Early morning walk around Granta Park

Last week, on one of the few sunny days, Andy M took an early morning exercise walk around Granta Park. The wildlife seemed more relaxed than usual, possibly because there are fewer people working on site and walking around at the moment.

The first treat was a lovely view of a male dog Fox, relaxing in the sun in Hood's Wood, the floor of which was covered with emerging Snowdrop flowers. Another adult Fox with a youngster was seen behind Abington Hall. The willows along the river were showing the first hints of their lovely yellow bark. Following the recent high river levels, the meadows between the two churches had flooded, and in particular the meadow north of the river, where a new lake had appeared, complete with Mallard swimming around, and Pied Wagtail feeding along its edges.

Through Sluice Wood, the Alder and Hazel catkins showed up brightly in the sun, and Snowdrop and Aconite buds were evident, just waiting for a little more sun to burst open. Walking on through Lagden's Grove, the path was cross by flooding from the river, quite deep in places. In amongst the undergrowth, Redwing could be heard, shyly flitting away when approached.  Song Thrush and Great Tit were singing, setting up their territories for later in the spring. 

Heading back across around the very sodden cricket field, a number of Barnacle Goose were feeding, accompanied by a few gulls - both Black-headed Gull and the more unusual Common Gull.

Basking male Fox in Tom's Wood

Snowdrops on Tom's Wood

Lovely yellow bark of the willows, with flooding behind

Hood's meadow, only slightly flooded

Flooded meadows north of the river

River and LA church

A new 'lake' in the meadows by the river, complete with Mallard ducks

The high level of the river, and the new 'lake' in the meadows behind

Alder catkins and cones

Hazel catkins

Hazel catkins

Hazel catkins

Snowdrop

Flooded path in Lagden's Grove

Flooded path in Lagden's Grove

Redwing

Great Tit

Barnacle Goose

Barnacle Goose

Common Gull and Black-headed Gull

Common Gull - in winter plumage of grey streaked head and nape,

with yellow-green legs and a black band on the bill

Common Gull

Frosty trees and the first snowdrops

One crisp sunny morning last week, Andy M noted the fine frosty coating on the trees, and the first signs of the winter flowers, Snowdrop and Aconite on Granta Park.

The icy treetops catching the sun

Two 'ice-trees' on Granta Park

Fine clear ice crystals, obviously formed in a cold wind!

Snowdrop buds, ready to flower in a patch of sun in Sluice Wood

One solitary open Snowdrop flower

Aconite flowers, just waiting for the sun

News: River high over the weekend, and flooding - again

14th and 15th January 2021

A number of ANW members, including Barry B, David F and Peter B, reported the river level was very high and moving fast - the highest David had seen it in some nine years.  

A number of fields either side of the river were flooded, including some of the village cricket ground. Parts of Sluice Wood near The Old Coach Road were flooded cutting off the path, and large parts of  both Cooke's Meadow and Lagden's Grove (either side of the river between the Old Coach Road and Bourn bridge) were also under water. Similarly, fields between Bourn Bridge and the A11 were also flooded.

Looking upstream over the ford

- from the road bridge at 4pm on 14th [photo BB]

Looking downstream, very high but not yet flooding the cricket green

- from the road bridge at 4pm on 14th [photo BB]

Looking downstream, still very high

- from the road bridge on morning of 15th [photo PB]

Some of the cricket green flooded

- from the High Street on morning of 15th [photo PB]

Serious flooding of Cooke's Meadow and Lagden's Grove (Granta Park)

- from Bourn Bridge looking upstream on morning of 15th [photo PB]

Flooding of fields either side of the river by the A11

- from Bourn Bridge looking downstream on morning of 15th [photo PB]

Peter B reminded us that not so very long ago, in summer 2019, the river was virtually dry and the aquafers were worrying low, as described in the article below.  Hopefully these recent rains will go some way towards refilling the aquafers for the coming year.

https://www.transitioncambridge.org/wiki/Water/Summer2019

ANW Christmas Quiz - the Answers

Twelfth Night has come and gone, so it must be time to reveal the answers to the 2020 ANW Christmas Quiz!

We hope you had fun identifying the species - all of which were spotted and photographed in The Abingtons during 2020.  (Click on the images for a larger view).

