Wasp Spiders found on Granta Park, and Little Abington

After a few years of searching suitable habitats, Darren Bast has recently found 'at least three female Wasp Spider (Agriope bruennichi) in the lakeside meadow' on Granta Park.

A relatively recent introduction from Europe, the strikingly coloured Wasp Spider can now be found across much of Southern England, spreading north. With a body size of 1-2cm, the females build large orb webs in grassland and heathland, and attaches silk egg-sacs to the grasses.  Whilst mimicking a wasp for protection, it feeds on grasshoppers, and is non-dangerous to humans.

Since Darren's first report, a further Wasp Spider was reported by Marion R in her garden (23rd August).

Photos Darren Bast

Photo Matthew Gant, Marion R's gardener (23rd Aug)

A further photo was taken of the same Wasp Spider, after it had produced a large egg sack.
Photo Bill Rusted (18th Sept)

Spotted Flycatcher Project - Michael Holdsworth Aug 2019 update

Michael Holdsworth spoke at the ANW member's meeting earlier this year, about his very interesting Spotted Flycatcher Project which, over the past few years, has aimed to understand more about the factors influencing the decline of this lovely migrant summer visitor.

He recently posted an update to this project on the Cambridgeshire Bird Ringing site.  Further details can also be found here: http://cambridgeshirebirdringing.org/spofl-menu/


Cambridgeshire Spotted Flycatcher geolocator project – 2019 update 

Our geolocator project fieldwork is now complete. By the middle of August, when this is being written, we are left with only a handful of second-brood or replacement nests still active and feeding young. Most adults will have left. As usual, I haven’t received more than one or two records from outside the project all summer, and I don’t expect to receive any more now, so here’s a quick stock-take of our results for the 2019 season.

The BTO geolocator project has been designed and managed by Chris Hewson.

We – mainly just Lee Barber (BTO) and I – have been working on a two-year cycle. We attached geolocator tags for the first time (anywhere in Europe for the species) on flycatchers in 2016, for retrieval in 2017. There is a parallel RSPB project in Devon. The tags, 0.35gm and the size of a small button, do not transmit and cannot be read remotely; so they have to be removed from the bird for the data to be downloaded. We attached tags on a second cohort last year 2018, so this year was our second retrieval year. The nature of our fieldwork is very much dictated by whether we are tagging or retrieving; in a retrieval year like 2019 we find fewer nests and spend all our time focussing on sites where we think our geolocator birds will be. It is thus important to remember that this isn’t anything like a county-wide survey or census; with just one exception we have no sites north of Ely, and we have none in the Fens. We probably only find a fraction of the flycatchers out there, even though birders never seem to record them at all.

This season we ringed 101 nestling and 32 new adult flycatchers. That total, 133, is the same as in 2018 (94, 39). This excludes nestlings which died before fledging – for which we had an exceptional number this year due to a spell of very wet and cold weather in early June; we also lost at least two incubating females at that time. Nationally, for Britain and Ireland, only 1,162 flycatchers were ringed in 2018. 742 of these were full-grown birds mainly trapped on spring and autumn passage at coastal bird observatories, and particularly at Portland and the Calf of Man. 420 were ringed as nestlings.

We had nineteen 2018 tags to retrieve, and we managed five. To do this, the birds obviously first must survive their round-trip migration of about 26,000km; then we 2 have to locate them; and then we have to catch them. Not always straightforward: one canny bird took us four site visits and over eight hours to re-catch. We had a sixth bird which came back, was seen once and then vanished. Overall, six (32%) is a reasonable return-rate. Of 89 identifiable adults in the project so far, we’ve re-found 35 (39%) surviving into a later year. This is of course a minimum figure, as some birds will always survive without being re-found. In 2017 we had 9/19 come back (seven tags retrieved), which at 47% was an exceptionally high proportion for a small sub-Saharan migrant passerine. The tag data are providing unique insights into migration timing, routes, stopovers, desert crossing strategies and wintering areas – mainly in Angola.

There will still be some pairs to add, but we have this year provisionally confirmed breeding in 49 out of 71 pairs in 50 tetrads (final count 65/80 in 66 in 2018). We know of 44 nests in 30 tetrads (41 in 32).

Since the project started, we have ringed a total of 382 nestlings and 127 adults. None of our adults has ever been encountered or recovered elsewhere. All our re-sighted adults have returned to within a few hundred metres of where they were originally ringed, except for one which moved 2.25km. If this happens regularly, then they could be many more adults that we are missing. With most territories within 100m of the nest, and often less, cold searching just isn’t an option.

