|
|
Click on "Programme & Volunteering" to see the Working parties |
|
Click on "Flora & Fauna Record" to go to the Birds and Wild Flower Systematic lists
|
|
BREAKING NEWS: March, April, May, June 2015
|
| 29 June: Guppys Pond. A Great-crested Grebe seen briefly but no longer now. 3 pairs of Little Grebes bred on Hinton farm reservoir. Also pair of Oystercatchers present indicating possible breeding nearby. WL & PM |
24 June: Aldreth Fens. Birds all busy feeding young. Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings variously singing. Lack of Yellow wagtails obvious. Wild flowers beginning to appear but Hemlock in great amounts this year (Poppy Field, Nipplewort, Hemlock). Claytons Bridge. Water extremely clear this year. 4spot Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmers and Emperor Dragonflies now appearing. Red-eyed, Common Blue Damselflies here and Azure Damselflies also appearing. Only 3 butterflies seen all the time (2 whites and 1 Meadow Brown). PM&ID   |
| 23 June: Report from Michael Holdsworth. Licenced Ringer who has ringed the flycatchers in Haddenham: I successfully ringed your babies (six days) yesterday. Just three, plus an unhatched egg, which possibly confirms what you had thought about a single-parent family. Four or five is more usual. Anyway, very many thanks for your help with this project, and do look out for more activity in a few weeks' time in case they try for a second brood; a good proportion of early starters will do that. Otherwise I may be in touch again next year! Best Wishes. Michael |
15 June: Here is an image of young Wrens nesting in our garage. The Wren nest has been built in an artificial Swallow nest that we erected c6 years ago and which has been consistently ignored by Swallows. Simon. |
| 13 June: As I was coming back from Ely last evening across Grunty Fen, a Little Egret flew across the road, highish, over Tiger's. I know it's not rare, but it's always a sight that startles me. I guess I am still not used to having them on my patch. Jake Allsop |
12 June: Aldreth Road Orchard found some interesting bee nests. Turned out to be Brassy Mining Bee . The bee is rather small and we couldn't photo one but they were there filling the nest holes with pollen so an egg laid in each hole is stocked up when the grub hatches out. Thanks to Robert Norman. PM&ID  |
| 8 June: Hummingbird Hawk moth feeding on Valerian today and I have breeding Song Thrush in my garden again after an absence of a couple of years. Adult busy gathering food. Jake |
8 June: Visiting photographer Garth Peacock posted these great pictures of 1 A male Yellow Wagtail display with downward spread tail feathers and bowing posture to a nearby female. 2 A male Linnet in full uniform on guard near a nest. Thanks to Garth  |
| 4 June: Went to some different parts of our fens today and found many more Corn Buntings well up on last few years.with some Reed Buntings and Yellow Wagtails. Common Whitethroats ten a penny. A Lapwing looks as though its nesting on a sugarbeet field that's no very high yet. Then went to Aldreth High Bridge where Kingfishers going crazy feeding young. Reed and Sedge Warblers singing. Common Tern flying along river. Back in Aldreth Turtle Doves carousing on house roof most days. PM&ID |
30 May: Latest visiters to Ian and Sheila's garden! |
29 May: Dennis is a frequent visitor and there's always competition with the Jackdaw to see who gets to the box first for the peanuts. Caroline Presnell   Two pictures from Caroline of Tree Bumblebees in her bird nest boxes in honeysuckle in her Linden Way garden. Co-incidentally Wendy Lanman has some in her nest box in her Guppys Pond garden   |
| 28 May: Trip round Haddenham/Aldreth fens proved very useful. Corn Buntings all in increased numbers according to singing males. Yellow Wagtails possibly down a bit but as it was a bit breezy wind it was difficult to be sure. Skylarks very good especially north of Hillrow Causeway. Water Violet on Galls Drain. By Foulmire Drove was a patch of Pepperwort on flower. In Adventurers Drain patches of Cuckooflower. Amusing watching a male Linnet displaying to female along Dambank on the ground. 3 pairs of Grey Partridges in all, Usual Common Buzzards and Kestrel. Pair of Turtle Doves on house roof at Aldreth. PM&ID Picture 1 is Cockooflower in Adventurers Drain. 2. Pepperwort by Foulmire Drove.    |
