March 2021. Interesting sightings from around the Abingtons.

March 2021

Amphibians and Reptiles

Smooth Newt – two seen during a pond clean-up in a Cambridge Road garden.

Birds

Good numbers of winter visitor species continued to be seen, with the first ‘summer visitors’ starting to return, no doubt encouraged by spells of good weather and southerly winds. A total of 57 species were reported this month, in around 740 sightings received.

Fieldfare – three reports of 1-3 birds (to 29th), and Redwing – five reports (to 21st) generally of 1-2 birds, with one larger flock of 20 between Cambridge Road and Church Lane.

Siskin – increasingly reported from several gardens across the villages, particularly later in the month, with up to 12 reported together on 31st.

Lesser Redpoll – 2-3 in finch flock on feeders in Lewis Crescent, both males and females, regularly from 20th. 

Brambling – 1-2 on three occasions with Chaffinch flock under feeders on Lewis Crescent.

Wheatear – 2 males in breeding plumage, feeding along ploughed field edge near Roman Road (29th). An increasingly rare passage migrant in the south, breeding on northern moorland.

Chiffchaff – nine reports of 1-2 singing males, from 14th onwards. Mostly wintering in southern Europe, these summer visitors generally start to return in early-March, peaking in April.

Blackcap – 1-2 regularly at a few locations, heard singing at the end of the month. Over-wintering birds depart for Europe in March, only to be replaced by birds that winter further south and breed in the UK.

Kingfisher – single bird flying along the river near the Millennium Bridge on 22nd. Little Egret – single bird again in Hood’s Field (20th), and Grey Heron – 2-3 on GP and Perse sports fields. Mute Swan, Canada Goose and Greylag reported on GP lake, alongside a few Mallard.

Treecreeper, Nuthatch - good views of single birds reported along edge of Abington Woods. Great Spotted Woodpecker – 1-2 continue to regularly visit some garden feeders, and Green Woodpecker – four reports of 1-3 on GP and along the Old Coach Road.

Red Kite – nine reports of 1-3 above several sites. Buzzard – regularly 1-4, some soaring high above village most likely migrating, and one being mobbed by corvids. Kestrel – three reports of 1-2 birds, and Sparrowhawk – one along Roman Road.  Tawny Owl – one heard at night near Lewis Crescent (6th).

Reed Bunting – good numbers continue to be seen under feeders in Lewis Crescent, and in reeds on GP. Yellowhammer – singing male on LSA (9th). Meadow Pipit – two reports of 5-15 feeding on rough ground on GP, and Skylark – up to 25 in fields south of LSA. Pied Wagtail – nine reports, 1-2 on school roof and LSA, with larger flocks of up to 40 on Perse sports fields.

Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Goldcrest – regularly at some locations, and more widespread reporting of other Tit and Finch species. Jay – up to four reported squabbling, with 1-2 more widely seen. Mistle Thrush – reports of singing birds at several locations.

 

Butterflies, Bees and other insects

After some poor weather in the first half of the month including cold nights, the 9th, 19th and 27-30th brought out more butterflies. A total of 78 reports were received for the month of March. Overall, the total numbers reported were:

Butterflies:

Brimstone, 27; Peacock, 12; Small Tortoiseshell, 6; Comma,3; Red Admiral, 3.

These five UK butterfly species are the only ones that overwinter in the adult form, others overwinter as eggs, caterpillars or pupae. Also two reports of Small White.

Bees:

Buff-tailed Bumblebee, 11; 1 report each of Red-tailed Bumblebee, White-tailed Bumblebee, Hairy-footed Flower Bee, and Common Carder Bee; Honey Bee, many.

Bee-flies:  4 reports, and Seven-spot Ladybird, 3 reports.

 

Mammals 

Badger – one dead by the side of Newmarket Road near the yards.

Pipistrelle Bat and Serotin Bat – first report of this year, on 30th in Cambridge Road garden.

Fallow Deer – tracks in the soft soil in Lewis Crescent.

Roe Deer – 14 reported south of Chalky Road.

Hare – one south of Chalky Road, and another along the Hairdresser path.

Muntjac – one seen south of Chalky Road, one in a Cambridge Road garden and several sightings of one near the sluice in Sluice Wood, one a juvenile with a spotted back.

Flora & Fungi

The last few Snowdrop flowers remained until early in the month, with Celandine and Sweet Violet (both purple and white forms) flowering prolifically throughout, in Sluice Wood, on GP and elsewhere around the village. Wych Elm flowers were out on GP, as were Speedwell and Dog’s Mercury. Late in the month, the first Blackthorn flowers appeared, along with the first Cowslip on GP and the LSA.

Rivercare

During March, the river returned to more normal levels and is looking good. We have resumed our monthly litter pick and plan to resume river sampling in April and ask anyone interested to email nw@brunning.org.uk to discuss details and check numbers comply with Covid rules.

