October 2022
Amphibians and Reptiles
Common Frog – one seen in GA garden on 1st and 28th.
Birds
A total of 42 species were
reported in a total of 223 records this month. As the last House Martin were
being seen (on 5th), mixed flocks of Tit and Finch were starting to become more
prevalent, as were Blackbird and winter thrush seeking out berries in gardens
and hedgerows.
Unusually, three White
Wagtail were spotted in amongst a flock of Pied Wagtail on the GP
cricket field (3rd), the White Wagtail being more generally seen in
Europe, with the Pied Wagtail being the UK race. Pied Wagtail
were also seen at other sites around the village in smaller numbers, and a Grey
Wagtail was spotted around Sluice Wood and the recreation ground.
A flock of 10-18 House
Martin was reported on 3rd and 5th on GP, the last of the summer
visitors. As for winter visitors, a Redwing
was seen along the ORC on 10th, and good numbers of Fieldfare were
reported along the Roman Road on 28th, just west of Abington parish boundary.
Larger often mixed
flocks of Blue Tit, Great Tit and Goldfinch and Greenfinch
are being regularly seen on garden feeders, along with a few Long-tailed Tit,
Coal Tit and Chaffinch. Dunnock, Robin and Wren
were also regularly reported, as were Collared Dove and Stock Dove
under feeders on Lewis Cres. House Sparrow were also seen more
often, especially on sunny days, and two Starling were spotted flying
over Lewis Cres.
Blackbird are
also being more regularly reported in gardens, as well as an occasional Song
Thrush. A Mistle Thrush was also spotted on the Perse sports fields,
and on a Cambridge Rd garden.
A Green Woodpecker
was reported feeding on ants on a Bourn Bridge Rd lawn, a Great Spotted
Woodpecker was seen regularly along Cambridge Rd, and a Treecreeper
was spotted around the car park on GP (3rd).
Grey Heron and Little
Egret were both reported twice, along the river as well as on Perse sports
fields, where a flock of Black-headed Gull and Lesser Black-backed
Gull were also seen.
Both Buzzard and
Red Kite were reported regularly at a number of locations, and a Sparrowhawk
was spotted being mobbed by corvids around the Perse sports fields. No reports
of Kestrel.
A Jay was
spotted along the ORC and in Cambridge Rd garden, and 1-4 Magpie were
widely reported, as were mixed flocks of Jackdaw and Rook. Both Pheasant
and Red-legged Partridge were seen along the ORC, as was a Yellowhammer
(10th), and Skylark were occasionally heard singing there and behind
Lewis Cres.
Butterflies and other insects
Not unexpectedly, there
have been rather fewer insects are around of late, with only 20 reports this
month, all of butterflies.
Butterflies: The
mostly commonly reported species was the Small White (7 reports), with Brimstone
(5 reports), Peacock Blue (4 reports), Red Admiral (3 reports),
and Large White (1 report) also being seen. Most sightings were in the
first half of the month, but some butterflies were still being seen on warmer
days up until 26th.
Mammals
Bat – several
seen in a Bourn Bridge Rd garden throughout the month up until 28th, and one
likely Pipistrelle along Cambridge Rd on 31st.
Fallow Deer –
one large male with impressive antlers seen along the ORC on 13th, and five
seen in field off Cambridge Road on 26th.
Fox – droppings
were seen in a Cambridge Rd garden regularly throughout the month (blog
link).
Muntjac – one on
rough ground near Church Lane on 20th, and one in the field behind Lewis Cres
on 28th. Also one in Sluice Wood on 29th.
Weasel - one spotted running across Newmarket Rd, near
North Rd junction.
Flora and Fungi
Relatively few reports
of plants in flower: Hawksweed Oxtongue, Lesser Calamint (blog
link), Scabious - largely along the Old Railway Cutting. An
Earthball fungus (blog
link) was reported, but the dry weather has meant a relatively
poor year for fungi thus far.
Rivercare
The Rivercare team, lead by Nancy, undertook
a river sampling survey on 17th, the last one planned for this year. Five of the
target invertebrate species were identified, including gammarus, olives and
caseless caddisfly, but the total tally was low, and only just above the
trigger level for a resampling. A couple of Signal Crayfish were also found.
Weather
At last, a wet month with 76.75 mm of rain, but also extremely mild with temperatures frequently in the high teens and low twenties. The warmest was 22.5 degrees C on the 29th, with the lowest being 0.8 degrees C on the 9th, however this was rather exceptional with the average lowest temperature being around 10 degrees C. Winds have stayed predominantly south to southwest for the whole month and generally light.
Mark Austin, David Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Andy Merryweather, Polly Merryweather, Nancy Ockendon, Gareth Rees, Gill Smith, Maggie and John Turner, Derek Turnidge.
