What Insects might you find in a hedge?

Birds| Butterflies |Insects | Mammals

Birds

Dunnock

About the Dunnock: The Dunnock has a grey body with reddish brown streaks, a deep brown upper mantle streaked black with a grey throat and chest. They have a fine pointed black bill for catching insects such as beetles, spiders, flies, aphids, ants and worms. Some small fruits and seeds are also eaten. In Ireland, Dunnocks are said to have a variety of breeding patterns which include simple pairs, a cock with several hens, or a hen with several cocks. The hen builds a well concealed nest in a hedge or in thick undergrowth very close to the ground. The nest is a neat bowl of twigs, grass and moss lined with hair, feathers and moss.

Goldcrest

About the Goldcrest: The Goldcrest is a small greenish bird with a partially concealed black-edged crown stripe, yellowish in the female, golden in the male. At about 6 g in weight, they are the smallest bird in Ireland. They build their nests high up in trees, most often in conifers or on the ivy-covered trunks of hardwoods. These birds are constantly active, flitting about picking food from the underside of leaves. Their diet is made up of insects, spiders and their larvae. The male and female build the cup-shaped nest together using cobwebs and moss. The nest is then suspended below an outer branch and lined with feathers.

Goldfinch

About the Goldfinch: The Goldfinch is the most striking of the finches we have here in Ireland. They have black wings with gold bars and the adult birds have a brilliant red face. Their crown is black with white around the ears and sides of the neck. When feeding they are so harmonious with their surroundings it is not easy to detect them. They are particularly fond of the seeds of plants such as the winged and Scotch thistle. The male bird song is a pleasant liquid twittering. They are not very territorial birds, usually only defending the area around their nest. It is the female Goldfinch who builds the nest.

Great Tit

About the Great Tit: The Great Tit has a black crown and a white cheek patch, with a black bib down it's body center. They range from Ireland through Europe and beyond. They inhabit forests, woods and hedgerows in farmland. They are also found in parks and gardens with afluent greens. They forage in trees and on the ground, feeding on insects, spiders, seeds, buds, nuts and fruit. Great Tits have a wide variety of loud calls including a distinctive 'teacher, teacher' song. The nest is built by both adults and is made of moss and grass, and lined with hair and feathers. This is positioned in a hole in a tree or a wall.

Greenfinch

About the Greenfinch: The Greenfinch has olive-green feathers and a green-yellow rump, a large and pinkish beak and pink legs. The female is duller and less yellow than the male. The Greenfinch is very common in Ireland and is present in gardens, parks, alleys lined with trees and forests of conifers. They feed on the ground, pick grains or devour buds on trees and shrubs but may also capture a few insects to feed their young. Their nest is made of moss, dry stems, roots, hairs, feathers; often built in evergreen or bushy plants. This species gathers into large flocks in autumn and during the winter months these groups wander in cultivated fields in search of food.

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