As a class, it has taken a while for things to actually get going on The Secret Life of Birds; as it was at the end of year 7 when we were officially introduced to this exciting opportunity. But here is a brief run through of our journey in this project...
Late Year 7...
After being introduced to the project by our science teacher, we were given the opportunity to look at bird related topics in lessons. We studied a scientific journal paper on the different warning calls made by birds to protect their chicks, and we also looked into the sounds that different bird species made, as it would be helpful to have some basic knowledge prior to our first meeting with Dr Nicola Hemmings (From the University of Sheffield).
Eventually, the time came around when we met with Nicola for the first time, and we didn’t really know what to expect. She explained to us that she was studying birds in depth and gave some examples and videos of her work in forest areas. This was when we all realised that it was a serious project we were about to embark on, and a small group came up with the Twitter name '@MaltbyBirds'
so we could communicate with people such as Chris Packham, and ask questions to help broaden our knowledge.
Year 8 Begins...
The University of Sheffield came to visit us again, where we were taken out into the different environments around the Maltby Academy school grounds. We counted numerous different species of insects and it gave us a brief insight into the biodiversity of our school, and we could also predict what types of birds we were likely to find based on their preference of food. We were lucky enough to find a Dusky Thorn Moth, which are a rather rare specimen and some other uncommon insects too.
The Royal Society Visits!
After seeing the work that we had been doing, two representatives of the prestigious Royal Society came in to visit. This is when we presented our findings of the school’s biodiversity, and also mentioned some plans we had for the future. It was a true honour to know that such an amazing opportunity was bestowed on us!
The Trail Cameras Are Out...
After numerous sessions of ‘science club’ and work in lessons, the trail cameras provided by the Royal Society’s grant were put out amongst our area of conservation. Feeding stations were also provided for the different birds, so we could also study the different foods birds preferred.
Disaster Strikes...
Unfortunately, as the conservation area is near to a deserted building, criminals had gone down to vandalise the building and stole some of our cameras due to what we believe being the fact that the cameras flash in the night, and probably recorded them. It was very lucky that we still had some left...
Present Day...
More cameras have been put out (and taken in at weekends) and we have managed to sort through most of the images, we have also recorded the different species to visit, even including foxes, squirrels, field mice, and cats. We have distributed feeding stations around the area, and different foods have been weighed into even amounts, to help track the most popular areas and the most desired foods. But below are some of our latest shots that our trail cameras have caught...
