Hill End Stories is our blog celebrating 100 years of outdoor learning

No.2 – All About Birds

Education with eggs?

Inspiring children with help from the researchers next door

As we look forward to the emerging spring, what better time to discover more about the birds that live at Hill End?

You may have heard about the long-running science project in Wytham Woods studying blue tits and great tits. Experts from the University of Oxford have now been researching these species continuously since 1947, meaning that we probably know more about this population of birds than any other in the world.

But did you know that this also covers next-door Hill End, and that these wonderful researchers also share their work with the children who visit us?

Amongst our trees you might spot some strange-looking boxes hanging down, but might not have realised that these are the special predator-proof bird boxes that are checked every day during the breeding season. Researchers ever so carefully hook them down with a special tool that looks like a shepherd’s crook, and look inside to check how the nests are doing.

In the springtime, we’ve been incredibly fortunate to tag along into the woods with the researchers on their rounds. They have been so generous in showing our school groups how this fieldwork is done, delighting the children with a glimpse of a tiny clutch of eggs or a jostling brood of new-born chicks.

Many of our regular visiting children are from special schools, or are struggling in mainstream education. Some have been excluded, or are at risk of becoming so, due to their challenging behaviours. We believe that getting them out into nature for outdoor learning can be the very best thing for many children who are failing at in the classroom, laden with anxieties or unable to cope. Here they are able to succeed and gain confidence in new ways, sometimes for the first time, with positive results for everyone.

These have been some of our most magical moments, when children who many would consider ‘difficult’ are enthralled by seeing the nests and learning about the habits of woodland birds. These days are literally life-changing, and provide a crucial nature-connection to children who do not get outside at any other time during their week.

And during our regular family days in February half term we’ve had an extra special treat, when the University’s bird ringers have been hard at work at Hill End. They catch the birds in special nets, handling these delicate creatures ever so carefully using an expert’s special grip that keeps them safe. They then allow awe-struck children (and adults!) to see them up close, just briefly, before they are released again. Just this week we’ve seen beautiful blue tits, great tits, a marsh tit, blackbirds, woodpeckers and green finches with wonderfully bright plumage.

Watching their delight is an absolute highlight of our year, and on these days we know we are creating special memories and inspiring the scientists of the future.

And we’ve learnt some fascinating facts along the way, especially about blue tits. These little puffs of fluff can produce an egg per day and produce an unbelievably large clutch in the springtime – 18 have been counted in one Wytham nest. That these eggs wait patiently, staying stone cold until the birds have finished their laying, and only then are they incubated together. These tiny birds are so desperate for calcium to make their eggs, foraging for empty snail shells to keep their mineral levels up. And that there are over 1,000 nest boxes in Wytham Woods, with hundreds being regularly checked.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Wytham Woods and the Edward Grey Institute at the Department of Biology for these priceless opportunities – and look forward to a wonderful spring filled with birdsong.

You can read more about this fascinating bird research on the Wytham Woods webpages here.

Hill End is an independent charity that receives no regular or statutory funding but relies on our visitors and supporters. As a tenant of the University we are a valued part of the Oxford Green Estate and work closely with them as partners to further our shared aims for education and nature.

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You can read more about our rich heritage on our history pages and our 100 year celebration page.

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