31st October 2019
A pair of Fieldfare were seen and heard by Andy M this morning flying over his garden.
Derek noted that these were the first reports of Fieldfare this season in the Abingtons, and encourages everyone to email him with their winter visitor reports.
Thursday, 31 October 2019
Wednesday, 30 October 2019
Autumn notes on Granta Park
The low sunlight and wonderful autumn colours painted a number of lovely scenes around Granta Park today - Andy M.
Fairy-rings and fungi!
Andy M spotted quite a number of rather lovely toadstool fairy-rings (Marasmius species)
A Puffball - just starting to come up ...
... and another that is over
on the Granta Park cricket pitch today, as well as number of other ones around the park.
A Puffball - just starting to come up ...
... and another that is over
Sunday, 27 October 2019
More toadstools - Parasols and Inkcaps!
The change in the weather seems to have bought out the mushrooms and toadstools around the village. Jennifer H reported a large number of Parasol Mushrooms in Abington Woods, and Anne D-N found a fine 'colony' of Shaggy Inkcap toadstools (Coprinus comatus) around the edge of a copse near Hildersham Wood.
Parasol Mushrooms - photos Jennifer H
Shaggy Inkcap toadstools - photos Anne D-N
Parasol Mushrooms - photos Jennifer H
Shaggy Inkcap toadstools - photos Anne D-N
Tuesday, 15 October 2019
Parasol Mushroom and other fungi
The recent wet weather seems to have really spurred the fungi on - they seemed to be popping up everywhere on Andy M's walks around Granta Park.
Most impressive was a long line of large Parasol Mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera), each one around 15-20cm across. Apparently edible (although not a decision I would make), this species is found solitary or in groups in neglected pastureland, or (as here) in well-drained soils in woodland.
Some Shaggy Inkcap (Coprinus comatus), were also coming up under the trees.
Most impressive was a long line of large Parasol Mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera), each one around 15-20cm across. Apparently edible (although not a decision I would make), this species is found solitary or in groups in neglected pastureland, or (as here) in well-drained soils in woodland.
Parasol Mushroom
Parasol Mushroom
Parasol Mushroom
Parasol Mushroom - just emerging and fully open
Shaggy Inkcap - just coming up
Shaggy Inkcap - just coming up - underside
Mature Shaggy Inkcap
as well as several other, as yet unidentified, species of toadstools:
'fairy ring' toadstools
Wednesday, 9 October 2019
News! First Redwing of the season
9th October 2019
Autumn is coming - and with it the winter visitors! The first Redwing of the season were reported in the village today - Andy M spotting a small flock of around ten in the trees between the 'hairdresser's path' and Abington Hall at lunchtime.
Autumn is coming - and with it the winter visitors! The first Redwing of the season were reported in the village today - Andy M spotting a small flock of around ten in the trees between the 'hairdresser's path' and Abington Hall at lunchtime.
Speckled Wood butterfly - probably!
Anne D-N watched a somewhat weather-beaten and bedraggled butterfly land on her patio table on Monday (7th). It was small, seemed exhausted and stubbornly held its wings firmly closed, making a positive identification somewhat problematic, despite the good photo. After some discussion, consensus seems to be that it is a somewhat pale Speckled Wood butterfly - but happy to hear alternative views.
Sunday, 6 October 2019
Box-Tree Moth caterpillars - gardeners be warned!
Polly and Andy M recently noticed some brown patches on their Box bushes in the garden. Closer inspection revealed a number of rather beautiful, but also rather troubling, Box-Tree Moth caterpillars (Cydalima perspectalis), busily munching their way through the inside of the bushes. Several specimens were removed for closer inspection!
A recent accidental introduction from south-east Asia, the Box-Tree Moth was first seen in the UK in Kent around ten years ago, and is now well-established in south-east and across southern England. The RHS has established a survey to record its understand its spread.(https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=760.)
A recent accidental introduction from south-east Asia, the Box-Tree Moth was first seen in the UK in Kent around ten years ago, and is now well-established in south-east and across southern England. The RHS has established a survey to record its understand its spread.(https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=760.)
Garden Spider - and its prey!
Polly M has been watching a splendid Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus), which recently made a large web in amongst the tomato plants in the greenhouse. The large female was often seen in the centre of the web, and on occasion what seemed to be the smaller male (or dinner!) off to one side. However, one morning last week, Polly noticed a large hole had appeared in the web. Off to one side the reason was apparent, where the spider was busy around a very 'moth-shaped' cocoon which had been spun around a hapless victim. It's all happening in the greenhouse!
Topside view of female
Underside of female, and possibly a male to the right
Female dealing with her prey - what seemed to be a moth
September 2019. Interesting Sightings around The Abingtons
September 2019
Amphibians and Reptiles
Activity in ponds is
‘shutting down’ and only a few developing Tadpole
and Newt will remain in the water
over winter. Adults are now on land looking for places to hibernate. No
reported sightings apart from tiny Newt
tadpoles found in pondweed in one pond on LSA.
Birds
Hobby – brief sighting, flying
fast and low over hedge along ‘hairdresser path’ on Granta Park (26th).
Swallow – several reports up
until 19th. Three successful broods reported from a site on LSA.
House
Martin –
single birds / small flocks reported until 29th. Flock of 100+ over Granta Park on 24th.
