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| BREAKING NEWS: May 2012 |
28th May: From Petrus to Aldreth along the Cut Drain Bank. Great Show of Common Comfrey and a blue variation, Silverweed also in flower. Birds include Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Garden Warbler. PM.   |
| 28th May: Hot sultry day for trip along North Fen Drove an New Cut drain bank. Birds rather poor and not showing but did see Bullfinch pair, Willow Warbler pair, (We dont get too many of these in Haddenham) Common Whitethroat pair. No sign of any Turtle Doves in places where they should be by now. Pair Grey Partridges. Interesting flower find was Red Campion. As White Campion is the predominant Haddenham species finding 4-5 Red specimens was unusual. They need more Alkaline soil and we have mostly calcareous so perhaps there is a little place that has it. First 4 spot Chaser dragonfly and a Hairy Dragonfly. Azure Damselflies on the wing. Small Heath butterfly just emerging. On Saturday found Yellow Rattle in a field that had not had it sown in by man so this must be a remnant of a tradional meadow. PM & ID. |
24th May: 2 pairs Grey Partridges, 5-6 Corn Bunting territories, 5-6 Yellow Wagtail territories, 3 Common Whitethroat and Reed Bunting territories. Plus 2 Common Buzzards. 8-10 Skylarks on ground ans singing. In Galls Drain the best ever amount of Water Violets I've seen. Storksbill is an uncommon plant in Haddenham parish. Found by Foulmire Drove. Hairy Dragonflies in fen drains. ID & PM      |
| 23rd May: Whitethroats in more evidence now but weather cool and cloudy today so not singing too much yet. Aldreth Causeway. Corn Buntings, 2 prs Grey Partridges, lLpwing displaying on Sugarbeet field som may have nest nearby. Kingfisher in Church Fen drain. Sedge Warblers singing near Aldreth High bridge. Common Tern fish diving in Old west river. Dambank 5-6 Corn Bunting sites and 6 Yellow Wagtail sites. I pair Linnets. 3-4 Lapwings displaying and no doubt have nests in Sugar beet crop. Long Drove 6-7 pairs Corn Buntings, 2-3 Yellow Wagtail pairs. Clayton Bridge 2-3 male Yellow wagtails disputing territory and perching on bridge posts flycatching. Mallard pairs all over the place. PaulM & IanD. |
| 22nd May: Today the weather is warmer after the long cold period. House Martins have returned on my house and also to Lion Yard, Station Road according to Ian D. Perhaps spring has come at last!!! Paul Mason. |
17th May: Along Long Drove this morning. ID.   |
| 16th May: still very cold and not containing any insects for the birds to forage. About 5-6 pairs of Corn Buntings were obviously on breeding site but not singing. Saw no Reed Buntings but they are there. Have to say out here on the fens things are still relatively quiet. Maybe everything's gone to Wicken. There are Common Whitethroats but it must be still too cold for them to sing. Located 4-5 pairs on site and busy nest building but not on took time off to sing. ( Last year we had 40+ males singing their heads off) No other types singing not even a Blackcap and Chiffchaff just a snatch. Located 4 Yellow Wagtail sites and they were remarkably confiding. Usually we have up to 15-17 birds round potato planting machinery as it turns over soil. This time none so I think the soil is still very cold and not containing any insects for the birds to forage. Surprising to see still 2 Wheatears, one of which very obvious Greenland type. No raptors except Kestrel pair. This is of course an arable fenland scene, As opposed to places like Wicken Fen but if it was warmer then the place would be alive. ID & PM. |
| 14th May: Heard a cuckoo from Roberts orchard this morning, Ann Biggs. |
13th May: First holly blue of the year,taken in the sunshine this morning.You don't very often get them together. ID.   |
| 8th May: Wendy Lanman reports Reed Warblers returned to Guppys Pond. Kingfisher also present. |
| 5th May: Up till now the water in the fen drains has been kept very high to store water for later use in the event of the drought continuing. Now the water is being pumped OUT because of the deluges we have had so the levels are low enough for 2 Little Egrets to appear in Church Fen drains, near to Nineacre Wood. Colin Bidwell. Dambank...now 4 Wheatears. 3 Wheatears still on Dambank. 2 males 1 female. Corn Buntings busy fluttering about. PM. |
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1st May: Just seen my first 2 swifts, quite low over top of Fairchild’s Meadows. Need to get my recording going to encourage them to visit my lovely swift boxes! S Dickerson
These are a few shots of Farechild's meadows people might like to see i.e. all the Cowslips.IanD.     |
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