The Mute Swan (Cygnus olor)

                              The mute swan

Mute Swans are the UK's most common species of swan and are one of the world's heaviest flying birds; with powerful wings that can measure approximately 4 feet in length. They are incredibly loyal birds and often remain with the same partner for life, which can be up to 30 years in the wild. The swan is predominately a gentle being, but they do have a feisty edge that they will display if they feel threatened. Just like elephants they never forget, their memories are outstanding so bear that in mind when visiting the same area often! National Geographic states they can reach top speeds of 22 mph. 

Males are known as Cobs, and females are known as Pens. It is quite difficult to tell them apart due to such minor differences, but males tend to be larger. Both genders of mute swan display black knobs on their bill, and the males basal knob swells during mating season so identifying could be slightly easier around April-May. 

Swans have long been seen as a valuable asset, with the UK's monarchy having rights to most Mute Swans in England and Wales. They are a protected species as instructed by the monarch, and the only people historically that have been able to eat unmarked swan, or 'Le Cygne Saint Jean', are Royal family members, or fellows of St Johns College, Cambridge. Royal Swans are no longer marked so all swans are protected and are, of course, no longer eaten.

Image of a menu from the May Ball (1921), kindly sent to me from St Johns College, Cambridge.

Swans are one of the most iconic waterbirds, known to be a symbol of love, beauty, grace and purity.  The image of two swans kissing to form a heart with their necks is one of the most famous symbols of love. In Norse mythology, it is said that two swans drank water from a sacred well at the home of the gods, and the water was so pure that everything it touched turned white; giving all swans thereon after their white colour. The Celtic legend states that two swans steered a sun-boat around heaven, there are many beautiful legends and stories associated with swans.

Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca)

 The Egyptian goose

The Egyptian goose is actually considered a duck, despite its name; with its closest relatives being the shelduck. This waterbird is named after its place of origin, the Nile Valley and the South Sahara. 

They are said to be one of the oldest domesticated species and were first kept by Ancient Egyptians around 3100 BC. The Egyptian goose appears in many pieces of Ancient Egyptian artwork and was considered sacred (they were up there with cats!). 

They were originally introduced to the UK in the 17th century and were widespread by the 18th-19th century. These birds can now be found in much of Europe, America, New Zealand, and of course Africa. 

These birds range in weight from approximately 2.2-6 lbs, and have an impressive 25-29 inch wingspan; they are so heavy that they tend to only fly when absolutely necessary. Both genders share an extremely similar appearance, but males are slightly larger on average and the females tend to have darker brown markings on their bills. Their diet consists of aquatic vegetation, worms, insects, and sometimes small frogs. Breeding takes place once a year and will start defending breeding sites from January onwards, as they are early breeders.

🤎

Breeding pairs can nest on the ground amongst vegetation, on buildings or even on cliff ledges. When nests are up high, the young must brave the plummet from high altitudes; but with their lightweight and down feathers for extra protection, deaths are uncommon.

Wild garlic/Ramsons (Allium ursinum)

                                 Wild garlic

                                                                       (Matthews, 2023)

Wild garlic is a common sight in UK woodlands, found during late winter to the end of spring; and is also found in Asia and North America. Wild garlic is a bulbous perennial with long, but broad, oval-shaped, smooth-edged leaves. When in flower, the petals are white with 6 petals to a thin stalk. Ramsons has a pungent garlic/onion smell making it fairly easy to identify (imposters are mentioned further down in this blog). The flower, stalk, stem, and even the bulbs are edible... just bear in mind that when the bulb is removed the plant will not grow back. Harvesting wild garlic with a sharp knife, or scissors, and cutting it close to the ground is best.                                                      

The removal of wild bulbs is illegal due to the Wildlife and Country Act (1981). 

Ramsons leaf, the plant sadly wasn't in flower when spotted recently.

There are a few other plants that look extremely similar to the ramsons;  one being Lilly of the Valley, this however is toxic so if you don't get the garlic/onion smell, that is the telling sign. Another plant that I have even mistaken for ramsons is 'few-flowered leek' (Allium paradoxum). The few flowed leek is also in the Allium genus but is an invasive species from Asia. The plant is said to have a sweeter onion flavour and is also entirely edible. An image of the few flowered leek will be shown below, as you will see the flower appears similar to a snowdrop; but again the onion/garlic smell will be the telling sign.

