Abington Naturewatch

Saturday, 29 November 2025

Getting a Christmas Robin in early!

21st November 2025 - as thoughts start to turn to Christmas, a Robin was seen striking a typical seasonal pose along the ORC - well, minus the snow!! Andy M.

Redwing - back for the winter

21st November 2025 - whilst the first Redwing of this winter were spotted on 18th October, Andy M spotted a further small flock of them feeding along the Old Railway Cutting recently. Mixed in with a few Blackbird, the flock was busy gulping down large quantities of Hawthorn berries.

Great Spotted Woodpecker is back!

20th November 2025 - John Turner reported the welcome return of a Great Spotted Woodpecker to his garden after something of an absence over the summer, this individual being a male, as evidenced by the red patch on the nape (back of head).

Magpie attacking a Great Tit

19th November 2025 - Andy M witnessed a somewhat grizzly event in his garden recently. A Great Tit was perched in a clump of ivy, when it was suddenly attacked by one of the Magpie that regularly hang around the garden. Grabbing it by the nape, the Magpie wrestled the Great Tit to the ground, where it proceeded to kill it and start plucking it. Whilst it is well known that corvids take eggs and young birds, Andy had not witnessed a Magpie taking an apparently healthy adult bird before.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

9th November 2025 - this female Great Spotted Woodpecker was heard giving its sharp 'tutting' alarm call, and then spotted feeding high in a dead tree in Sluice Wood on Granta Park. The female seen here, lacks the red patch on the nape (back of the head) seen in the male.

Moorhen in early morning dew

9th November 2025 - after a heavy overnight dew, the sun glistened off the grass by the lake on Granta Park, as a Moorhen wandered through foraging as it went.

Mistle Thrush

9th November 2025 - this Mistle Thrush was heard projecting its loud resonant song from a tree high in Lagden's Grove. Renowned for singing in the winter, it is often the only bird to be heard during windy weather, giving it one of its old names of Stormcock. Andy M.

The Aims of Abington Naturewatch

At their meeting on 9 April 2005 the members approved this revised version of the aims of Abington Naturewatch:

To monitor and record the wildlife (fauna & flora) within the borders of the Abingtons;
To encourage protection of our wildlife, maintain its quality and foster its diversity;
To promote awareness of the richness, potential and problems of the natural environment of the Abingtons;
To cooperate in improving access to the local natural environment for the benefit of all Abington villagers.

Pat Daunt, Founder

The organisation is informal and communication is by email if possible; members are notified of events from time to time. Contact details are maintained by a small "project team". There is currently no membership fee as costs are covered by voluntary contributions at events.

Members are encouraged to report notable sightings of flora and fauna within the Abingtons to the appropriate sector coordinator and an illustrated record is published annually.

A map of the area covered, with some features noted, is available here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=213774935674882866424.00000111dca2be9f06ab8&z=13>

For more information or to join, please contact David Farrant on (01223) 892871.

Contributions to our records should be sent to sector contacts or either of the above. Photographs may also be submitted to Andy Merryweather (amerryweather61@gmail.com)