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20 Jan 2009
The Nuthatch and Jay have left their
natural habitat of West Woods and are visiting gardens in
Lockeridge quite regularly. The Oak trees on Back Lane are
frequently visited by a pair of Nuthatch. Small flocks of Long
Tailed Tits are throughout the valley, the highest count so far
being 15 in one flock.
The snow and frosts brought large numbers of birds back to the
gardens with Blackbirds predominant. There were 17 in my garden
but over 20 in a garden in Lockeridge. We think some of these
must be migrants because some of the males have a dirty sort of
yellow beak.
The flood water at Overton saw the arrival of about 30 Canada
Geese but they only stayed a couple of days.
If you see something unusual in your garden do give me a ring.
With a brief description I can usually tell you what it is. If I
can’t, I know a man who can, as the saying goes! This is what
happened between Christmas and the New Year. A friend of mine
brought over some still photos he had taken with his camera of a
bird in his garden. Its back was black and yellow and it had a
black crown speckled with white; a long black streak down a
white belly; the lower belly above its legs was a rufous-pinky
colour and it had pink legs. Another feature was its red eyes. I
didn’t have a clue what it was and neither did “the man who
can”, except it had got to be foreign – Finch or Warbler
perhaps? The “man who can” spent hours on the internet looking
at Finches and Warblers of the world but with no luck so he
entered in “red eyes, pink legs and Finch-like”. That did the
trick. The exact bird came up: a Sahara Garden Weaver from, as
the name implies, North Africa - a bit disappointing because
this must have been an escapee from an aviary somewhere. If
anyone would like to see it I have it on film and you are
welcome to have a look at it. Shall we say Sunday 8 February
after 10.00 am? Or give me a ring on 861238.
February 2009
From Broad Hinton to West Kennett,
from Beckhampton to Manton, Lockeridge to Alton Barnes, along
the river banks, in the grass fields and field headlands, the
Barn Owl has been seen hunting until 10 o’clock in the morning
and from 3 o’clock in the afternoon. It could be because of the
snow we’ve had which made it harder to find food, or have they
got some very early young?
There has been a report of 5 Short Eared Owls near Wroughton
Copse and Delling Copse between Fyfield Down and Overton Down.
This owl is a daytime hunter so if you are walking in this area
you have a good chance of seeing one. It has got a much whiter
face than the Tawny Owl. Listen for the Tawny Owl on moonlit
nights as they begin to pair up. It is only the male that hoots
– the female has a screechy call.
At the beginning of February I had my first ever Blackcap in the
garden. It was resident for about 10 days until Mr Sparrowhawk
made a visit. Alas Mr Blackcap is no more.
Apples put out in the snow attracted Fieldfare and one Redwing
into the garden. Long Tailed Tits made regular visits to the fat
balls and one we nicknamed “Stumpy” because it had lost its long
tail feathers. One Yellowhammer also made a visit and the Tree
Sparrow and its mate returned on 20 February. A pair of
Yellowhammers was reported in a garden at West Overton –
probably the pair from the bottom of Wyman’s Hill. A Heron was
seen in the meadow opposite North Farm on 19 February and there
are Canada Geese at West Overton along with plenty of Mallard,
Moorhen and Coot.
News from Lockeridge: Bird Watch Day 24 January. Nineteen
species were recorded in one garden. On 25 January a Little Owl
was in the old Ash tree in the water meadow. On 26 January a
pair of Stonechats was seen in Angel Wood (the new plantation at
Fyfield) and on 12 February a Grey Wagtail and a pair of Tree
Creepers were near the River Kennet at Lockeridge House. The
Song Thrush started their territorial singing on 28 January and
a pair continued morning and afternoon when it got milder on 13
February. On 16 February the melting of the ice on a garden pond
revealed nine dead frogs that had been iced up for a month.
March 2009
Mother Nature begins to shed her
winter coat; the Hawthorn starts to show bits of green; sticky
buds on the Chestnut are beginning to swell; Pussy Willow is
nearly out; flower buds on ornamental Cherry are beginning to
break (watch for Bullfinches on this tree as they love pecking
at the buds). Butterflies are already on the wing: Brimstone,
Tortoiseshell and Peacock have been sighted. An unusual number
of Stag Beetles are about - I wonder why? Mad March Hares have
started their ritual dances – quite fascinating to watch as they
jump in the air and chase each other around. Plenty of Rooks
about during the winter but numbers nesting locally seem to be
down from last year. As April arrives watch out for your first
Swallow and House Martin and listen for the first Cuckoo if we
get any. Only two were reported last year so let me know.
27 February. Little Egret seen at West Overton moved to Fyfield
at the beginning of March. It hasn’t been seen since 4 March.
There were 8 Yellowhammers in a hedgerow near Winterbourne
Bassett on the Clyffe Pypard road. Also a flock of Lapwing out
of Broad Hinton on the left to Broad Town.
28 February. A Tree Creeper in a garden near West Woods.
13 March. 4 Tree Sparrows came into my garden: 3 are still
regular visitors.