Few flowered leek.

Allium ursinum has been used in herbal medicine since ancient times for a number of things; lowering blood pressure, cleaning blood vessels, gastrointestinal diseases, cardiovascular health, antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory, and common colds/flu. The list of benefits has only increased so it has a lot to live up to for sure. In some research papers observed, there are mentions of the plant having possible aid in cancer treatments.

A much-loved recipe featuring this plant appears to be wild garlic pesto, some links to some recipes are linked below:

https://www.linsfood.com/wild-garlic-pesto-recipe/

https://www.lazycatkitchen.com/vegan-wild-garlic-pesto/

https://hedgecombers.com/wild-garlic-pesto-recipe/

References:

C, Matthews. (2023). Wild garlic guide: where to find, how to cook it and recipe ideas. [online] Available at: https://www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/wild-garlic-guide-where-to-find-how-to-cook-it-and-recipe-ideas. [Accessed: 14 April 2023]

The mandarin duck (Aix galericulata)

The mandarin duck

The beautiful mandarin duck, native to East Asia, was introduced to Europe around the end of the 18th century and was an addition to London Zoo in 1830; they are a true eye-catcher and named one of the most beautiful birds in the world. 

Mr mandarin showing off his beautiful plumage.

The mandarin duck is a medium-sized, dimorphic bird; meaning the males and females look very different (Shown in the image below). It is usual for male species to be magnificently bold and beautiful, for the aid in attracting a mate, and this is what we see here. This is due to the female being able to produce the young, so the males almost have to make the extra effort in their attire! Another reason for the females' lack of colour is that the brown aids in camouflage when incubating her eggs. The males show feathers of purple, blue, orange, green, white, and black; with a distinct red bill. After mating season, the males will moult their technicolour dreamcoat feathers and almost resemble the female for a short while, the moulting phase is known as their 'eclipse plumage'.  Although their lack in colour, the females are just as beautiful, they have a very sweet appearance; greige in colour with white pattern detail, and a peek-a-boo effect of teal feathers at their rear.

Mr and Mrs mandarin giving a preview of their differences in appearance.

Mandarin ducks breed between April-May in wooded areas near water. Females lay around 9-12 eggs and incubate them for approximately 30 days. These ducks were originally believed to be totally monogamous, which isn't entirely true. It has been found that it is common for this species to move on to a new mate in and around Autumn time, but still they remain a huge symbol of love, fidelity and fertility in Asian culture. Mandarin ducks have a recorded longevity of 10.4 years, but some argue the possibility of them living twice as long.

This species feeds on a lot of aquatic vegetation, but they are not vegetarians. They eat many other things such as snails, insects, small fish, and even some small snakes where available. My favourite thing to bring with me when feeding the ducks is the 'Wild Things' duck food. You can find it online or in some popular pet stores. Bread is not a very safe option to feed any water birds, as it fills their stomachs with very little nutrition and stops them from foraging for much-needed nutritional foods. So duck foods such as the one mentioned are a much more sustainable snack to bring with you.

Highly recommend this duck food!

Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

                               Grey squirrels

                                              Bob, arguably the most spoilt squirrel in the UK.

There are more than 200 species of squirrels around the world, and greys are probably the most demonised. 

The main reason for the bad reputation was the rumour that grey squirrels were big evil monsters that came and wiped out red squirrels. Red squirrels were in decline due to a virus called 'squirrel poxvirus'; said to have only appeared after grey squirrels were introduced. It is true grey squirrels carry this disease and it does not have much consequence for their own health, reds on the other hand cannot fight off this disease and numbers were in serious decline due to the advance in the spread. But how did this event begin?  

During the victorian era, it was popular to import species as a stand out addition to stately homes and such. According to some research, red squirrels were already in decline (prior to the grey squirrel arrival) due to other reasons; maybe they just are just simply not as street savvy and hardy as the grey. Greys are also said to have better memories, especially in regards to where they store food collected to last through winter months; which reds do not, they simply do not prepare for survival as well as the grey squirrels. Red squirrel fur was also all the rage when they were in abundance in the UK... I'm sure that wasn't very good on their numbers either.

