Moorhens in Witton Country Park in Blackburn

Описание: "Witton Country Park is in the heart of the Lancashire town of Blackburn. Containing 480 acres of mixed and mature woodland, fields and parkland the country park has lots of wildlife - most of which is not seen by visitors.
On a warm summer day, a good starting point is no more than 100 yards away from the café. I'm talking about the Lily Pond - a formal water garden area, which provides a peaceful oasis away from the noise of the park with ample areas to sit and contemplate life. On a sunny August day, I spent an hour or so there simply watching and filming the Moorhens and their two remaining chicks.
The Moorhen is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling bird, that is usually found near fresh water. From a distance it looks black with a ragged white line along its body. Up close it is olive-brown on the back and the head, the underneath is blue-grey and it has a white undertail. It has dark red eyes and a bright red bill with a yellow tip. Males and females look the same. Their feet are not webbed, but their long greeny-yellow toes help them swim and walk on any floating vegetation. They eat plants, seeds, fruit, grasses, insects, snails and worms. According to the RSPB, there are roughly 270,000 breeding pairs in the UK and they do not migrate.
The Moorhen (Latin name Gallinula chloropus) is a member of the Rails (Rallidae) family of birds. However, the term Moorhen is a little misleading as it actually derives from the more appropriate 'Mirehen' or 'Marshhen' which give a more accurate picture of its true habitat. It can be found almost anywhere that you find water, be it a small ditch, a large garden pond, a lake or a canal.
In looks they are very similar to the Coot, but the Coot has a white beak and a white shield above the beak. The Moorhen is slightly smaller than the Coot and there are probably less than 30,000 pairs of coots in the UK. Both Coots and Moorhens live across the lowland areas of the UK, but both are less common in north-west Scotland. The Moorhen also has an unmistakable habit of flicking its tail when it walks.
Once it has established a home, the Moorhen tends to stay there - even over the cold winter months. Moorhens will conscientiously and fiercely, defend their territory from any intruders. Young ducklings, unknown Moorhen chicks and wandering hedgehogs will be loudly escorted from the area. During the breeding season, Moorhen pairs can be heard literally screaming at uninvited guests.
Moorhens will raise two or three broods of offspring every season. The first brood may contain eight eggs, with later broods commonly having around five eggs. The eggs are a light creamy brown colour with small brown and occasionally grey speckles; and are laid into a basket of reeds and plant material hidden in dense vegetation. Moorhen families are unusual (in the bird kingdom) as 'teenagers' from earlier broods stick around to help their parents feed and guard subsequent hatchlings. This family spirit ultimately helps to ensure that more Moorhens survive predation by herons, stoats, weasels, mink, foxes and other carnivores. Young Moorhens always seem to have very long legs and massive feet; and often fall over them with real comic effect.
This video was recorded on a one hour visit on Sunday 22nd August 2010.
With many thanks
Simon Flory
Badger Specialist
www.badgerland.co.uk"
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