Other news from Lockeridge: On 2 February a Red Kite was seen
circling over the village; a pair of Grey Wagtails near
Lockeridge House, and a Green Woodpecker at the same venue.
Robin, Blackbird, Wren and Song Thrush have started nesting in
another garden.
Derek Hartshorn (861238)
April 2009
Nature sheds its dowdy winter coat
and begins to put on her new greenery. In nature there are more
shades of green than any other colour, from cereal crops in the
fields, from weeds to grasses, from trees to shrubs and your
vegetables in the garden. No green looks the same. The dawn
chorus begins to echo across the valley – the robin, blackbird
and song thrush are possibly the first early risers and possibly
the last to bed.
A possible first Swallow was seen at East Kennett on 25th March,
with the first real sighting at West Overton on 4th April and at
West Kennett on 5th April plus three at Lockeridge on 7th April.
The first Cuckoo was seen and heard at Wyman’s Hill on 4th
April. There was a Barn Owl at East Kennett on 13th April and a
Red Kite flying west to east over Lockeridge on 14th April. On
the same day three Green Woodpeckers were calling: one over West
Woods, one at the Dene and one towards Clatford, all at the same
time. A pair of Grey Partridge was near the Sarsen Kennels on
13th April.
There are Brown Trout in the upper reaches of the River Kennet
at West Overton. If, and I say if, the river dries up this
summer and these fish are left in pools it would be advisable
not to catch them for food as the lack of oxygen in these pools
would partially contaminate the flesh and you may finish up with
food poisoning. Transferring them to deeper water upstream could
carry disease that could affect other trout. So, with the land
owner’s permission, catch them now and enjoy your meal.
Derek Hartshorn (861238)
PS Years ago I used to poach trout, but that’s another story!
June 2009
One Cuckoo heard at Fyfield on
16 May; three Swifts at East Kennett the evening of 11 June; no
reports anywhere else. Not many Swallows or House Martins – what
is happening to our summer visitors? Two pairs of Chiffchaff at
Lockeridge but none reported anywhere else. No Reed Warblers, no
Reed Buntings. There are a few Blackcaps about but I think these
must be resident. The only Whitethroats I’ve heard of are a
nesting pair near Silbury Hill. Only one pair of Spotted
Flycatchers reported near Lockeridge.
With the exception of the Reed Warbler and Chiffchaff, the rest
of the birds I’ve mentioned are migrants and most, if not all,
come up through Africa. Global warming may have some effect but
some countries in Africa are really short of food – could it be
that a lot of these birds are being trapped and used as a food
supplement? Comments on this would be most welcomed. Let me know
your views!
Two reports on the same day, 21 May, of a Peregrine Falcon, and
a Kingfisher at Lockeridge House on 2 June. The Kestrels there
have bred successfully again. There is a Moorhen’s nest on the
pond with seven eggs in it. Also at Lockeridge, a pair of Pied
Wagtails has made use of an old Blackbird’s nest and has got
five eggs. There was a Green Woodpecker at East Kennett on 19
June.
Coming into my garden are four young House Sparrows and along
with three adult Tree Sparrows are two young ones; also one
young Great Spotted Woodpecker (that is the one with the red
mark on its forehead). A Red Kite was seen over West Overton
week ending 14 June.
July 2009
Bumble Bees and Honey Bees, of which
there are 27 varieties in the UK – why are there so few about? A
bees’ nest in my garden was dug out by a Badger and in 24 hours
three more nests were dug out within 20 yards of each other; so
that is at least 100 to 200 bees lost. So, with the amount of
Badgers in the countryside, that’s going to be a lot of Bees
disappearing. It is only mated queens that survive the winter
and this is going to have a knock-on effect for the next year.
A Butterfly report of a White Admiral and a Silver Wash
Fritillary seen in clearings of Savernake Forest and quite a
good number of Speckled Woods spotted locally.
A Red Kite has been seen at East Kennett, West Overton and
Lockeridge week ending 11 July and watch out for a pair along
the A4 to Froxfield.
Young birds into my garden include 2 Robins, 3 House Sparrows, 1
Chaffinch and 1 Great Spotted Woodpecker.
Lockeridge news: On 18 June Jackdaws took the young of the Pied
Wagtail nesting in the Blackbirds’ nest. A Green Woodpecker was
nesting on 23 June. Young birds seen include 4 Robins and 2
House Sparrows. A Song Thrush started singing at 4.15 am on 26
June. Goldfinch nesting 5 July and at least 3 young Kestrels
left their nest on 9 July.
