Issue 24

The Tenby Twitcher  

Christmas

Tenby gardens have a number of birds and wildlife which have survived the summer. This is the time in which young birds and animals are struggling to survive. Voles and the tawny owls which feed upon them during the summer months, of which Tenby has its fare share.

There is pair of tawny owls just on the hospital grounds. But at this time of year the vole are in hibernation and food is scarce. The owls have to get through the hard winter months on little food that they can find, they use up the fats that they have stored up during the summer for the winter nights ahead.

Some bird's like the sparrow hawk to which we have a pair who visit the garden from time to time to feed upon other birds. This happened in Tenby courtyard and a blackbird was preyed upon. The remains were left in the courtyard to decay giving life to flies. This in turn will be eaten by other birds so the poor blackbird's death only adds to the lifecycle of others.

I have seen a number of birds like the coal tit, great tit, robin, wren, blackbirds, crow, jackdaws and pied wagtail. And the over head birds have been gulls like fulmar lesser black backs and herring gulls and the black slim line shag. There are a number of pigeons which live in the old church grounds. Well that's all for now Merry Christmas and have a Happy New year.

"Twitcher"