Grey squirrels ultimately thrive in our environment. They help forests thrive by depositing seeds and nuts around and actually eating the bad ones first. They of course do not eat all of their buried nuts, so they are essentially planting trees. Damage to trees caused by squirrels was actually one of the factors that drove red squirrel culling centuries ago, something grey squirrels now take the blame for. Anyway, after hundreds of years of research on forest management it has been concluded that the culling of squirrels is ineffective and uneconomical (Taylor et al., 1968; Harris et al., 2006; Forestry Commission 2006).

Hopefully, more people will start to embrace their company. They bring a whole load of entertainment to gardens and forests around the country and are a welcome guest in our garden, that's for sure.

References mentioned:

• Forestry Commission (2006) Annex: Towards a Forestry Commission England Grey Squirrel Policy

• Taylor, J.C., Lloyd, H.G. & Shillito, J.F. (1968) Experiments with warfarin for grey squirrel control. Annals of Applied Biology, 61: 312-321

• Harris, S., Morris, P., Wray, S. & Yalden, D. (1995) A review of British mammals: population estimates and conservation status of British mammals other than cetaceans. School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Rd, Bristol

Purple Toothwort (Lathraea clandestina)

  

 Purple Toothwort

The purple toothwort (native to Belgium, France, Spain, and Italy) is a perennial, parasitic plant, found at the base of trees; particularly species of Willow, Alder, and Poplar. This plant is parasitic in nature, due to the absence of chlorophyll, explaining the lack of any greenery on the plant. To attain nutrients a haustorium is developed (a projection from the root), and connects to the xylem of the host tree. 

It has been said that toothwort feeds on insects underground, due to cavities that appear similar to those of carnivorous plants, but the cavities are intended for the evaporation of excess water; the plant lives entirely on nutrients from its host tree.

The toothwort grows up to 30cm in height, with stems being completely subterranean. Flowers are said to only form after 10 years of presence and last for around two months; giving enough time for the plant to be pollinated and reproduce. Thus, it is rare to see any sign of the plant with the majority being subterranean. Having a high ammonia content and very alkaline nectar, the toothwort doesn't have many pollinators; bumblebees are one of the few pollinators that tolerate this nectar. The plant will flower again no sooner than 10 months, and sometimes even years after its first bloom. 

Map showing the reported distribution of purple toothwort (Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, N.D).

Reference:

plantatlas2020.org. (n.d.). PlantAtlas. [online] Available at: https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.c6c [Accessed 26 Mar. 2023].

The Willow tree

                         Wonderful willows

Willow trees are one of the most iconic trees, and there are around 300 (if not more) species worldwide. White willow (Salix alba), Basket willow (Salix viminalis), Goat willow (Salix caprea), and Grey willow (Salic cinerea), are all native to the UK.                                                                         Identifying a willow tree is a fairly simple task, they are well known for their spear-shaped leaves in many of their species range. 

The weeping willow (willows in the Salix genus) is arguably the most famous of the willows. The name 'weeping willow' came due to how the rain falls down their hanging leaves. Another characteristic of the willow tree is small diamond shapes on the newer branches, which are there to aid in gas exchange. New branches will be very flexible too and you will be able to bend without snapping the branch. The diamond shapes will enlarge and create criss-cross ridges on the bark as the tree ages.

There are many folklore stories related to the willow tree. In ancient Celtic folklore, the grey willow (Salic Cinerea) is known as the 'Tree of Enchantment'. The tree is said to be bestowed with the power to grant wishes. For your wish to be granted, the lore suggests you ask the tree permission of your desire and then tie a loose knot in a young shoot. When your wish is fulfilled you then return and untie the shoot. If you are going through a breakup, the willow tree is also said to heal heartbreak or ease bereavement by meditating underneath the tree.

There are however some less pleasant stories related to the willow tree; one myth states that when a willow tree grows big enough to cast a grave-sized shadow, someone shall pass... a little morbid. Thankfully the tree has the ability to ease the pain afterwards according to the last suggestion...

Willow tree bark in medicine stretches back at least 3500 years ago. Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic, is derived and created from a substance (salicin) that is found in the bark of the willow tree and the leaves. The bark and leaves also contain salicylic acid, something that has been used for pain relief since around 1954 BC. Aspirin is now one of, if not the most, commonly used drugs in the world; it also plays a role in preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease.