Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen
Red-tailed Bumblebee queen
Tawny Mining Bee
Seven-spot Ladybird
Beefly feeding from periwinkle flower
Beefly
Pollen Beetles
Sunday, 8 April 2018
Bumblebees and bugs
The warmer weather on Saturday (7th) brought out the insects, and Andy M took a few photos of those around his garden.
Thursday, 29 March 2018
Spring Flowers in Bourn Bridge Road
Jennifer found celandine and violets long the field in Bourn Bridge Road on 25 March:
Saturday, 17 March 2018
Tapping Long-tailed Tits, and other birds
For the last few weeks, Andy M has had a pair of Long-tailed Tits in his garden, displaying together and looking for likely nest sites. Most recently, they have taken to flitting onto the window-sill, tapping the window pane twice, then flitting along to the next window and doing the same, then back again. They can keep this up for 10 minutes or more, and never really seem to tire of it. I wonder if they are investigating their own reflections, but they could just be doing it for fun!
Andy has also had a partially-albino Blackbird in the garden. Often the white feathers are on the wings, but this male is somewhat unusual in having white feathers on the back and around the eye.
Finally, on Granta Park this week, there was a Little Egret paddling around in the flooded field behind Great Abington church, as well as a Treecreeper near the sluice, and a pair of Nuthatch feeding in the larger trees adjacent to Abington Hall. It was quite quiet and Andy could hear the Nuthatch chipping away at the bark whilst feeding. A single Great Crested Grebe has been back on the lake for a few weeks now too - first seen on 19th Feb. No sign of its mate yet though.
Andy has also had a partially-albino Blackbird in the garden. Often the white feathers are on the wings, but this male is somewhat unusual in having white feathers on the back and around the eye.
Finally, on Granta Park this week, there was a Little Egret paddling around in the flooded field behind Great Abington church, as well as a Treecreeper near the sluice, and a pair of Nuthatch feeding in the larger trees adjacent to Abington Hall. It was quite quiet and Andy could hear the Nuthatch chipping away at the bark whilst feeding. A single Great Crested Grebe has been back on the lake for a few weeks now too - first seen on 19th Feb. No sign of its mate yet though.
Little Egret in flooded field between Great Abington church and the river
Treecreeper, on the mature trees near the Sluice
Nuthatch feeding in the mature trees near Abington Hall ...
and on the ground nearby
Saturday, 3 March 2018
Animal Tracks in the Snow
In the fresh snow this morning, in several places along the old railway cutting and on the hill above the Land Settlements, Andy M saw clear Badger tracks - with their characteristic five-toed prints with large claws.
He also saw a Fox and was able to identify the tracks it made as it left the scene.
On the hill above the LSA, up to eight Hares were seen dashing across the fields, stopping occasionally to box .... it is the first weekend of Spring after all, despite the snow!
He also saw a Fox and was able to identify the tracks it made as it left the scene.
On the hill above the LSA, up to eight Hares were seen dashing across the fields, stopping occasionally to box .... it is the first weekend of Spring after all, despite the snow!
Monday, 26 February 2018
Visit to RSPB Ouse Washes
Six Abington Nature Watch members enjoyed a sunny but chilly visit to RSPB Ouse Washes on Saturday 24th February. A good variety of duck and other waterbird species were seen, as well as two large flocks of Whooper Swan, probably totalling more than 800 birds, mostly in fields adjacent to the reserve. At the Visitor Centre, the feeders attracted large numbers of Chaffinch and Goldfinch, as well as Tree Sparrow, Reed Bunting, and one or two Lesser Redpoll and Brambling. A thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding morning!
The full list of the 47 bird species recorded is:
The full list of the 47 bird species recorded is:
Barry B and Andy M took some photos -
of Whooper Swans:
of Whooper Swans:
Whooper Swans, with Tufted Duck in foreground
Tufted Duck
Great Crested Grebe
And some of Tree Sparrows (as well as House Sparrows!)
Tree Sparrow - brown cap, and white cheek with black patch
Tree Sparrows
House Sparrow (left) and Tree Sparrow (right)
House Sparrow
Pied Wagtail
Lesser Redpoll - female
Cormorant 'wing-drying' and Canada Goose
Ely Cathedral across the 'washes'
Saturday, 3 February 2018
Siskin - a finch from the north
Andy M has been lucky enough to have one or two male Siskin visit the feeders over the last week or so, and got chance to take a few photos today. This slender, streaky, yellow-green finch has broad yellow and black bands on the wings, a yellow rump and yellow patches at the base of the tail. The males also having a characteristic black cap and chin, with a yellow stripe behind the eye.
A winter visitor to south and eastern Britain, travelling from Wales and northern Britain, as well as across from northern Europe, Siskin are usually seen on alder and birch trees, acrobatically feeding on seeds. However, they will occasionally visit feeders, especially in mixed flocks of finches and redpoll - as was the case in Andy's garden.
A winter visitor to south and eastern Britain, travelling from Wales and northern Britain, as well as across from northern Europe, Siskin are usually seen on alder and birch trees, acrobatically feeding on seeds. However, they will occasionally visit feeders, especially in mixed flocks of finches and redpoll - as was the case in Andy's garden.
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