December 2019
Amphibians and Reptiles
No sightings reported
this month.
Birds
Fieldfare – flocks of up
to 40 around Granta Park, along with smaller numbers of Redwing.
Starling – flocks of
between 800-1800 murmurating over Granta Park most evenings towards the end of
the month, before roosting in the reedbeds there.
Herring Gull, Great
Black-backed Gull – flock of ~50 in fields beside Old Railway
Cutting on 29th. A
few Black-headed
Gull
also seen flying over Granta Park.
Goldfinch – around 50 feeding
on Fat Hen seeds in fields along Bourn Bridge Road. Regular flock of 10-12 on
feeders in Lewis Crescent. Greenfinch – 1-2 regularly with Goldfinch
flock on feeders, with small numbers of Chaffinch too.
Bullfinch – 1-2 females along
old Railway Cutting on two occasions.
Flocks of Blue Tit,
Great Tit, up to 10-12 Long-tailed Tit, and occasional Coal
Tit all visiting garden feeders, and in a mixed flock in Lagden’s Grove.
Meadow Pipit – around 20 feeding
on rough ground on Granta Park (18th).
Song Thrush – several reports
of birds singing towards end of the month.
Mistle Thrush – occasionally
reported singing around Granta Park.
Jay – several reports
of 1-2 birds feeding in gardens and around oak trees.
Buzzard – reports of
1-3 birds, around Cook’s Meadow, Cambridge Road and the LSA.
Sparrowhawk – seen in several
gardens around both villages. Occasional
reports of Kestrel.
Red Kite – two sightings,
one above Perse playing fields and another on the LSA.
Tawny Owl – heard calling
on several occasions across the villages.
Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch
on garden feeder on High St, Lt Abington.
Green Woodpecker – pair in
Cambridge Road garden.
Treecreeper – single bird
reported in garden along Bourn Bridge Road, and in Granta Park.
Grey Wagtail – several reports of
single bird feeding along river edges near the sluice and recreation ground.
Little Egret – one along
river in Sluice Wood (10th, 13th) and near Millennium
Bridge (27th, 31st ).
Grey Heron – one regularly
along river near Sluice Wood, and in a Cambridge Road garden. One also spotted
being mobbed by corvids.
Cormorant – single bird
flying over Granta Park (23rd).
Mallard – regularly
40-80 in Granta Park lake early in the month. Latterly, small groups along the
river, as water levels too high in the lake.
Lapwing – flock of
c30 flying over fields near Pampisford Road (2nd)
Red-legged Partridge – small covey
in field near Ley Rectory Farm on 17th.
Collared Dove – up to 10 around
feeders on Lewis Crescent.
Butterflies, Bees and other insects
No sightings reported
this month.
Mammals
Bat – single
bat, larger than a Pipistrelle, reported on 25th in Lt Abington
church. Further sighting of a bat near
Sluice Wood on 31st.
Badger
–
three or four on the track near Abington Park Farm, at night.
Muntjac
Deer –
one in garden along High St, Lt Abington.
Rivercare
River levels were very
high for a few days around 20th, returning to normal by the end of
the month. The high flow scoured the debris, and maybe even reshaped the riverbed
in places, leaving it largely clear now.
Weather
Rainfall for December
was 87.5 mm, a wet month causing high river levels at one point. Minimum temperature of minus 3.4ºC, with a
high of 13.2ºC at the beginning of the month.
Many thanks to all
those who contributed reports of their sightings for December 2019:
Judith Allen, Darren Bast, Peter Brunning, Anne Dunbar-Nobes, David
Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Robin
Harman, Jennifer Hirsh, Andy Merryweather, Brian Parris, Gareth Rees, Gill Smith,
John and Maggie Turner, Derek Turnidge, Sally Turnidge,
Please email your
sightings, within the Abington parishes, to the relevant ANW Recorder:
Amphibians and reptiles: Anne Dunbar Nobes ac.dunbar.nobes@gmail.com
Birds: Derek Turnidge derek@turnidges.com
Butterflies, Bees etc: Jennifer Hirsh jennifer@hirsh.com
Mammals: Gill Smith richardandgill.smith@live.co.uk
Flora: Currently vacant - if interested, please contact David
Farrant for more details.
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