| 27 May: Guppys Pond news. A pair of coots had 7 young hatch out Friday 16 May and they still have 6! Quite an achievement. On Sunday the very large carp were spawning all day just in front of our balcony. Needless to say we didn't get much done that day. There were at least 8 fish and they were huge. Cormorants have been and gone and at least one Common Tern swoops around very regularly. Ducks are back in reasonable numbers but the geese only visit occasionally. I think that sums it all up. Oh yes,the Flixweed is back also. Wendy Lanman |
| 27 May: My House Martins are not back yet although I've been away for a few days so cannot say if they been and gone again (which I have known them to do before laying). If they have not then its the first time in 5 years. There's still time though. PaulM |
| 26 May: Really great news, a pair of Flycatchers have arrived this morning. You're welcome to come up at any time. Kind regards. Julie & Mike |
| 20 May: Great Spotted Woodpeckers. We seem to have babies in the nest! He must have been feeding her without us noticing him. Our very own Springwatch. Best Wishes Colin Bidwell. |
11 May: Long Drove. female Wheatear of Greenland type. Stance more upright and slightly larger than nominate race Northern Wheatear see earlier photos. PM |
| 10 May: Long Drove 2 Greenland Wheatears (1 male 1 female). Several Yellow Wagtails on sites. Infinitely more Corn Buntings this year singing from rape in places I haven't seen them for several years. Drake Gadwall in drain near Church Fen. Probably breeding. PM&ID We had a flock of swifts feeding and calling over our house earlier this evening. Probably somewhere between 8 and 12 birds. Alan James |
| 8 May: Yesterday's evening watch from a site near Dambank produced 2 Barn Owls hunting drain banks. 2 Little Egrets over, 3-4 Corn Buntings singing from rape where a Reed Warbler was also singing. Most unusual. Reed Bunting singing and Blackbird singing from a tall electric pole. This might seem ordinary but this was in the middle of the same rape field and a long way from its normal type of habitat. 2 pairs of Tufted Duck in drain and Common Tern flying along Old West River. Oystercatcher and Tawny Owl also heard. Hare noted. PM&SS |
| 7 May: Guppys Pond Reed Warblers arrived back this morning. Wendy Lanman. 6 May: Hinton Hall reservoir. Very strong windy day. Many Swallows and House Martin feeding over water and possibly a Swift. PM |
5 May: Images of a singing Corn Bunting taken near Aldreth on 4th May. Simon.  |
| 5 May: Yesterday, on road down into Aldreth, sadly found a dead young male sparrowhawk. S&I D. |
|
4 May: We had been down to Aldreth High Bridge that morning . We saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker sunning itself on a high branch on the other side of the Old West River at Aldreth High Bridge. We saw and heard lots of whitethroats. Sally Macheachern
|
2 May: Attached is an image of a singing Corn Bunting from Long Drove. |
| 1 May: After a dearth of Mistle and Song Thrushes around the parish 2 Song Thrushes were singing this morning opposite chemists at top of Station Road and another near the green where a Mistle Thrush showed itself off near Non Conformist burial ground...all in view of members staffing the annual HCS Cake and Plant Stall also on the village green. Not many village events get serenades as well! per Ian & Sheila Dickerson |
30 April: Seen today on Dambank 2 Wheatears 1 male 1 female. Several Linnets and Reed and Corn Buntings. These pictures are of the same bird but he was so obliging. Paul   |
| 27 April: Barn Owl seen at 7.30pm patrolling Fairchild's Meadows. PM |
| 26 April: First House Martins seen over the garden flying with the Swallows. Sheila D. First of the season,a Cuckoo sat in a tree on the road by Salmons farm Haddenham. Ian D. |
| 25 April: Good to find 3 pairs of Little Grebe (Dabchick) on a farm reservoir near Hinton Hall singing their brilliant song in triplicate. Green Woodpeckers. PM&JA |
| 24 April: Exciting morning – we set off from Aldreth at 8.00am on our way to the bridge, going along the lode bank rather than the causeway, and spotted a Barn Owl out hunting and then a Kingfisher flying up the lode going to the right. Plus several Reed Buntings. per Sally Macheachern. Guppys Pond. 2 large long Grass Snakes seen swimming right across pond per Wendy Lanman. |
23 April: Here is an image of old bedding piled up outside a Badger sett in Aldreth that I took this evening. Also, we still have a male Reed Bunting visiting our red millet feeder. Simon. |
