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BREAKING NEWS: January/February 2012
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| 28th February: 1 chiffchaff trying to get down to the pond this morning, but was chased off by a blue tit although this was just as well as a male sparrowhawk came down to bathe in the pond and it might have fancied a foreign snack! The frogs have been active for about a week now but no spawn yet! Barbara York [First definite sighting of Haddenham chiff this year. Would no doubt have made a sweet meal for 'Sparrock'! PM] |
| 26th February: Re footprints found earlier in month (14th February). Now recognised as Otter. As a dead one was found over the Christmas holiday period this is the second piece of evidence that we must have them locally in the Old West river area. Long Drove-Dambank Corner. Female stonechat. Also Reed Buntings feeding on Reedmace seed heads. North Fen... 6 Whooper swans flew east. PM.  |
| 24th February: A trip round the fens produced flock of 10-12 Reed Buntings along Graingers Drove. Still 1 Reed Bunting and 1 Tree Sparrow coming to Red Millet in garden. Jake Allsop. |
| 21st February: Long Drove. 5 Roe Deer (3 males and 2 females) and 1 Stonechat. PM. RED KITE NEWS: Susan Everitt saw a red kite swoop through her garden about a month ago, being mobbed by a rook/crow. |
| 18th February: the AldrethMale Stonechat at south end of Long Drove this evening. Note the Stonechat that I saw in the same area yesterday was a female. SS |
| 17th February: There was a female Stonechat at the south end of Long Drove this morning. A new tick for the garden (woodmouse nicking sunflower hearts!) ID  |
16th February: A couple of 'moody' images taken on 11 February by Simon Sturrup: Aldreth, after the sun had set.  |
| 15th February: Blow this mild spell! All theYellowhammers have disappeared (down from a peak of 20 to nil, heartbreaking!) and there's only one Tree Sparrow present (at any one time) today. Two compensations, though: a male Reed Bunting in full dress uniform on a seed feeder, and House Sparrows feeding on the red millet. Still a dozen or so male Blackbirds, presumably Danish or German-speaking, ignoring the apples, but instead feeding on grain which I scattered on the lawn after the snowfall. [Birdie] Foreigners...! Jake Allsop I was given these pictures last night of footprints in the recent snow. Seen in The Borough, Aldreth and also on track near Nineacre Wood. I can only identify them as Mink unless by a remote chance they are Polecat which are known to be spreading again and have reached west Cambridgeshire. (Finders name will follow.) I was also told about a Sprarrowhawk on a dead Barn Owl. Again it is not known if it killed the owl or was merely scavenging. This was also near Aldreth.   |
| 13th February: From Stuart Sharp, Cambirds The number of thrushes in the Aldreth Road orchard, Haddenham, was just staggering at the weekend. I counted about 5000 Fieldfare on Saturday, but this is probably an underestimate. Numbers were slightly lower on Sunday, though it was still a truly amazing sight (and I managed my must successful ringing session there by a very long way). Huge flocks were feeding on the ground in tight scrums on any small patch of exposed apples. With them were various species that don't often feed in the orchard - Linnet, Redpoll (one of which looked good for Mealy), Reed Bunting, Yellowhammer, Snipe. The latter species was feeding on apple! For some reason, there were very few Redwings with the Fieldfare, and it was the same last year. |
| 11th February: I've just counted a minimum of 5000 Fieldfare in the orchard, plus various other things (including a Snipe feeding in a thrush flock!). Stuart Sharp. Cold indeed. The number of Yellowhammers feeding on seed on my (snow-covered) back lawn went up to 20 yesterday. Still 5 Tree Sparrows too, but, despite prayers, no Brambling, Redpoll or Siskins. Talking of Tree Sparrows, someone told me they are crazy for red millet, so I filled a feeder with same, without success. Any comments? Jake Allsop Great Spotted Woodpecker in Simon Stirrup's garden, Aldreth, and Frosty Willow (near Flat Bridge):   |
| 10th February: My Haddenham garden really came alive this morning after the overnight snow. Highlights: 7 Yellowhammers feeding on seed on the ground. 5 Tree Sparrows feeding on seed feeders. They'll be gone soon enough as the snow melts. Jake Allsop. |
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5th February: In Simon Stirrup's garden, Aldreth:
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4th February:
On sewage plant filter beds: Grey Wagtail and 6 Pied Wagtails. Hoghill Drove: Green Woodpecker, Pair Grey Partridges, Pair Song Thrushes and flock of 50+ finches and Yellowhammers. PM.  |
| 3rd February: A Green Sandpiper crossing the road between Wilburton and Stretham, first this year. Male Reed Bunting in the garden. ID. Long Drove, Hillrow today: about 200 Stock Doves, about 300 Lapwings, 100+ Crows. Small flocks of Linnets and Corn Buntings. Pair Reed Buntings and some Goldfinches. 2 Common Buzzards. PM&SD. I was out yesterday afternoon (Thursday) collecting Barn Owl pellets. I went to the old barn on Dairy House Drove North, and while I was driving back down the track, I saw a ringtail Harrier ahead of me. It flew across Hoghill Drove and landed some distance away. A nice bonus for the day. Jake Allsop. PS Also Barn Owl near Cross Drove, but that's to be expected. |
| 2nd February: Today, Peregrine 1 over Dambank Drove. Simon Stirrup. |
| 1st February: Jake Allsop reports 2 Tree Sparrows on his garden feeders today. |
| 31st January: 4 Roe Deer (including 2 males), Clayton's Drove. Simon Stirrup. |
| 30th January: Our Garden Birdwatch Count for the 29th Jan 2012:- House Sparrow 60+, Blue Tit 3, Great Tit 3, Coal Tit 1,Long Tailed Tit 1, Greenfinch 8, Chaffinch 12, Goldfinch 10, Robin 2, Starling 20, Song Thrush 1, Blackbird 3, Dunnock 3, Collared Dove 6, Common Pigeon 1, Stock Dove 4, Magpie 1. Sheila and Ian Dickerson. |
| 29th January: The results for our Big Garden Birdwatch count on 28th January in Aldreth were: Blackbird 6, Blue Tit 1, Chaffinch 3, Dunnock 1, Collared Dove 1, Goldfinch 1, Great Tit 2, Greenfinch 3, Great Spotted Woodpecker 2 (a pair), House Sparrow 2, Magpie 1, Robin 1, Starling 3. Simon Stirrup |
| 25th January: Ringing results for 15th January in Aldreth Road orchard were: Fieldfare 2, Blackbird 6, Great Tit 5 + 2 re-traps (from last Jan), Long-tailed Tit 12, Blue Tit 6 + 1 re-trap (from last Jan). So 34 birds in total. Stuart Sharp and colleagues. |
| 15th January: Aldreth Road Orchard, Ringing by Stuart Sharp and friends. Also present 250-300 Fieldfares and 4-5 Redwings , Redpoll, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Song Thrushes singing and several blackbirds of continental type. Details on ringed birds to follow when I recieve them. |
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| Weighing Longtailed Tit; Blue Tit ringed; Stuart, Sheila and Longtailed Tit ringing; Part of flock of 150 Linnets on Long Drove |
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| 14th January: Chinese Water Deer reported from Hoghill Drove near Old West River. First record for the parish. John Burgess. |
| 13th January: 6 Whoopers (2 ads & 4 juvs) over Aldreth this morning and then seen in field north of the Earith / Haddenham Road. Also, c35 Great Black-backs loafing in field along Dambank Drove. Plus 2 pairs of Grey Partridge. Appears that the large covey has broken-up. Yesterday, I had a male Merlin along Dambank Drove. Simon Stirrup. |
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| 11th January: A look round our fens today now that the weather is brighter. In North Fen at last..........a Stonechat......first this winter. 50 Yellowhammers, 7-8 Pied wags, 50+ Goldfinches. Common Buzzard, 80-100 Fieldfares. Dambank, so many Crows they were uncountable.well over a thousand. Long Drove 150+ Linnets, the obvious target for a Merlin often seen there. PM & ID |
| 9th January: An interesting but sad find was by Carol Breeze walking along by the Old West River during the recent holiday period. A dead Otter. The head has been cut off and will be buried. Hopefully it can be exhibited in our Wildlife Room at Blossoms & Bygones event in May. PM |
| 3rd January: Aldreth through to Long Drove. 50+ Fieldfare moving around + 2 Redwing feeding on road around the puddles with 6+ Chaffinch, 2 Brambling and 1 Pied Wagtail. Further on to Long Drove, 1 Buzzard , 1 Merlin coursing the fields (a regular now down there). 2 Kestrels, a few scattered skylarks, stock doves, small flock of Goldfinch, large flocks of pigeons, corvids and starlings. Also a covey of Red Legged Partridge (10/12) Sheila and Ian D. |
| 31st December: In Sheila and Ian D's garden. A singing Song Thrush, Shiny plumaged Blackcap and 18 Longtailed Tits plus 1 Coal Tit. Several Fieldfares flying around. A good year's end anyway. WITH A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL...... PM |
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