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Click the links below to find out the very latest on the Tame Valley Wetlands Scheme.

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Click the link in our bio to watch the second in o

Click the link in our bio to watch the second in our series of vlogs for our project ‘On a Tree by a River’.
This project aims to help bring back from the brink one of the most threatened birds in the UK, the willow tit, through habitat creation and restoration.
We hope that this video will bring a little of the outdoors indoors to you.

Thanks to Wild Presentations for working with us to create these vlogs.

#willowtit #vlog #wildlifevlog #habitatmanagement #wildlife_perfection #nature #naturelovers #wildlife

Our trail cameras at Hams Hall caught some footage

Our trail cameras at Hams Hall caught some footage of this badger, stopping to check out some food on the ground then quickly scampering off! 🦡

By this time of year the badgers' cubs should have been born, and they will emerge from their burrows in Spring when it is a little warmer! ☀️

#badger #badgers #trailcam #trailcamera #wildlifevideo #wildlifecamera #wildlife #nature #wildlife_perfection #naturelovers

Buzzing! 🐝🌷 Although crocuses aren't native

Buzzing! 🐝🌷

Although crocuses aren't native to the UK, they are, along with snowdrops, a good early food source for bees emerging after winter hibernation.

After various different species introductions to the UK and a history of horticultural hybridisation, there is a great deal of variety in the forms and species of crocuses here. The species which flower early in the year are one of the telltale signs of Spring arriving ☀️🌱

#spring #nature #wildlife #speciesspotlight #naturelovers #wildlife_perfection #bees

Throwback to when the cooling towers of the Hams H

Throwback to when the cooling towers of the Hams Hall power stations dominated the skyline 😮

Built in the 1920s, the three stations together burned a massive 1.25 million tonnes of coal a year, and were supposedly the largest in Europe at the time.
They were, of course, closed and demolished by 1993, giving rise to the development of Hams Hall Distribution Park.

And Hams Hall Environmental Centre has lived through it all! 😎

#hamshall #history #heritage #powerstations #throwback

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)🤍 One of the firs

Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis)🤍

One of the first signs that spring is on the way is the appearance of snowdrops, with their nodding white flowers popping up from the wintry ground.

They are specially adapted to survive cold temperatures: their leaves are strengthened at the tips to break through frozen soil, and their sap contains an ‘antifreeze’ substance to stop ice crystals forming! ❄️🥶

Snowdrops are important food sources for bees emerging early from hibernation on sunny winter days. As snowdrops flower when not many other plants do, they are often one of the only way bees can access pollen and nectar to sustain them at the start of the season. 🐝

Interestingly, snowdrops don’t need pollinators for reproduction. Instead they reproduce by creating new bulbs to spread across the ground.

Snowdrops are listed as Near Threatened on the Global ICUN Red List of Threatened Species, so growing them in our gardens is helpful! 👍

#snowdrop #snowdrops #winter #flowers #bees #nature #wildlife #naturelovers #wildlife_perfection

Mosses! 💚 These squishy green pillows provide s

Mosses! 💚 These squishy green pillows provide shelter for all sorts of minibeasts.

Mosses are bryophytes, one of the earliest evolving groups of land plants. They don’t have true leaves, roots or stems to carry water. Instead they anchor themselves to surfaces using thin threads called rhizoids, and absorb water from the air. This means they can only grow in moist, shady environments and are limited to a small size. 🤔
Later evolving plants have developed vascular systems: roots and stems that allowed them to take up and transport water throughout the plant. These evolutionary changes have allowed vascular plants to thrive in a wider variety of environments, and grow taller. 🌱🌿🌳

Here you can see the stalk and capsule emerging from the moss, which releases spores for dispersal and reproduction.

#moss #mosses #plantevolution #bryophytes #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlife_perfection

Today is #WorldWetlandsDay, a day to raise awarene

Today is #WorldWetlandsDay, a day to raise awareness of and celebrate the impacts and importance of wetlands to our planet. 🌎

Wetlands across the world are incredibly valuable ecosystems, providing rich habitats for wildlife, improving water quality and reducing flood risk. 💧🌧️🌳🌱🐛🐟

Sadly, activities such as urban development, agriculture and peat extraction in the past have damaged wetlands. It is vital that we work to protect and restore these landscapes to help nature's recovery. 💙💚

Read more: www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk/world-wetlands-day-2021

A little garden visitor! 🐁 The field mouse, Ap

A little garden visitor! 🐁

The field mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, is commonly found in gardens, sleeping in burrows during the day but scurrying about at night. 🌛

Field mice have an important role in woodland ecology: the berries and seeds they store underground are often forgotten about, and left to germinate into new trees. 🌳 They are also important members of the food chain, being a major source of prey for owls. 🦉

#fieldmouse #woodmouse #trailcamera #wildlifecamera #wildlifevideo #mouse #wildlife #wildlife_perfection #nature #naturelovers

Hams Hall and Church Pool Covert looking like a pr

Hams Hall and Church Pool Covert looking like a proper winter wonderland over the weekend! 😍

Hope everyone enjoyed the snow ❄️☃️

#snow #snowday #wildlife #nature #woodland #tamevalleywetlands

Click the link in our bio to watch the first in a

Click the link in our bio to watch the first in a series of vlogs for our project ‘On a Tree by a River’.
This project aims to help bring back from the brink one of the most threatened birds in the UK, the willow tit, through habitat creation and restoration.
We hope that this video will bring a little of the outdoors indoors to you.

Thanks to Wild Presentations for working with us to create these vlogs.

#willowtit #vlog #wildlifevlog #habitatmanagement #wildlife_perfection #nature #naturelovers #wildlife

Can you spot the long tailed tit amongst the branc

Can you spot the long tailed tit amongst the branches? 🔍

#longtailedtit #birds #nature #wildlife #naturelovers #wildlife_perfection #birdwatching #birding

This goldcrest has been an almost daily visitor to

This goldcrest has been an almost daily visitor to the window since October! Such a treat whilst working from home. 😍

The goldcrest, Regulus regulus, is the UK's smallest bird. Despite weighing only 6 grams, they have a rather loud, distinctive, high-pitched song. 🎶

The mohican-like flash of gold across their heads is present in males and females, although has an orange centre in males.

As you can see in the video, they are super speedy, and their thin beaks make them experts at snapping up small insects and spiders from the foliage.🐜🕷

#goldcrest #ukbirds #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlife_perfection #bird #birds #birdwatch

Velvet shank mushroom, Flammulina velutipes 🍄

Velvet shank mushroom, Flammulina velutipes 🍄

This species is a real winter lover and incredibly can survive through being frozen solid! ❄️☃️

They are often found growing in clusters on dead wood of deciduous trees. Mushrooms in this genus are this flame-like orange colour, earning their name ‘Flammulina’. 🔥

They are also edible – in Japan they are cultivated commercially in specific conditions which makes them grow pale and delicate, quite unlike their appearance when found growing naturally.

Thanks to Debra for the photo!

#fungi #fungiuk #mushroom #mushrooms #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlife_perfection #vitaminN #getoutdoors

Inspired by @lucy_lapwing I’ve been out looking

Inspired by @lucy_lapwing I’ve been out looking for these beautiful markings on bramble leaves left by the Stigmella aurella moth. 🍃

The eggs hatch into minute caterpillars inside the leaves, living as leaf-miners within the tunnels they create as they eat their way through the leaves. 🐛
After the caterpillars pupate into adult moths and leave their mines, the markings left on the leaves turn a silvery white.

#leafminer #caterpillar #moth #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlife_perfection #getoutdoors #vitaminN

Happy New Year from Tame Valley Wetlands! ✨✨

Happy New Year from Tame Valley Wetlands! ✨✨

The past year has been a different and difficult one but we're thankful for the many opportunities we've had, grateful for the continued support of our volunteers and project partners, and looking forward to continuing with exciting projects in 2021!

Silverleaf fungus, Chondrostereum purpureum This

Silverleaf fungus, Chondrostereum purpureum

This fungus forms leathery, purple and white patches on dead deciduous wood. As often is the case, this one has grown on the cut end of a felled tree trunk.

Silverleaf fungus acts as a pathogen causing disease to plants such as plum, apple, apricot and cherry trees, turning the leaves silver and causing branches to die. Its spores overcome trees’ defence mechanisms by entering through wounds such as snapped or cut branches. The fungal hyphae then grow through the wood, killing the sections of the plant through which it proceeds. Silverleaf fungus also releases a toxin onto the outer leaf cells which causes the characteristic silvery colour.
A rather grim but fascinating process! 😬💀

#fungi #fungilove #silverleaf #nature #naturespots #naturelovers #wildlife_perfection #wildlife #getoutdoors

Our volunteers have started work on our project 'O

Our volunteers have started work on our project 'On a Tree by a River' to improve habitats for the lovely willow tit in the West Midlands. 🌳

Read more on our website: www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk/willow-tit-project

@rspb_love_nature
#willowtit #conservation #habitatmanagement #vitaminN #getoutdoors #nature #naturelovers #wildlife #wildlife_perfection #volunteer #volunteering

Love Your River Cole traineeships: applications ar

Love Your River Cole traineeships: applications are now live!

Do you love wildlife and working outdoors?
Are you practical and willing to learn new skills?
Ever thought about a career in nature conservation?

Visit our website to find a link to apply for one of three traineeships as part of the Love Your River Cole (LYRiC) project.
http://www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk/love-your-river-cole-traineeships/

Applications are made through The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country.

#greenrecoverychallengefund #togetherforourplanet @defrauk @heritagefunduk

It’s a rainy December day today at Hams Hall. Ho

It’s a rainy December day today at Hams Hall. However, there is still abundance and activity in the vegetable garden. 🌱 We've harvested radishes, the broad beans are growing nicely and the compost heap thermometer reads a toasty 50 degrees C!

Read more on our blog: www.tamevalleywetlands.co.uk/vegging-out

#vegetablepatch #vegetables #harvest #nodigbeds #gardening #getoutdoors #wildlife #nature #homegrown #naturelovers #wildlife_perfection

Roundhouse providing the festivities yesterday for

Roundhouse providing the festivities yesterday for TameForce’s Christmas lunch of jacket potatoes on the bonfire! 🔥🎄
Thanks to all our volunteers for their fantastic work throughout this year 👏👏
#volunteer #roundhouse #nature #getoutdoors #bonfire #naturelovers #wildlife #volunteering

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The Tame Valley Wetlands is a landscape partnership scheme, led by Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and a partnership of local and national organisations.

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