Living with Beasties

by Liz Parsons of Starling Learning

and the RSPB Lochwinnoch

Living with beasties was a most entertaining and enjoyable talk.  Liz Parsons, who runs an organisation called "Starling Learning" which is an environmental education agency and undertakes school talks as well as ecological surveys which determine the environmental impact assessment of things such as wind forms, undertakes surveys of birdlife and gives recommendations on wildlife gardening for the benefit of the public and schools. Liz also works closely with the RSPB at the Lochwinnoch reserve.

The key point of Liz's talk was to encourage us to be more tolerant of the creatures we share our lives with. She pointed out that often this can be easy but that sometimes it can test our patience and our repugnance!

Liz took us from the birds our garden and living in our loft to the bugs that share our breakfast cereal! She described a very large number of different creatures so here I can only give you a flavour of what she covered (you'll have to attend one of her talks if you want the full information on all those creepies and crawlies). So here goes...

Amongst the birds covered were sparrows and in particular House Sparrows. Did you know that these are on the RSPB red list? They used to be very common but are now becoming quite rare. Starlings are also on the red list, and would like to nest in your loft. They have a special talent for copying and mimicking other bird songs.  House Martins will have flown all the way from Africa to nest under you eaves and colourful Jackdaws might be found nesting in your chimney. Did you know that Jackdaws stay with their partner all year round!  Liz encouraged us to let those birds nesting in your loft raise their family in peace. Why not wait till the family have 'flown the nest' before blocking up that hole? Better still, leave the hole open and share your house with nature!  She also explained the various nesting boxes available and where best to put them.

Have you ever sat in your garden on warm summer's evening just after the sun has gone down and seen little dark objects flying about in your garden?  These are probably the Pipistrel bats which are the smallest bats in the British Isles and are protected by law.  If you find these living in your loft you're not allowed to do anything that will disturb them and that includes not blocking up any holes.

Do you have squirrels in your garden?  They are great fun to watch aren't they?  But what if they get in the house; they can do quite a lot of damage.  What about mice?  Did you know that the house mouse is quite rare nowadays and that most mice found in the house are wood or field mice and would really that be outdoors.  Don't kill them!  Use a live trap and release them back into the wild.  Just remember that you will need to release them at least 1 mile away or they will just walk straight back! (Isn't that amazing?) By the way, the house mouse, which is chocolate brown in colour, is protected by law. Know you animal's rights!

How about rats? (I'm not so sure about having these around!) You don't see the black rat so often nowadays unlike in the Middle Ages when they carried the plague all around the world.  Most of our rats are brown, country rats.  Again you can use a live trap and release them back into the wild.

Liz then told us all about the insects in our houses and our gardens. These ranged from the beautiful Tortoiseshell butterflies which flutter around our flowers gathering nectar to the little Silverfish, Earwigs and Slaters that scuttle round the kitchen.  Not everyone is happy with insects inside the house but we were encouraged to be more tolerant even to these as none of these insects will do any harm.  Spiders in the UK are in fact totally safe and help control some of the less desirable critters in our homes. I think even Liz drew a line at tolerating Cockroaches in the house! Finally she introduced us to some of the smallest guests we have including dust mites and fleas and weevils that live in your flour and breakfast cereals. I tell you... I took a long careful look at my breakfast cereal the next morning - was that something moving?

Many thanks for a very entertaining and informative evening Liz!