Biology Newsletter #4

Biology Department Newsletter Issue 4: week commencing 27 April 2020

Grow your own!

Now is the time to release your inner Monty Don and get involved in planted your own fruit and veg in the garden. Not only is it incredibly therapeutic, but it will also provide you with a harvest of delicious produce in the months to come.

All you need is some compost, some seeds, a pot, and a nice warm sunny window sill. This photo is of my son’s new pepper plants that he grew from seed. Make it more biological by thinking about what seeds need to germinate, what plants need to grow healthily, why phototropism is advantageous to plants, or indeed plan a controlled experiment to test the rate of growth of different plants from seed!

The Biology Bookshelf The Body by Bill Bryson is an excellent book for any budding biologists.

It’s easy to read and jam packed with fascinating facts. If you don’t believe me, take a look here for some titbits to whet your appetite: The Independent

Minibeast mania!

Last week I challenged you to make an insect hotel. Mrs Jones also asked 8V to make low-tech insect traps and here are the results. LOADS of minibeasts – well done 8V. I wonder if any of you actually tried identifying your bugs?

And look at this little critter which was spotted by Adhiraj Rathee in 7J (thank you Dr Citron). If anyone thinks they can identify it, please do let us know

Biology Department Newsletter Issue 4: week commencing 27 April 2020

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Masters of disguise Each picture has an animal hiding in plain sight. Email Mr Lynch with the correct answers 4 Hint: in no.1 it is not the goats!

The virtual classroom So many opportunities to learn from the experts on social media at the moment. This week’s recommendation is Chris Packham, the face of Autumnwatch and Springwatch.

An absolute expert on all things natural!

Emboldened animals reclaiming the streets There is quite a lot in the news about animals repopulating cities due to Covid-19 keeping the human population indoors: The Guardian However, animals more reliant on humans, such as those subject to poaching or on nature reserves, are more at risk as a consequence of the lockdown. Read this fascinating article to find out more: Animals in danger during lockdown

Mr Glanville’s aviary returns The orange headed ground thrush Geokichla citrina comes originally from the Indian Subcontinent but all the ones in Europe are captive bred. The orange headed ground thrush is about the same size as a blackbird and has a beautiful song. Mr Glanville's pair are presently breeding with the female incubating eggs. The nest is made from straw and coconut fibres. The pair are fed on bird pellets, although some bird keepers feed them on dried dog food. If the young hatch the parents will feed them earthworms and mealworms. These 'livefoods' are treated with calcium powder so that the young develop strong bones.

Biology Department Newsletter Issue 4: week commencing 27 April 2020

Springwatch with Mr Coleman I can’t shake your hand, I can’t have a drink with you in Joe’s café and I can’t watch you play cricket but I can encourage you all to watch something even better – Nature! Look up to the skies now for the acrobatic flight of swallows. Watching the clouds and birds in the sky is the thinking person’s television.

For writer, gardener and TV presenter Monty Don, swallows are as central to his garden as any plant. Their return to the garden in April brings a soaring familiarity of song, which when they depart in September leaves the skies above silent and empty, and for Monty a feeling of loss and longing for their return after the long winter months.

Tweet of the day

The Swallow, Hirundo rustica

Cuckoo calling Listen out for the cuckoo this week, they are arriving in the UK from West Africa especially the DRC. Some may only stay in the UK for a few weeks before flying all the way back to the rainforests of the Congo. The females lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, especially dunnocks and reed warblers. The cuckoo eggs mimic the host birds eggs, so some female cuckoos lay their eggs only in dunnock nests and others in reed warbler nests.

When the cuckoo chick hatches it throws the host birds eggs or chicks out of the nest. The parasitised pair of birds put all their efforts into rearing the cuckoo chick, which grows much bigger than them. The adult cuckoos eat hairy caterpillars which most other birds find toxic or distasteful. The cuckoo is declining in numbers and scientists have radio tracked them to try and find out more about them especially the routes that they use for migration.

Tweet of the day