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PLEASE NOTE: 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. Click on "Programme & Volunteering" to see the schedule of talks for 2011-2012. |
| BREAKING NEWS: October 2011 |
| 31st October: Fairly quiet this morning. 2 Common Buzzards, Merlin and mobile Lapwings and Golden Plovers. For Halloween the Witches Brooms in a tree along the drove. PM
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| 29th October: One coal tit back again and two firsts for the garden, one tree sparrow and one grey wagtail.Very pleased with the last two. Ian This morning scanning from the Earith-Haddenham Road (just west of the western entrance to Long Drove), which produced a male Hen Harrier and a juvenile Marsh Harrier. Per Mark Ward Also over High Street-Aldreth Road 100 approx Linnets flying south. PM |
| 28th October: Long Drove: flock of 100+ Linnets. Marsh Harrier over fields at Earith end of parish. PM & ID |
| 21st October: North Fen. By Galls Farm, 11 Grey Partridges (they seem to have had a good year in Haddenham/Aldreth numbers totalling 37 in 3 coveys). Later along Back Drove 500-600 Lapwings following a plough along with several Skylarks and some Linnets. A Common Buzzard put in an appearance. Along Foulmire Drove in 40 acre field so many Golden Plovers we couldn’t count them because they kept moving while spread out across the field and popping up out of dips in the field. Some more Lapwings with them. Then to Adventurers Drove where Goldfinches were feeding on Mugwort, Thistles and Teasels when a male Sparrowhawk burst through low and attempted to catch one, missed, and then dived into the tall foliage again. Don’t know if it was successful. Later on a group of about 12-14 Skylarks, some of which were dust bathing. By Claytons Bridge 2 Grey Herons and more Lapwings (about 100). Later along Gravelpit Drove we saw a juvenile Marsh Harrier quartering a field of Sugar Beet putting up everything around. Eventually it landed not far in front of our car but half hidden. Stayed there for a full five minutes as we watched it and then took off. Untypically there was nothing along Dambank but that was because two men were rough shooting another beet field with a Labrador. We only heard two shots so don’t think they were very successful. They did put up some small birds like Linnets etc. Then as we approached Bury Fen corner we saw about 80 Fieldfares and a Great Spotted Woodpecker hacking down an electricity pole!. Finished with yet another Common Buzzard over Aldreth ponds and the Aldreth Causeway. Thought about a Roughlegged Buzzard but no. As one is not far away at Brownshill Staunch we could get it here...shades of 2 in 1995? Large numbers of Starlings just about everywhere. Well a good morning but nothing exceptional for our fens! Just smashing. If you want a map of where we went click here. PM & ID |
| 18th October: 200 approximately Fieldfares arrived this morning in fields west of Station Road, per ID. |
| 17th October: Seen in the last few days over the fields behind us, 12 Grey Partridge amongst approximately 20 spread-out Pheasants, and 2 Hares. Also 1 Marsh Harrier along Adventurer's Drove. S& I.D |
| 16th October: Dambank. 700 approx Lapwings spread over four fields. 30-40 Linnets, several Skylarks and Reed Buntings. Long Drove. 250+ Golden Plover plus covey of 15 Grey Partridge,. Common Buzzard, 3 Kestrels. 20-30 Goldfinches. |
| 15th October: Hinton Hedges. 7-8 Longtailed Tits, 25+ Fieldfares came in. 2 Green Woodpeckers and 1 Great Spotted. Usual Great and Blue Tits. Jay. Tatty Speckled Wood butterfly and several Red Admirals all going south. PM This rare migrant moth was trapped by Barbara York on 28 September, L-album Wainscot. While it is not very colourful it is the first record for Cambridgeshire ever and usually is only found along the south coast of England having come over from continental Europe. Note the L shaped mark on the wings.   |
14th October: Hummingbird Hawkmoth reports from all round village gardens. Seen in Haddenham Orchard. Were these crows in training for 2011 Olympics???? PM  |
| 10th October: Went round our Haddenham/Aldreth fens this am despite high SW winds. In North Fen many Golden Plovers migrating through against wind. Groups of 100-50-300-250-60-300-250 etc., all heading east to west in the wind. Flock of 250 Lapwings with just 3 Goldies resting crouched down on field by Claytons Bridge. Also a late Wheatear on field along Dambank where in late September there had been up to 10 + 3 Whinchats using lee of sugar beet foliage as a shelter. PM |
| BREAKING NEWS: 25 August to end September 2011 |
| 24th September: There was a Hummingbird Hawk-moth in our front garden this evening. The first we have seen here since July. SS |
