Facts about birds
- Some birds can fly some can’t.
- All birds have feathers.
- Birds like to eat different things like seeds crisps left overs worms and other things
- Some are big some are small (different shapes and sizes)
Here are some of the birds you can find in Hardwick Dene
Sparrow Hawk
Sparrow hawks are small birds of prey. They’re adapted for hunting birds in confined spaces like dense woodland, so Hardwick Dene is an ideal hunting grounds for them.
We have a pair nesting both in the Dene and in Elm Tree Wood on the other side of Darlington Back Lane. This year they have produce chicks which have just fledged recently.
Image by Geoff Brookes
Black Bird
The blackbird lives in the Dene all year round, living in woodland areas and feeding off insects and worms. The male is black but Female black birds are brown. The Latin name for black birds is Turdus merula.
Image by Amy Lewis
Blue Tit
The blue tit is a familiar sight in the Dene, easily recognised by blue on the top of the head, wings and tails also the yellow breasts and white gar on each wing. The blue tit loves the buffet of insects to eat in the Dene and the sheltered areas for them to nest.
Chiffchaff
Chiffchaffs are a tiny leaf warbler who visits the Dene in the summer; they favour woodland containing mature trees, which make the wooded parts of the Dene excellent habitat for them! They are Olive brown in colour with a buffy white breast, Short thin beak and Dark legs
Image by Amy Lewis
Blackcap
The blackcap is a summer visitor to the Dene and lives in the scrub found near the topside of the Dene. They are recognised by the black feathers on their forehead shaped like a cap! The male and females look similar but have different coloured feathers on their forehead.
Image by Amy Lewis
Whitethroat
Another summer visitor to the Dene, the whitethroat enjoys the Dene’s scrub and woodland areas. The whitethroat is a medium sized warbler about the size of a great tit. The male has a grey head a white throat and a brown back, and is buff underneath.
Image by: Jon Hawkins- Surrey Hill Photography