We haven’t seen or heard of any of our 382 ringed nestlings again, which may be confirming the theory that one of the principal causes of the species decline is that survival of young birds in the first year after fledging is insufficient to recruit enough replacements into the population to offset adult mortality.

We won’t be continuing with a BTO geolocator project into 2020; we now have sufficient migration tracks to answer the main questions about routes, stopovers and wintering areas. I myself, however, will continue to monitor our Cambridgeshire birds as time permits next year.

My thanks this year to Geoff Barlow, Carole Davis, Rob McEwen and Bernard Siddle for additional help with fieldwork.

Michael Holdsworth 15 August 2019


Please email spofl@cambridgebirdclub.org.uk with all Cambridgeshire Spotted Flycatcher records
from May to October. Thanks in advance.

Sparrowhawk swoops in for the kill

Sunday, 4th August.  Sitting in her garden, Carole M was thinking there were not many birds around due to the hot weather, when she was startled by a whoosh and thud as two birds landed three feet away from her. One, which she thought was a Sparrowhawk, shot through a gap in the trees leaving what I thought was a headless Woodpigeon - however, the pigeon later recovered and flew off.

The next day, early morning, she peered through a gap in our bedroom curtains and was surprised to see the Sparrowhawk ripping at the remains of a pigeon. Clearly it had returned to complete its 'unfinished business'.

Dragonflies

Jennifer H spotted these two dragonflies in her garden (7th August)

 Southern Hawker dragonfly

Ruddy Darter dragonfly

ANW Trip - Evening walk along Old Railway Cutting

On Wednesday 7th August, Sally Turnidge led an evening walk, principally to look at the flora along the Old Railway Cutting. The following species of flora were recorded:

Burdock	Ragwort
Common Cudweed (no photo)	Red Bartsia (no photo)
Cotton (formerly Scotch) Thistle	Scabious
Great Bindweed	Teasel
Hemp Nettle	Toadflax (no photo)
Knapweed	Weld
Marjoram	White Campion
Mignonette	Wild Parsnip
Old Man's Beard	Yellow Wort
Perforated St John's Wort

In addition, the following bird species were seen:

House Martin	Jackdaw
Woodpigeon	Blackbird
Swift - one, possibly on passage?	Kestrel

(Photos from Peter B and Emma J) 

Burdock

Cotton Thistle

Great Bindweed

Hemp Nettle

Knapweed

Knapweed

Marjoram

Mignonette

Old Man's Beard

Old Man's Beard

Perforated St John's Wort

Ragwort

Scabious

Teasel

Weld

White Campion

Wild Parsnip (seedheads)

Yellow Wort (after flowering)

Brown Argus butterfly

On 1st August, Anne D-N watched two small butterflies feeding on flowers of the Lesser Burdock just beyond the gate at the top of Chalky Road. Initially, she believed them to be female Common Blue butterflies, but on closer inspection of the photos at home with her identification books, she has identified them as Brown Argus butterflies.  The underwing has no ‘forewing spot’ close to the body, and the open wings showed no hint of blue.

July 2019. Interesting sightings around the Abingtons

July 2019

Amphibians and Reptiles

Smooth Newt - large numbers of newt ‘larvae’ in garden pond on South Road, some now with legs, others still very tiny and fish-like. Very few sightings of adults as they are generally now on land in cool, damp places.

Common Frog - froglets seen leaving garden ponds – much care needed mowing lawns.

Common Toad - large adult found under wooden plank near greenhouse.

Grass Snake - only one reported sighting (which is unusual given the hot weather during July), in a garden pond on Cambridge Road.

Common Lizard - no reported sightings.

Birds

A relatively quiet month generally, but with a few unusual highlights!

Kingfisher – two reports of what is likely to be the same bird, along the river near the footbridge (18^th, 22^nd).  First reports of this species in the village this year.

Redpoll – one female in Bourn Bridge Road garden (28^th).  Highly unusual to see these species here in the summer months.

Common Tern – one flying over Gt Abington in bad weather (27^th). Not previously reported in the Abingtons.

Fledglings and young birds continue to be widely reported, including young Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit visiting feeders, as well as young Robin, Song Thrush, Blackbird, House Sparrow, Dunnock, Mallard, Moorhen and Swallow.

Common Whitethroat – one along Old Railway Cutting (1^st).  

Blackcap and Chiffchaff – regularly in Granta Park. 

Swift – several reports of 8-13 around Lt Abington Church, and over Granta Park, and ~30 over Great Abington High Street (16^th).

Swallow – 20-30 perched on wires along Bourn Bridge Road, and swooping low over adjacent fields (9^th), as well as 10 on South Road, and 3 young birds seen over Church Lane (23^rd).

House Martin – mostly fledged from nests around the village by mid-month. Several reports of flocks of 10-12 over the village, and 35 over the Granta Park lake (15^th).

Grey Wagtail – two along the river (10^th).  Pied Wagtail – 6-12 on cricket pitch and Perse fields.

Corn Bunting – 2-3 regularly south of LSA.  Skylark – 3-4 singing on several occasions around LSA.

Sparrowhawk – one young male (?) catching a young Blackbird in a garden on Cambridge Road.

Buzzard – two calling and soaring high above Lt Abington, and 1-2 above LSA.

Red Kite – one over Granta Park (1^st), and one soaring for some time above LSA (16^th).

Little Owl – 1-2 still seen regularly around presumed nest-site on Granta Park.

Barn Owl – heard calling at night on several occasions in Gt Abington

Green Woodpecker – several reports of adults and juveniles in Sluice Wood, and in several gardens.

Great Spotted Woodpecker – one young bird on garden feeders, High Street, Lt Abington.  Nuthatch also regularly seen at same location.

Song Thrush – reported in Cambridge Road garden, and one singing on Granta Park.

Barnacle Goose, Canada Goose and Greylag – remain on Granta Park lake throughout. Reed Bunting heard calling from reedbed.

Cormorant – one flying over Granta Park (29^th).

Mixed Tit flock in Lagden’s Grove (29^th) containing 20-30 young Great Tit, Blue Tit and Long-tailed Tit, as well as 2 young Goldcrest. Small party of Long-tailed Tit also seen along river. 

Butterflies, Bees and other insects

A large number of different butterfly and other insect species have been reported around Granta Park this month. The flowers in the various rough 'meadows' seem to have been particularly good this year and, since they have largely been left uncut, have attracted lots of butterflies in the hot weather. A large number of species have also been reported on the LSA and at the southern end of the village. These areas accounted for more than half of the 442 sightings this month - more than has ever received before for one month!

Butterflies - The most sightings were again Meadow Brown (55), followed by Small White, Large White, Comma, Red Admiral and Ringlet.

The next group were Gatekeeper, Painted Lady, Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Green-veined White.

Finally, with 10 or fewer sightings: Large Skipper, Small Heath, Marbled White, Common Blue, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper and Small Copper, and one sighting each of Brown Argus, White-letter Hairstreak and Holly Blue.

Painted Lady and Marbled White need a special mention as they are both migrants and we do not usually see many of them in Abington.  This does not seem to be a ‘Painted Lady year’ though – the last one was 2009.

Small Tortoiseshell numbers seem to be down this year; even when the buddleia came into flower in the second half of the month – maybe it was just too hot for them.

Bumblebees - a scarcity of reports, with four reports of Buff-tailed Bumblebees, and few others.

Dragonflies - Black-tailed Skimmer and Emperor Dragonfly at Granta Park, and seven reports of Southern Hawker towards the end of the month.

A few Banded Demoiselle by the river (but fewer than usual), a few Azure Damselfly, Blue Damselfly and Large Red Damselfly.

A few reports of Seven-spot Ladybird, Cinnabar Moth and the delightful Hummingbird Hawkmoth.

Flora

Chicory was growing well this year - maybe the right weather conditions - on both sides of Bourn Bridge Road (previously only on one side) and on 4 other sites, one just inside the gate at the top of Chalky Road and the others round Abington Park Farm.

Great Wild Carrot plants for the first time in Bourn Bridge Road verges.

Mammals

Badger – one dead by side of Cambridge Road.

Fox – group of three, one adult and two young, in Sluice Wood

Hare – several regularly on rough ground to the south-east of Granta Park.

Muntjac – one in Lagden’s Grove

Pipistrelle bat – 1-2 on several evenings above a garden in Great Abington

Pygmy Shrew – one found dead in driveway on Cambridge Road

Rivercare

No report this month

Weather

Again quite variable, with a record high temperature of over 36ºC in Abington on 25th.  Rainfall 38mm for the month, with 20mm of that on 27th.

Many thanks to all those who contributed reports of their sightings for July 2019:

Darren Bast, Lois and Mike Bull, Anne Dunbar-Nobes, David Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Robin Harman,  Jennifer Hirsh, Carole McCrae, Len Mead, Andy Merryweather, Ross Nobes, Rachel Oldridge, Brian Parris, Gareth Rees, Annette Shortell, 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

Flowers:                          Sally Turnidge                 sally@turnidges.com

Mammals:                       Gill Smith                         richardandgill.smith@live.co.uk