Swift – single bird flying
over Granta Park on 16th – unusually late in the year.
Blackcap – young or female on
garden feeder on Cambridge Road.
Chiffchaff – single birds on
2-3 occasions in mixed tit-flock on Granta Park.
Robin – heard singing more
regularly again from sites around the village.
Coal
Tit –
single bird seen in group of Great Tit and
Blue Tit on garden feeder in Gt Abington.
Goldfinch – flocks of c12-15, with
a few Chaffinch and Greenfinch, returning to feeders.
Goldcrest – single birds in gardens
on Cambridge Road and South Road, and in Sluice Wood.
Linnet – starting to
congregate into small flocks (10-20) on Abington Park Farm and Granta Park.
Grey
Wagtail
– several reports single bird along river near Millennium Bridge and in Sluice Wood.
Pied
Wagtail
– gathering in flocks of around 12-15 on Granta Park cricket pitch.
Meadow
Pipit
– four feeding on scrubby garden on Granta Park.
Nuthatch – one reported in several
gardens. Treecreeper – one in Cambridge Road garden.
Jay – seen collecting
acorns in Granta Park, and in a Great Abington garden.
Red
Kite
– several reports of 1-2 soaring over the village centre, and at Abington Park
Farm.
Sparrowhawk – several reports in
gardens, usually seen chasing small birds.
Buzzard – several reports of
single birds flying over the village
Tawny Owl – male calling ‘twoo-hoo’
from trees behind Lewis Crescent (16th). Barn
Owl also heard ‘screeching’ from same trees later in month.
Mallard
– eclipse
mostly over now for c80 on Granta Park lake.
Also Barnacle Goose (3-7) and
Canada Goose (3) on lake, and nine Greylag Goose flying over.
Great Black-backed Gull – in fields adjacent to Cambridge
Road, and in Perse sports fields.
Butterflies, Bees and other insects
This has been another
quiet month for butterfly reports, probably due to the very variable weather,
with 144 reports during the month.
Butterflies – reports
this month were dominated by the Small White
butterfly. Next were Red Admiral and
Comma (quite large numbers this late
in the year), and Painted Lady (a
few reports of single sightings). There were some reports of Speckled
Wood and Large White, but only
one report of Small Tortoiseshell and
three of Peacock (these seem to be
in decline). Much less common butterflies seen were Common Blue, Small Copper
and Small Heath.
Bumblebees – again very
few reports.
Dragonflies – a few Southern Hawker and one Emperor
dragonfly at Granta Park, and three reports of Common Darter by the Millennium footbridge.
Other reports: Hummingbird Hawkmoth.
It is worth noting
that sightings from the LSA and Granta Park are notably different from the more
usual garden habitats.
Flora
Sally Turnidge has recently stepped down as our Flora reporter, for personal reasons. The Project Team, and all Abington
NatureWatch members, would like to sincerely thank Sally for all her fine efforts
in this area over the past years.
If anyone would like to know more about taking on the role of the Flora Reporter, please contact David Farrant.
Mammals
Pipistrelle
Bat –
reported in gardens on Meadow Walk and Cambridge Road.
Short-tailed/Field
Vole –
one in Cambridge Road garden.
Wood
Mouse –
feeding under the bird table in a garden on Cambridge Road.
Fox – two in the field
adjacent to the ‘hairdresser path’, east of Granta Park.
Badger – one found dead
along Chalky Road.
Hare – one near
‘hairdresser path’ on Granta Park.
Muntjac
–
two sightings, one in garden on the High Street, and another on Cambridge Road.
Fallow
Deer
– seven young deer, still with spotted coats, near Abington Park Farm.
Rivercare
Abington RiverCare
team undertook their routine river sampling on 30th. Reports of the
usual Caddisfly, Up-wing flies (mostly Olives), Freshwater Shrimp and a few Signal
Crayfish (Blog
article).
Himalayan
Balsam
– several plants were reported growing just upstream of the Sluice. These were
subsequently removed by the Abington RiverCare team (Blog
article).
Weather
September was generally
a hot month, with light winds. Rainfall 56mm, with 48mm falling between 23rd
and 30th. Highest temperature 29.3ºC on 15th, with a lowest
temperature of 1.1ºC (on 18th) but was more generally around 11ºC as
the low.
Many thanks to all those who contributed reports
of their sightings for September 2019:
Darren
Bast, Peter Brunning, Audrey Bugg, Lois Bull, Anne Dunbar-Nobes, Francis Daunt,
David Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Jennifer Hirsh, Carole
McCrae, Len Mead, Andy Merryweather, Polly Merryweather, Freda Orgee, Brian
Parris, Gareth Rees, Bill Rusted, Gill Smith, Sam Tennant, 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.
Himalayan Balsam removed from the Sluice
On his lunchtime walk on 26th Sept, Andy M spotted a few unusual tall plants with pink or white flowers, growing along the edge of the slack water just upstream of the Sluice. These were identified as Himalayan Balsam - a non-native invasive species which a number of government agencies, including Natural England and the Environment Agency, indicate must be removed. The plants were reported to Abington RiverCare, who subsequently removed and appropriately destroyed the plants.
RiverCare - September Sampling
Abington Rivercare carried out their routine river sampling at the ford on 30th September. The result summary is below:
