Cheshire Falconry

The falconry team yesterday doing hands on flying for Urban Planters team building day with Cheshire Outdoors Corporate

Leaving rotting wood in UK woodlands is a vital conservation practice, as deadwood supports roughly 40% of all forest wildlife at some stage of their lifecycle. When our trees become damaged or fall due to bad weather etc we carefully manage what happens to the wood. Log piles become homes for invertebrates and/or an ideal home for the many fungi found in our woodland. Decaying timber acts as a slow-release natural fertiliser and a cornerstone for biodiversity.

Today has been a day of discussions and meetings regarding all things to do with toads. We are delighted to have formed a partnership with the conservation team at University of Chester who are helping and advising us on several conservation projects including our Toad Watch project. Over the coming months we will be collecting data about the toads in and around our woodland which we will share with the university to help them build their knowledge of toad populations. (Photo - The Woodland Trust)

Continuation of our conservation projects :- We are monitoring the birds in our woodland and on site. We are also assessing what they eat.
"UK insect populations are experiencing a severe decline, with studies showing a 60% drop in flying insects over the past 20 years, and up to 78% since 2004 in some surveys. This collapse is driven by habitat loss, pesticide use, pollution, and climate change, threatening pollination, food security, and biodiversity". (UK Parliament)
The decline in insects impacts directly on the birds in and around our site as the majority are insectivores. Indirectly as pollinators insects impact on other potential food sources for our resident bird populations.
We are developing our site to be more bug friendly by adding bug hotels and bug mansions as well as a range of other initiatives. This will be advised by the team of conservation experts we are working with (more information to follow!).

Birds of Conservation Concern explained:-
Red List: Highest concern, includes species whose population or range has declined by 50% or more over the last 25 years.
Amber List: Medium concern, including species with moderate declines or international importance.
Green List: Species with no identified threats.

A list of the birds in our woodlands and on site (as at 1st May 2026). This will be added to as more birds are identified.

Carrion crow
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Carrion, insects, worms, seeds, fruit, eggs and any scraps.

Coal Tit
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, seeds and nuts.

Common buzzard
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Buzzards tend to eat small mammals, birds and carrion. Even earthworms and large insects when other prey is in short supply.

Common Chaffinch
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects and seeds.

Common Chiffchaff
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects and spiders.

Common Wood Pigeon
Conservation status – Amber
Diet - Crops like cabbages, sprouts, peas and grain. Also buds, shoots, seeds, nuts and berries.

Crossbill (only one seen on arena fence 2023)
Conservation status – Green
Diet - seeds from conifers

Eurasian Blackbird
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Blackbird food consists of a variety of insects and worms, but they also eat berries and fruit when in season.

Eurasian Blackcap
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects and berries.

Eurasian Blue Tit
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, caterpillars, seeds and nuts.

Eurasian Nuthatch
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, hazel nuts, acorns, beechmast and other nuts and seed.

European Robin
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Worms, seeds, fruits, insects and other invertebrates.

Eurasian Wren
Conservation status – Amber
Diet - Insects and spiders.

Goldcrest
Conservation status – Amber
Diet - Goldcrests eat tiny morsels like spiders, moth eggs and other small insect food.

Great Tit
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, seeds and nuts.

Jay
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Mainly acorns, nuts, seeds and insects, but also eats nestlings of other birds and small mammals.

Long tailed tit
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, occasionally seeds in autumn and winter.

Mallard
Conservation status –Not assessed
Diet - Seeds, acorns and berries, plants, insects and shellfish.

Magpie
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Omnivore and scavenger.

Mistle Thrush
Conservation status – Red
Diet - Worms, slugs, insects and berries.

Redwing
Conservation status –Not assessed
Diet - Berries and worms.

Rook
Conservation status –Amber
Diet - Rooks will eat almost anything, including worms, grain, nuts and insects, small mammals, birds (especially eggs and nestlings) and Carrion.