| 23rd September: 3 Wheatears along Adventurers Drove. Otherwise quiet but for small groups of Reed and Corn Buntings. Kestrels in different places (mostly juveniles). 2 Roe Deer off Claytons Drove. PM |
| 17th September: Lots of raptors seen today on a brief look at the fen. Buzzard 1 local plus high flock of 4 flying NW, Marsh Harrier 1 juvenile, Hobby 1 juvenile (calling briefly) plus 1 not aged, Merlin 1 male, Kestrel 2. per SS |
| 16th September: All gone. Young Hobby in tree off Cut Drain Bank. SS. |
| 15th September: 4 Wheatears still around this morning. |
| 14th September: 9-9.30am. Now only 3 Wheatears. Winds changing N-NW so I think it will not be long before they all go, as winds lighten. Interesting little 6-day episode all on one field. As I came away 3 Swallows kept flying around my car for about 200+ yards. I think they must have been catching insects that I disturbed off the roadway! PM |
| 13th September: Dambank between 9am-10am. 6 Wheatears and 1 Whinchat still visible. Wind still very strong. Also surprised to see pair Grey Partridges with 4 still quite small young sheltering along edge of Sugar Beet leeside. PM Evening: Still 7 Wheatears per Bruce Martin. Old Mans Beard, Grunty Fen road. Wild Radish, Back Drove.   |
| 12th September: There are still 5 Wheatears and 3 Whinchats on the same field despite or perhaps because of a strong SW wind. PM Afternoon: (about 4-5 p.m.) To confirm have just spent 45 mins being buffeted by the wind which made watching rather difficult. When I arrived there were 2 Marsh Harriers so not much else for a little while. At least 7 Wheatears and 2 Whinchats with some being close to the car in the SW corner of the field. Continual movement south of hirundines, plus a juvenile Hobby hunkered down in the clods. Barbara York |
| 11th September: It seems to be an annual event for me to get a Willow Warbler in the garden. One this morning gleaning away in the bottom hedge. Cheers. Jake Allsop Also from PM: 7 Wheatears now on field along Dambank Afternoon: I have just seen 5 Wheatear and 3 Whinchat in that same field. Cheers, Simon Stirrup. |
| 9th September: 10 Wheatears on a recently ploughed field near Aldreth this morning. SS |
| 8th September: Up to 8 Wheatears and 1 Whinchat along Dambank. Marsh Harrier juvenile and Sparrowhawk at Claytons Bridge. Many hirundines all over fens. PM & TB |
| 3rd September: This morning, near Aldreth, I observed a first-year Kestrel circling over a Muntjac and half-heartedly diving at it. This continued for several minutes as the deer moved from one field to another. This was something new to me. Has anyone observed anything similar? SS The Green Woodpecker found previously injured and taken in to care has recovered and released where it was found in Aldreth. The Burgess children see it at close hand. PM |
| 2nd September: Following yesterdays Wheatear which is still there today, another was found along Graingers Drove. Also there was a nice covey of 9 Grey Partridges. Other species noted around were Common Buzzard, Marsh Harrier, Hobby, Kestrel. Flocks of mixed Gold, Greenfinches and Linnets. Another small group of Skylarks and Buntings feeding in sugar beet. Lapwing numbers down I expect only temporary because they moved to a field not on our journey. 24 Yellow Wagtails still amongst cattle feet in Tinkers Lane. PM, Sheila Dickerson. |
| 30th August: Goldcrest in garden today plus the coal tit which is now regular, sometimes chasing the long tailed tits off the feeders! Barbara York |
| 29th August: Visiting birders: They saw 6 Marsh Harriers, a male Merlin and the first summer Yellow-legged Gull. All around Adventurers Fen. |
| 27th August: I stood on North Hill, Haddenham, this morning for two hours from dawn till 8 (2 hours). I had 98 Golden Plovers heading south, as well as a nice passage of Linnets, Yellow Wagtails and Swallows. Dick Newell Click for David Newell's Migration passage tables 500 Golden Plovers late afternoon along Dambank. 6 Marsh Harriers inc 4 juveniles along Adventurers Drove. David Hopkins |
| 26th August: Blog round fen between rains produced about 1000 Lapwing among three feilds graingers Drove/Dambank/Flatbridge/Clayton Drove. Male Marsh Harrier flew by and 2 Common Buzzards on round bales Long Drove. PM |
| 25th August: A small group were invited to join the ringing of the Hobbies. Click here to view slideshow. Also on the 25th: a 1st summer Yellow-legged Gull, Grainger's Drove. This is basically the Mediterranean version of the Herring Gull. A first record for Haddenham but as they take a lot of sorting from other young gulls they may have been here before un-noticed. Dambank: A look this evening produced 30 Golden Plover and a juvenile Marsh Harrier Simon Stirrup |
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