Having just been ringed our wildlife volunteer points out the chick's wide beak, large and bright so the parents can easily feed it in a dark nest. Hannah James
See butterflies fluttering through the herb garden, birds swooping through the grounds and feeding at the bird hide. Find deer throughout Studley Royal deer park and learn more about the Skell project.
Bird ringing
Nest box checking and bird-ringing has been going on throughout May and now into June. This is to record which birds are breeding in the area and to contribute to an overall understanding of bird population numbers across the country. This means looking at whether birds’ clutch sizes are changing, if all the eggs successfully hatch and whether all the chicks leave the nest (known as fledging).
Through gathering all this information, scientists now know that there are certain species of birds which lay their eggs earlier than they did in the 1960s
" Did you know that a lot of bird species can be ringed when they're only 1-2 weeks old because their legs stay the same size through to adulthood."
The wildlife team ringing a Great Tit chick
Hannah James
The wildlife team ringing a Great Tit chick
Looking after the birds in the UK
When it comes to bird conservation there are three different grades to tell you how their populations are doing in the UK. It's a traffic light system: red, orange and green.
Green means they're successfully breeding and doing well
Amber means they're not thriving but numbers are currently ticking along
Red means that they're really struggling.
We're very excited that we have some Marsh Tits nesting on the estate, which are currently in the red conservation band. Keep your eyes peeled and you might see the fledglings around the site in the coming month.
Marsh Tit chicks snuggled up in their nest box
Hannah James
Marsh Tit chicks snuggled up in their nest box
Birds you can often spot include:
Goldfinches
Blue tits
Jackdaws the great spotted woodpecker
The green woodpecker in Studley Royal deer park
Song thrush
Hawfinch (through January and February 2018)
Geese
Swans
The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a frequent visitor to the bird hide at Fountains Abbey
Hannah James
The Great Spotted Woodpecker is a frequent visitor to the bird hide at Fountains Abbey
Prickly pals
Far too often we find hedgehogs on the estate in the day time. This is a sure sign that the hedgehog is ill and needs some help. If you spot one out in the day then be sure to let a member of staff know so we can come and rescue it. Read about our successful release of hedgehogs rescued in 2017 (and some more information about these wonderful little critters) below.
Hedgehog numbers are declining fast and have dropped from a population of 25 million to 1 million over the past 50 years. Here's what you need to know if you spot one on your visit.
The deer
Can you spot the deer in Studley Royal deer park. It's full up with 300 wild deer going about their daily business of grazing, sleeping and doing whatever it is that deer like to do.
Throughout June and July they will be starting to give birth so you may see the young while out and about. The mother deer like to leave their young in a nice shady spot to rest so it's perfectly normal to see a fawn or calf relaxing on their own.
A mother and her young in Studley Royal deer park
David Hill
A mother and her young in Studley Royal deer park
Find out all about the three different types of deer you can see in the park below.
Can you tell the difference between the three different varieties that live in the deer park? If not, have a read about them here and prove to your friends you're a deer expert.
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