Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Monday, 27 May 2013
End of Spring
Well the 2 pairs of Lapwing hatched their eggs - 4 and 3 chick seen respectively - so now its up to the parents to fend off the preditors.
At least 3 pairs of cornbunting are on the farm at the moment - so that s good news.
The last snipe a flushed on the 2nd of may - birds often stay until then.
Interestingly I flushed a male Teal yesterday, having shortly before seen a Hobby at close quarters.
Meanwhile the Mute Swans have mostly hatched their eggs - with two broods of 5 and one of 1 (artificially controlled?) and one yet to hatch. Dave will be pleased!
The return of the warm weather has brought the House Martins back - they appeared earlier - instpected nests and then vanished. Perhaps they just wait for the warm weather (and a subsequent insect hatch) before laying eggs. At any rate we seem to have 4 pairs at present - a long way off the 35 of past years.
The Bluebells are just beginning to go off - but still look splendid. Another flower out at the same time is the Early Purple Orchid - resplendant in its dark purple.
At least 3 pairs of cornbunting are on the farm at the moment - so that s good news.
The last snipe a flushed on the 2nd of may - birds often stay until then.
Interestingly I flushed a male Teal yesterday, having shortly before seen a Hobby at close quarters.
Meanwhile the Mute Swans have mostly hatched their eggs - with two broods of 5 and one of 1 (artificially controlled?) and one yet to hatch. Dave will be pleased!
The return of the warm weather has brought the House Martins back - they appeared earlier - instpected nests and then vanished. Perhaps they just wait for the warm weather (and a subsequent insect hatch) before laying eggs. At any rate we seem to have 4 pairs at present - a long way off the 35 of past years.
The Bluebells are just beginning to go off - but still look splendid. Another flower out at the same time is the Early Purple Orchid - resplendant in its dark purple.
Thursday, 2 May 2013
Colourfull visitor
First seen a year ago as a pair - with the female subsequently appearing over the otherside of the valley (and therefore over the busy A338) was a pair of Peacocks. We assumed that the male had died. At any rate neither had been seen here again.
Then this last weekend he turns up again, spotted by Sophie and Matt. This morning he's out on our front lawn.
Just dont know where he goes too!
Then this last weekend he turns up again, spotted by Sophie and Matt. This morning he's out on our front lawn.
Just dont know where he goes too!
Herons and Lapwing
A visit to the local heronry on 28th April - source of all the birds we see here - resulted in a count of 105 nests, down from 125 last year. Many nearly fledged chicks were seen
Earlier in the day I saw my first Swifts for the year whilst approaching Salisbury.
Good news from the down where the Game and Wildlfe Conservation Trust are monitoring the Lapwing as they have for several years now. A phone call at the end of the day reported 4 small chicks were seen. They had left the Stone Curlew plot and were on the the adjacebt grassland - hopefully avaiding the cattle up there, A bird is still brooding a second nest.
Apparently last year the G&WCT team had found a rare jumping spider - Bianor aenescens - caught in a pitfall trap for monitoring the availability of food for the Lapwing. Not that its big ehough to jump out at a human - at 3.5 to 4mm body length it will usually go un-noticed.
Earlier in the day I saw my first Swifts for the year whilst approaching Salisbury.
Good news from the down where the Game and Wildlfe Conservation Trust are monitoring the Lapwing as they have for several years now. A phone call at the end of the day reported 4 small chicks were seen. They had left the Stone Curlew plot and were on the the adjacebt grassland - hopefully avaiding the cattle up there, A bird is still brooding a second nest.
Apparently last year the G&WCT team had found a rare jumping spider - Bianor aenescens - caught in a pitfall trap for monitoring the availability of food for the Lapwing. Not that its big ehough to jump out at a human - at 3.5 to 4mm body length it will usually go un-noticed.
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