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COUNTRYSIDE NEWS March 2018 Wildlife Around and About East Lothian
When I was a lad, many years ago, I was fascinated by dinosaurs. Then, it was “known” that dinosaurs had died out, but there wasn’t a really good idea of why it had happened. Scientific ideas move on, and later discoveries suggested that an asteroid impact was a likely cause of the extinction, perhaps with the help of some dramatic volcanic activity in what is now India. Now it’s thought that some of the dinosaurs survived and lived on to evolve into birds – in essence we can regard birds as feathered dinosaurs, which is kind of cool. With some bird species this evolution is very easy to visualise. Herons in flight look positively prehistoric, while many others have a distinctly reptilian look about them. GS Woodpecker One of these, to my mind, is the Great spotted woodpecker, a species which is relatively common in our woodlands. It’s a medium-sized bird, with predominantly black and white plumage, but with a reddish blotch towards the lower end of the body, beneath the tail. Female great spotted woodpeckers also have a red patch on the back of their heads, whilst juveniles have a red crown. Adult males have plain black and white heads. This species, like many woodpeckers, has a distinctive undulating flight, which usually follows a very direct route from tree to tree. At this time of year woodpeckers are more likely to be heard than seen. Their most common call is a piercing yipping sound, sometimes repeated several times with a gap of about a second between. However, their real speciality is “drumming”. This involves rapidly beating the bill against a dead branch to produce a loud knocking, which carries for some distance. Drumming is used as a territorial display, effectively filling the same role that song does for other species, and is performed by both male and female birds. Butterflies have very definitely not evolved from dinosaurs. Some of our early flying species may make an appearance on warmer days this month and are a sure sign that spring is well and truly on its way. Peacocks are a species to look out for this month, with adults emerging from hibernation earlier than most species. The great thing about the peacock is that it’s so distinctive and, like its avian namesake, is easy to identify. The (mainly) red wings carry large “eyespot” patterns, which are thought to frighten potential predators, especially birds. By contrast, the underside of the wings are dull brownish-black, which provides excellent camouflage when the butterfly is at rest or hibernating. As if these defences weren’t Peacock enough, the peacock can also produce a hissing sound by rasping its wings – this seems to be a very effective deterrent against small mammal predators. Male peacocks are very territorial and have been observed attempting to chase away small birds that get too close. These territories are often based around patches of nettles. The nettle is the main food plant of peacock caterpillars and therefore attract females looking for suitable sites to lay their eggs. All of which is a good reason for us to cherish our nettle patches. We should all embrace the nettle – metaphorically speaking. Forthcoming Ranger Service Events: Hike. Sunday 25th March: Law to Law. A 9 mile (14.5 km) walk between, and to the top of, two of our most iconic landmarks – Traprain and North Berwick Laws. Return transport provided. Remember the clocks go forward! Cost: £8 per person, booking essential via www.eastlothian.gov.uk/rangerevents , where you can also find details of our Adult Events Programme.