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PLEASE NOTE: Winter programmes will start in SEPTEMBER 2011 (rather than October). There will be no January 2012 meeting because the room in the Arkenstall Centre is not available due to changes in the Haddenham Pantomime schedule. |
| BREAKING NEWS: June 2011 |
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Tuesday evening 5th July, 7.30 pm.
Come with Haddenham Conservation Society Visit the new improved Haddenham Pumping Engine. Learn about how this machine keeps our fens drained and how it was done in the past. See how the new installation has catered for wildlife. All welcome. At far end of Aldreth village turn right at bridge. Follow road out on fen and turn left just by farm buildings. Keep on gravel track to pump house. There will be signposts. |
| 28th: I had a female Marsh Harrier along Dambank Drove on 25th June. This is the first I have seen this summer although I haven't been along there much recently. Simon. |
| 26th: A wander round Sunday 26/6. All very quiet because day was hot. Flowers showing were nothing special but Nipplewort and White Campion looked good. PM   |
21st: Stock Dove taken on 12th June in Aldreth from my parked car. There are young Tawny Owls calling in the village at the moment. SS |
20th: Tinkers Lane 2011. Common but hides away a lot. Day flier. PM Yellow Shell moth Tinkers Lane 2011 Several hundreds of Meadow Browns off Tinkers Lane, Aldreth today. Never seen so many in one place before but it is very sheltered. PM  Meadow Browns 5 off Tinkers Lane 2011.  Tinkers Lane north spur 2011. |
17th: 4 young Kestrels were ringed today by Peter Wilkinson and Jake Allsop at Waymans Pit.   Kestrel ringing Waymans Pit. Measuring wing length   Weighing nestling. Nestling Kestrel Waymans Pit ringed 17 June 2011. |
| 16th: Walking down Aldreth Causeway I found a dead lizard about 4 inches long, with blue and green bands running down the body. It didnt have webbed feet so couldn't have been a newt! Susan Everitt |
12th: Bee Orchids turning up in several places this year. These are from a Guppys Pond garden and from the Old Burial ground. Mike and Gill Smith. I have had hardly any butterflies in my garden this year. A few Orange-tips, a flurry of Holly Blues and an occasional vanessid. So I was well pleased yesterday to see a Comma on the Hebe outside my back door. Cheers Jake Allsop. Also more reports of Hummingbird Hawkmoths from around village gardens. PM |
9th: North Fen: Little Owl, many Common Whitethroats, Yellowhammer, Kestrel, Corn Buntings, Family party of 8 Reed Buntings forageing in Rape, 1 pair and a single Yellow Wagtails, Marsh Harrier.Skylarks. Water Forgetmenot, Water Dropwort, Meadow Rue. Field Gromwell, Nipplewort, Branched Bur-reed. Cool weather meant dragonflies not very active but 1 4-spot Chaser and 1 Hairy seen. PM Little Owl North Fen 2011. ID.  Water Forgetmenot. Back Drove 9.6.11. ID  Meadow Rue. Back Drove 2011  Branched Bur-reed Foulmir-Back Drove 2011. |
| 8th: IT IS NATIONAL INSECT WEEK. Ruby tailed Wasps. Some of this species have been seen near Guppys Pond and in Aldreth. IF SOMEONE SEESONE, CAN THEY PLEASE PHOTOGRAPH IT AND SEND IT TO ME (PAUL MASON). Google it if you want to know what it looks like. House Martins are appearing to have a hard time nest building. The ones on a house by the Green are noted as placing a little mud on the wall under the eaves but not keeping it up. They must be having trouble finding it due to the long dry weather. What rain we have had is not enough. Similar fate elsewhere around the village. A Coal Tit is noted still coming to bird feeder at the Gallery. It must mean they are breeding somewhere near but this is not normal for Haddenham. PM. |
| 5th: Simon Stirrup photographed this Hummingbird Hawkmoth on Valerian in his Aldreth garden 5/6/11 Brilliant picture! (Hummingbird Hawk moths are appearing in several parish gardens now)  Hummingbird Hawk Moth 5.6.2011 Aldreth |
| 4th: A trip around North Fen found several interesting things. Not many birds obvious except Corn and Reed Buntings singing and an immature Marsh Harrier. The New Cut Drain bank was a mass of Oxeye Daisy probably the best ever. A rare plant was showing well at Foulmire Drove namely Corn Gromwell. This plant is said to have been brought here from Eastern Europe in the Iron Age times. As it is near to several Iron and Bronze Age burial sites it makes sense. Dragonflies in the drains were Hairy, 4 spot Chasers and one Emperor pictured. PM/ID  Corn Gromwell Foulmre 3.6.2011  Emperor Dragonfly 3.6.11 Galls drain  Oxeye Daisies. North Fen Cut Drain Bank June 2011 |
| BREAKING NEWS: May 2011 |
| 24th: Now 12 pairs Swifts. 8 in High St (at least) 2 in Hillrow and 2 in church. Also 1 more pair House Martins in Duck Lane.PM |
| 23rd: There are now about 8-9 pairs of Swifts going in and out of nest sites in houses in the High Street. Jake Allsop House Martins are vary scarce. Only 1 pair noted so far in Station Road but there could be more away from sight along streets.PM |
| 15th: This morning a loop walk from Aldreth (< 1 hour) produced Little Egret 1, Whitethroat 10 males, L Whitethroat 1 male, Cuckoo 1 male and Turtle Dove 1. Also, a distant pair of Lapwings still north of Clayton's Bridge. I think the number of pairs of Whitethroat for the parish must be huge. SS PM estimates 40-50 singing males Common Whitethroats all over the parish. 14th: This morning in Aldreth I had a Turtle Dove singing and 2 Cuckoos singing against each other. SS  |
| 12th: Swifts are back now prospecting nest sites in Haddenham High Street. Time about 3 days earlier than the average year. PM |
| 7th, 8th, 9th: GrasshopperWarbler reeling and seen in Grunty Fen on boundary of Haddenham and Wilburton parishes. Found by David Nation and now seen by PM/ID/SD. Site not suitable for public viewing unfortunately. Two birds plus C Whitethroat and Reed Bunting, Yellowhammers. |
| 6th: 3 pars of Turtle Doves calling, displaying and mating. Great to see so many of these endangered birds back after a poor year in 2010. Also 6-7 Common Whitethroats, 2 Lesser Whitethroats, Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler all singing thier heads off. Yellowhammer, skylylarks and a Kestrel. Brown Argus butterfies fresh out in pristine condition and a Hairy Dragonfly hardening off on hedges. PM/ID |
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