23 April: Aldreth. Found some Pennycress on flower. Then Dambank/Long Drove. Several Corn Buntings on electric wires and Linnets in various places. 1 pair each French and English (Grey) Partridges. Galls Drove only 1 Corn Bunting. A quiet day but waiting for the rain as ground is very dry. PM&ID  |
| 21 April: We now think that the wheatear (see 15 April below) was a very young first year male not a female. Plumage is rather pale and there is a faint eye stripe in some photos. May account for its timidity. A report of an early Hummingbird Hawkmoth in Aldreth recently is of note; per John Burgess. Paul |
| 18 April: I have a Great Spotted Woodpecker nesting in a willow tree in our garden, I have never seen a nest so close up before, so perfectly round hole and the vast amount of wood debris on the floor. Colin Bidwell |
15 April: Just my version of a very confiding female Wheatear on Dambank 14/4/15. (I believe this to be a nominate race breeding West Europe/GB. It is more rounded and dumpy. The Greenland race that comes through end April/early May. That is more upright stance and stands high also brighter colours. PM  |
| 14 April: 2 male Wheatears at Aldreth this morning. Simon Stirrup. |
14 April: Seen this morning on Damnbank Drove and Clayton Bridge : 1 Swallow, 1 F. Wheatear, 2 M Yellow Wagtails, 4 Kestrel, 1 Sparrowhawk, 2 Red-legged Partridge, Corn Buntings, (some singing) Reed Buntings, 1 pair Skylarks, plus others elsewhere, 1 displaying Lapwing. S & I D. |
| 10 April: Out of the Mediterranean murk at Claytons Bridge have arrived 2 brilliant Yellow Wagtails and one Wheatear although the latter didn't stop. Otherwise Corn Buntings arriving on their breeding sites as were Reed Bunting pairs. Other than circling Common Buzzards and a Yellowhammer near TwoPot farm nothing else of significance. PM&ID A male Blackcap 'bathing' in the long dewy grass in my Haddenham garden this morning, totally ignoring the rather large pond! Barbara York |
| 8 April: Recently a red kite was seen in School Lane, Wilburton, flying around to the south of School Lane out beyond the houses in Mitchells Yard. Alan James. |
6 April: Still not too much birdlife although weather fine the cold north wind persists. 1pr Common Buzzards circling around probably nesting area. 1 Corn Bunting singing. 3-4 reed Bunting pairs on site. Male Kestrel hopping about on ground (Photo not too good but passable as of interest. Some new Bog Oaks have been found. Lesser Celandine by track. PM&ID    |
| 25 March: Aldreth/Haddenham fens after a heavy hail storm last afternoon and freeze overnight and the fens were so dull with only 6 Pied (not even White) Wagtails and sundry Reed Buntings and Goldfinches to reward us in a drive round. Inevitable Common Buzzard on Long Drove and 2 Kestrels. Did see a fox but not sure how healthy it was as it didn't trouble to run away from us. PM SD & ID [Resident of The Ramparts found a dead Goldcrest by his back door. Oh dear.]  |
| 18 March: 17th March I noticed a new leucistic blackbird. It has only a small patch of white on the back! an offspring of Luke? Not seen it in the garden but it’s feeding along Duck Lane. Barbara York. On 16th March we were walking across the recreation ground at about 6.00pm on Monday 16 and were surprised to see about 20 Pied Wagtails. We often see Wagtails up there but never more than about six at a time. Sally Maceachern |
| 17 March: A trip down Dambank and Long Drove, Aldreth today late afternoon showed good results - 4 Mallard, 1 imm.Mute Swan, 1 Merlin, 8-10 Corn Buntings, 30+ Reed Buntings(1 singing), 1 Pied Wagtail, 4 Red Legged Partridge(in pairs), 9 Grey Partridge( 8 paired up), 1 Buzzard, 1 distant displaying Lapwing, and many male and a few fem. Pheasants. Sheila and Ian D. |
| 13 March: I had 2x Short Eeared Owls together today in a field in Aldreth on the left on the way down towards 9 Acre Wood; also have had a couple of Goldcrests in the wood earlier in the week and a treecreeper too. Ollie Approximately 50 Fieldfare along the drove at the bottom of Lode Way in Haddenham early afternoon today. Report on Cambirds Photograph of the Turtle Dove in Aldreth taken this morning.  |
| 12 March: Turtle Dove in Aldreth reported singing from usual song post since Monday 9th March which is very early. |
| 10 March: A Turtle Dove was reported from an Aldreth garden today (10th March) by people who had one regularly in their garden last summer (hopefully photograph to follow). Simon. |
|
Previous News GO:
|
|
|