3 Swifts over East Kennett and 5 at Avebury.
August 2009
The River Kennet:- It was 1970 that
my family and I came to the Valley the river then meandered its
natural course, the old hatch between West Overton and East
Kennett was used by the farmer at that time to control the flow
in the winter, in the event of a very dry winter the hatch was
closed down to allow the meadows towards East Kennett to flood
and so get lush and early grazing for the herd of milking cows
at West Overton. In the late 70s for some reason or other it was
straightened out, some say it was because of the build up of
silt on the beds and so eating away the bank on the opposite
side, I don’t really know, now in 2009 the river has been put
back to the original course to encourage more wild life on the
river, I have my doubts. A man who was born at West Kennett who
moved to East Kennett when he was 4½ in 1947 says that he can
only remember the river Kennett flowing all the summer in the
mid 80s since then the summers of 2007 and 2008 saw the Kennett
flow for nearly 2 years, this year the Kennett dried up at the
bridge at West Overton but it was another 3 weeks before the
flow stopped at East Kennett and another week before it was dry
at West Kennett and all those lovely brown trout in the upper
reaches just perished. I suppose that helped the wild life
because the rooks, jackdaws, crows, magpies and herons had a
free meal. Brown trout to spawn in the upper reaches of the
river must be a big no.
The newly planted and now established hedgerows in the Valley
has seen an increase in Yellow hammers and Linnets and the
occasional Bullfinch. Willow Warblers have been seen across the
Valley in the last two weeks drifting through on their migratory
route. July 23rd a Red Kite over Clatford heading west, young
birds seen, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Great Spotted Woodpecker,
Swallows, House Martins, Robins and House Sparrows.
Plenty of Butterflies about this year, Red Admirals, Peacocks,
Meadow Brown, Common Blue, Painted Lady, Orange Tipped, Cabbage
White, Large White, Green Veined White, Brimstone, Gatekeeper,
Wall Brown and Comma.
Derek Hartshorn 861238
October 2009
The holes being dug in the church
grounds grass is the work of a Muntjac deer, there is no easy
solution to this problem but the county pest control officer may
offer a solution however Muntjac are nocturnal and it could cost
money. A lawn in Lockeridge has the same problem.
The ponds being dug in the river Kennet at West Overton hoping
to sustain fish make me think that when the river flows again
and then dries up leaving these ponds full the water will become
stagnant and unless there is a means of oxygenating the water
the fish will die. I await with interest to see what happens.
Sept 12th, a report from Winterbourne Monkton of a Hummingbird
Hawk Moth, this is the only report this year.
In my garden a count of 27 House Sparrows which sadly was
reduced when a female Sparrowhawk took one as I watched. A visit
of seven Yellow Hammers and Sept 14th, only two have been seen
since.
Most of the Swallows and House Martins have left, but there are
a few stragglers coming through. The was a pair of House Martins
still feeding their young in a nest at Lockeridge on Sept 17th.
The Red Kite has been seen four times over Lockeridge in the
past month, look out for a bird of prey with a forked tail.
Derek Hartshorn 861238
November 2009
Question:- How do squirrels know
which walnuts have nothing in them? Where squirrels have been
busy I’ve picked up walnuts that look perfectly good but after
cracking them open have found that the kernels are all
shrivelled up and its been the same with hazel nuts. Any
answers?
Four pairs of Barn Owls have nested locally with one seen at
Silbury Hill on Sept 25th. Sept 29th Little Owl calling at East
Kennett at 8pm and the same night at 11.30pm three Tawny Owls
calling with one being in my garden.
Sept 20th a Stonechat on the Wansdyke above East Kennett, Sept
21st a report of a Great Grey Shrike on Fyfield Down at Devil’s
Den this was duly reported to the recorder for Wiltshire. Sept
25th Red Kite over Avebury and two at Berwick Bassett on Oct
2nd. The last Swallows were seen on Oct 9th. At Lockeridge a
Chiffchaff on Oct 3rd. Oct 12th in the water meadow south of
café hill a flock of some 250 Lapwing and about 60 Golden
Plover. Oct 14th in a garden at Lockeridge a dead Common Snipe
was found and off Green Street at Avebury a young Sedge Warbler
was seen on Sept 30th.
Derek Hartshorn 861238
December 2009
Have you got troubles with moles in
your garden? If so then an easy way to get rid of them is to cut
a stick of rhubarb into 4-5inch lengths and push it into their
holes. Don’t ask me how it works but it does, I’ve done it and
within a few days—no more mole hills.
The first Redwing reported at Avebury on Oct 16th, on Nov 1st
Redwing/Fieldfare 200+ by the Calne Road just out of Beckhampton
with a small flock at East Kennett on the same day. Since then
larger flocks have been seen throughout the valley. Nov 5th the
white pheasant reappeared in a garden at Fyfield which also had
a Green Woodpecker as a visitor, the latter was also a visitor
to a garden in East Kennett on Nov 12th.
A house sparrow with white wings also at Fyfield and a Rook with
grey wings by the play area in Lockeridge.
20+ Grey Partridge at the top of Wymans Hill on Nov 11th and
maybe the same flock at East Kennett Nov 16th. A Sparrowhawk
took a Collared Dove near my garden on Nov 15th and a possible
sighting of an early Brambling at Beckhampton on Nov 19th.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.
Derek Hartshorn 861238
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