter. I saw one a few months ago get out of the water and shake itself, it is a pretty little thing and seems to have integrated itself into the area without murdering everything it sees, like some Mink seem tend to do. It is best to park opposite the Anglers Retreat in the Tring Reservoir Nature Reserve Car Park which you have to pay for but it is worth it.

This time of year you might get all sorts of Birds in your garden, if you see a Bird you don’t recognise then try and get a picture of it and send to me at hhp@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk (if they send them into the generic mailbox, I can forward them to you to investigate) and I will do our best to identify it for you. If it is a good picture we will put on a notice board at the Visitor Centre.

Any Images may even be displayed in the visitor centre!

Written by Mark Hogan. Photography by Colin Bradding, Susan Renaud and Paula Western