Very best wishes to you all for 2021 from the ANW Project Team

Snowdrops in flower, and an unexpectedly early butterfly

Jennifer H noted on 31st Dec, that the Snowdrops in her garden were coming into flower, and that the Aconite plants were showing signs of life, popping a leaf up above the soil!  

She also noted what must surely be the last butterfly sighting of the year, as a Peacock butterfly made an unexpected appearance in her house, coming out of hibernation on Christmas Day and alighting on the presents.

Snowdrops coming into flower

An Aconite poking up a first tentative leaf!

Peacock butterfly, coming out of hibernation 

indoors to investigate the Christmas Day presents.

December 2020. Interesting sightings from around theAbingtons

December 2020

Amphibians and Reptiles

No sightings reported during December.

 

Birds

Fieldfare – 1-2 flying over Cambridge Road, and a flock of 12 seen near ORC.  Redwing – only one sighting on GP.

Barnacle Goose – 6 feeding on GP cricket field. Grey Heron – three seen in fields adjacent to GP. Mallard and Moorhen – single reports from GP, and three Cormorant seen flying over LA.

Red Kite – one report of a single bird over Lewis Crescent, with single Kestrel, Sparrowhawk and Buzzard seen at several locations around the villages.  Tawny Owl – heard at several locations towards the end of the month.

Goldfinch – good numbers (up to 30) at several feeders, as were small numbers of Greenfinch and Chaffinch.  Blue Tit and Great Tit also reported widely, Long-tailed Tit more occasionally, and a Coal Tit and 1-3 Goldcrest seen regularly in a Cambridge Road garden.

Collared Dove – groups of 6-8 quite commonly seen under bird feeders, as are 1-2 Stock Dove, with 1-3 Jay and Magpie feeding in gardens at several locations.

Red-legged Partridge – three reports of groups of 25-40 seen on the LSA.  Skylark – small flocks, with some birds singing over fields near AbPkFm.

Great Spotted Woodpecker – 1-2 seen most days at some feeders, with 1-2 Green Woodpecker only more occasionally reported.

Yellowhammer – flock of 30 roosting in hedgerows near Hildersham Wood, and 1-2 Wren and Song Thrush seen along the ORC. Black-headed Gull – c100 seen in fields around Lewis Crescent.

 

Butterflies, Bees and other insects

Only two reports: a Bumblebee on the Mahonia on 22nd and a Peacock butterfly (indoors) on 25th.

 

Mammals

Fallow deer – two spotted on ORC on 19th, and another 6 near Hildersham Wood on the same day.

Hare – one seen in GP on 6th.

Muntjac – one in Lagden’s Grove on 6th, one in Cambridge Road on 31st, and a young one seen frequently in a High St LA garden.

Roe deer – two seen in ORC on 19th.

 

Flora & Fungi

No sightings reported during December.

 

Rivercare

Further rain and high winds resulted in the river flooding for several days around Christmas. The resulting high flows brought a certain amount of debris and rubbish, but also removed some of ours further downstream.

The last litter-pick and river walk of the year took place on 29th. A tree was found to have fallen across the river by the cricket ground, but it didn’t respond to the grappling hook. Later the Smith team waded in (literally) and set about with a saw. A large section of tree was also found by the Millennium Bridge, which the intrepid duo also removed later in the day.

Weather

December was quite a wet month with 112.5 mm of rain. The coldest day was at the very end of the month, on 31st when it only reached 0.5 degrees C, with the lowest temperature being minus 4.5 degrees C, also on the 31st. It was overall a very calm month.

Many thanks to all those who contributed reports of their sightings for December 2020:
Peter Brunning, David Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Jennifer Hirsh, Andy Merryweather, Brian Parris, Derek Turnidge.
 
Please email your sightings, within the Abington parishes, to the relevant ANW Recorder:
Birds:                               Derek Turnidge               derek@turnidges.com
Butterflies, Bees etc:       Jennifer Hirsh                  jennifer@hirsh.com
Mammals:                        Gill Smith                        richardandgill.smith@live.co.uk
Amphibians & Reptiles, and Flora recorders currently vacant - if interested, please contact David Farrant for more details.

Abbreviations: GA – Great Abington, LA – Little Abington, LSA – Land Settlement Association, GP – Granta Park, ORC – Old Railway Cutting. AbPkFm – Abington Park Farm.