I’ve heard a Cuckoo in Northants this year – but only one. And that was not at my local patch of Stanwick Lakes, despite many visits. I’ve checked my records, and this is exceptionally late for me NOT to have heard a Cuckoo at Stanwick Lakes. The Birdtrack records look as though arrivals have been…
Tag: Stanwick Lakes
First BBS visit
I was up early, although not that early for me, yesterday to visit one of my two Breeding Bird Survey squares. This is the 12th year I have covered this particular 1km square on the border of Cambs and Northants – it almost feels like mine after all this time. The weather was cold, and…
Northants gleanings 2
It’s been good to visit some local sites over the last few days and check up on how spring is progressing. At the airfield on the Beds/Northants border it felt more like winter than spring. But I heard and saw my first UK Whitethroat of 2016 and there were two migrant Wheatears too, so it…
Northants gleanings
It’s been good to visit some local sites over the last few days and check up on how Spring is progressing. At Glapthorn Wood on Friday evening it felt more like winter than spring. But a Nightingale sang in brief snatches, and without much enthusiasm: certainly not with ‘full-throated ease’. But he was there and…
Spring
Since coming back from Israel I’ve been getting in some local birding: at Stanwick Lakes, at Rainham Marshes, at Titchwell, at Weeting Heath and at Lakenheath Fen. Migration is not advanced at these places as it is (was) at Eilat but I have notched up a few UK spring migrants, namely Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler,…
Martin Warren to flit off in the autumn
Dr Martin Warren, one of the wisest and most knowledgeable conservationists on the scene during my lifetime, is to retire from the role of CEO of Butterfly Conservation in the autumn. He will be missed not only because he knows a lot and has never been known to say anything daft, but also because he…
Those New Year resolutions…
How are you getting on with whatever New Year resolutions you made? I went for a walk at Stanwick Lakes this morning and was rewarded with 53 species, the ‘best’ of which was a Bittern. I also had what seems, at the moment, to be a good idea. Today is a meat-free day for me…
Globally threatened birds
It comes to something when four species of birds I have seen this year in the UK are added to the list of globally threatened bird species. The IUCN Red List is updated periodically, after much sucking of teeth and poring over the data (some of which are a bit ropy) and Birdlife International are…
Nature
Just three recent observations: I was down at Stanwick Lakes with some friends and one of them pointed out a Grass Snake slithering across the path. Lovely! It seems that Grass Snakes are declining in numbers. That’s a shame (but I also wonder whether we really know that for sure). I’ve sat in a few…
Oscar Dewhurst – Common Tern
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Oscar writes: I had been watching this Common Tern fishing outside one of the hides at Minsmere but the background was a white sky so wasn’t photographing it. When it moved to the side of the hide the reeds were behind it giving a nice light brown background. Fortunately it kept hunting for the next…