As the weather starts to warm up, the wildlife in the Morshead Mansions communal garden becomes a lot more active. It’s a timely reminder of how lucky we are to have such a wealth of resident garden birds. More commonly associated with life in the countryside, London is full of a wide array of diverse bird life, many of which can be found right outside our windows…
Wood Pigeons
Probably one of the most common birds found in London are pigeons, which you will see pretty much everywhere you go. London Pigeons are usually Feral Pigeons, and the Morshead Mansions gardens have their fair share of these. They usually nest in chimneys, guttering or under the iron balconies. The Morshead trees though are also home to the Wood Pigeon, which is actually the most common pigeon in the UK. More likely to be found in the rural areas, it has become more urbanised in the last 30 years and is now a feature of the communal gardens.
Parakeets
Also becoming a more common sight in London are bright green Parakeets. Not native to the UK, just how they came to exist here isn’t exactly known. There are several theories however, one of which is that they originally escaped from Ealing Studios in 1951 while being used for the filming of African Queen. Another is that they escaped from aviaries during the great storm of 1987. Yet another is that a pair of Parakeets escaped from a pet shop in Sunbury on Thames in 1970. However it happened, there’s no doubt that they seem to be here to stay and the last official count in 2012 recorded 32,000 Parakeets in London. They can often be seen, and heard, flying between the trees in the communal gardens.
Jays
Another Morshead resident is the Jay. A colourful member of the Crow family, it is predominantly brown and features brilliant blue patches on its wings. Usually quite a shy bird, it’s most likely to be heard before it is seen, due to its very loud screaming call. They are present all year round but are most likely to be seen more often in the Autumn, when they are out searching for acorns, nuts and fruit, which they tend to store to see them through the winter. Apparently, the acorns that jays collect often get forgotten, growing into oak saplings and eventually trees.
Crows
Including the Jay, there are actually 8 species of Crow in the UK. The most common, and the one most seen in the Morshead gardens, is the Carrion Crow. An intelligent and adaptable bird, it has thrived on the changes that humans have made to the landscape. It will eat pretty much anything, including food scraps, dead animals, fruit, worms, small mammals and other birds. It’s thought that as many as two million live in the UK, although they are usually solitary birds that are wary of any contact. This is another loud bird that is usually heard before it is seen.
Magpies
Also included in the Crow family is the Magpie, and this is one of the garden birds that is being seen more and more in Morshead in recent years. They are widely thought to be intelligent birds and have shown the ability to make tools, imitate human speech, grieve, play games and work in teams. Magpies are easily identified by their black and white plumage, long tail and green/blue/purple wing and tail feathers. They are known to be scavengers, thought to be attracted to bright objects, but can also be predators and pest controllers. Magpies generally mate for life but will occasionally form new partnerships if they lose a mate. Non-breeding birds or those without mates will tend to gather in flocks.
Robins
Often called the UK’s favourite bird is the Robin, easily identified by its red breast. It can be seen all year round and is especially associated with the Christmas season. Males and females look identical, although young Robins don’t have a red breast but one that is spotted and golden brown. Robins sing nearly all year round but despite their cute appearance, they are aggressively territorial and are quick to drive away intruders. The Robin is one of the garden birds that is traditionally known as a gardener’s friend, due to its main diet of worms, bugs and insects. In winter it will supplement its diet with berries and seeds.
Blue Tits
Last but not least and a welcome resident of our garden is the Blue Tit. Usually found in woodland, parks and gardens, they tend to nest in holes in trees but are just as happy to use nesting boxes. They are active feeders with a liking of insects and spiders but will happily visit bird tables and bird feeders, being particularly fond of nuts and seeds. It’s worth noting that if you hang feeders on your balcony to attract Blue Tits, it’s probably better to fill them with seeds rather than nuts, as the local squirrel population are also very keen on nuts and will happily scale walls all the way up to the top floor to find them!
So that’s a run-down of some of the garden birds that can be regularly spotted in the Morshead Mansions communal gardens. Keep an eye out this Spring and Summer and see how many you can identify!
To find out more about the Morshead Mansions communal gardens, click here.