Song Thrush
Conservation status – Amber
Diet - Worms, snails, fruit.

Sparrow Hawk
Conservation status – Amber
Diet - Mainly small birds

Tawny owl
Conservation status – Amber
Diet -Small mammals and rodents, small birds, frogs, fish, insects and worms.

Tree creeper
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, spiders, and seeds.

Woodpecker
Conservation status – Green
Diet - Insects, seeds and nuts.

Toad Watch at Cheshire Falconry :-
We have recently initiated “Toad Watch” at Cheshire Falconry and are working in partnership with conservationists to monitor and protect the toads on our site. Toads may not be everyone’s favourite animal but some of our team are big fans of toads and get very excited when a toad is spotted on site.
“The common toad (Bufo bufo) is considered "Least Concern" globally but is in steep decline in the UK, with populations having dropped by an estimated 68% over the past 30 years. They are classified as a priority species under the NERC Act (2006) and are protected from sale and trade, but face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and road mortality” (Amphibian and Reptile Conservation).
Toads are part of the food chain for native raptors such as the Common Buzzard. When it comes to eating toads, I think the falconry team are much keener on toad in the hole than our favourite amphibian.

After a busy weekend at the Cheshire Woodland Weddings open day, Lenny the Harris Hawk is determined to march into the wedding season looking his best, ready to amaze his audience with his speed and agility! We love showing off our birds' skills and abilities on experiences and wedding displays.
(Harris Hawks are often found running through cacti flushing out Jack Rabbits in their native Americas).

Conservation and Biodiversity at Cheshire Falconry

According to maps of the 1870s Cheshire was home to approximately 42,000 ponds (Cheshire Wildlife Trust). By the early 1990s about 60 per cent had disappeared. Nationally it is estimated that 500,000 ponds in the UK have been lost during the same period. Today Cheshire has one of the densest pond networks in lowland Britain, but numbers remain well below historical levels and continue to decline.

Ponds are biodiversity hotspots, ecological connectors and natural service providers. They boost wildlife, improve water quality and strengthen the resilience of the countryside.

As hotspots of biodiversity, they provide habitats for aquatic plants, invertebrates, amphibians, birds and mammals. With this in mind in 2013 a pond was created at Cheshire Outdoors / Cheshire Falconry. The pond was built with shallow sides to provide warm, safe breeding areas and escape routes for mammals. By situating the pond directly next to the woodland it acts as a stepping stone habitat linking the woodland, nearby hedgerows, fields and other ponds and wetlands in the local area. This is crucial for species that move between habitats such as toads, insects and bats. The area was also chosen as it was already boggy but without enough water to provide a successful breeding ground for many of the fauna we wished to encourage, especially amphibians and insects.

The site for the pond was carefully chosen to have the least impact on the current biodiversity of the site whilst creating the opportunity to significantly increase the ecological health of the area.

We had surveyed the trees that would be impacted on by digging the pond and removed as few trees as possible concentrating on the removal of young birch trees only.

Significant/mature trees were left in place which has helped to create areas of shade from overhanging branches. This has in turn required careful pond management to ensure the health of the pond.

The shallow sides are evident in these pictures. The gently sloping edges of the pond allow animals such as hedgehogs and amphibians to enter and exit the water safely preventing them from drowning. Many pond insects, invertebrates and tadpoles thrive in warm shallow water and the shallow areas protect these creatures from predation by fish. The shallow sunnier edges also provide a perfect environment for native aquatic plants.

The pond quickly became established allowing us to continue with the development of activities on the site whilst having a positive impact on both the aesthetic and biodiversity of the area.
A fountain was added to enhance oxygenation, aid fish health, and reduce algae by preventing stagnant water. Careful consideration was given to the impact that this may have on wildlife and the biodiversity of the pond. Due to the significant size of the pond and the low noise created by the fountain it has been important in maintaining both the health and the biodiversity of the pond.