 

Weather

 A total of 48.5 mm of rain fall in March, more than double last year’s figure. The highest temperature was 25.7 degrees C on the 30th, this being way above the average for the month which was closer to 12-14 degrees. The lowest temperature was minus 2.5 degrees C on the 5th. There were some strong winds during the second week, then a quiet spell before more windy weather towards the end of the month.

Many thanks to all those who contributed reports of their sightings for March 2021:
Peter Brunning, Viki Brunning, Lois Bull, David Farrant, Gaynor Farrant, Robin Harman, Jennifer Hirsh, Len Mead, Andy Merryweather, Freda Orgee, Gill Smith, Richard Smith, John Turner, Derek Turnidge, Sally Turnidge, Diana Wingfield.
 
Please email your sightings, within the Abington parishes, to the relevant ANW Recorder:
Amphibians & Reptiles   Gaynor Farrant                gaynorfarrant198@btinternet.com
Birds:                               Derek Turnidge               derek@turnidges.com
Butterflies, Bees etc:       Jennifer Hirsh                  jennifer@hirsh.com
Mammals:                       Gill Smith                        richardandgill.smith@live.co.uk
Flora recorder 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.

News: First Swallow over the village

Friday 2nd April, 2021

Marion R spotted the first Swallow of the year in the Abingtons today, over her home in Little Abington.

 

This is several days earlier than 2020, when the first Swallow was seen on 5th April, and in both 2019 and 2018 the first sighting was on 6th.

More garden birds

Andy M photographed a few more of the birds visiting his garden this week.

Male Lesser Redpoll - with red crown and breast patches

Male Lesser Redpoll 

Stock Dove

with lovely iridescent green and purple neck patch 

Blue Tit - doing a little light renovation to the nestbox, 

pecking at the entrance hole to remove rough edges

Buzzard - gliding overhead

Buzzard 

Carrion Crow

has started building a nest in the oak tree at the end of the garden

Male Reed Bunting

Male Reed Bunting

Female Reed Bunting -

this one with the more typical brown cheek patch

A feeder-full of Siskin.  Larger numbers visited this week - up to 12 one day.

This group are all females.

A male (left) and female (right) Siskin

Male Siskin

Young male Siskin

Early butterflies reported in good numbers during the recent sunny spell.

Jennifer commented that during the recent sunny days, Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma and Small Tortoiseshell had all been reported - all species that over-winter as adults, and therefore appear earliest in the year. A few early Small White butterflies were also seen.

Andy M spotted this lovely Comma butterfly in his garden this week, and Derek T spotted the first Beefly of the year on 23rd.

Comma butterfly on Hyacinth flowers

Sweet Violet and Stonecrop

David F reported hearing his first Chiffchaff singing (28th March), commenting that larger numbers seemed to have arrived and started singing around the village this week. He also spotted a nice patch of white Sweet Violet, still in flower after many of the purple ones have stopped, and a large patch of Stonecrop alongside the A1307. 

White Sweet Violet

Stonecrop

Granta Park

27th March. A walk around Granta Park at the weekend indicated spring was rapidly unfurling. The Dog's Mercury were now in flower, and the first Blackthorn and Cowslip flowers were starting to show.  The Celandine was still radiant on the banks of the river near the footbridge, and birds like the Chiffchaff and Robin were singing, pairing up and starting to build nests, including the Rooks in the Horse Chestnut trees.  Andy M.

Dog's Mercury

Dog's Mercury

Wild Arum

Blackthorn - mostly with buds posed to burst

Blackthorn - and few first flowers were out

Blackthorn - and few first flowers were out

One of the first Cowslip to be in flower

Cowslip 

Celandine flowers on the river bank

Celandine

Blue Tit soaking up the sun

Blue Tit acrobatically searching for food

Great Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Long-tailed Tit

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Female Great Spotted Woodpecker

Female Green Woodpecker

Jackdaw

Chiffchaff - taking a brief respite from its near continuous singing

Robin singing from the treetops

Some of the Rookery near the old canteen

Rook

Rook at the nest

Female Mallard on the lake ...

with its male Mallard mate.

Another Mallard pair on the river

male Mute Swan - closeup!

A Lesser Redpoll pair - and more garden birds

A small flock of Siskin continued to visit the feeders in Andy M's garden last week, joined more occasionally by a Brambling, and on Friday they were joined by a pair of Lesser Redpoll - all three species being members of the finch family that visit the UK in winter. 

Lesser Redpoll - with a characteristic red crown, 

and in the case of the male, pinky-red chest patches.

Male Lesser Redpoll (below) and two male Siskin

Female (left) and male (right) Siskin

A trio of male Siskin and a Greenfinch

Male Siskin

Male Siskin

Female Lesser Redpoll

Female Lesser Redpoll

Male Chaffinch

Robin

Male Blackcap taking a quick drink from the pool

Male Reed Bunting - with the distinctive black head, cheeks and bib,

with contrasting white neck ring and moustache

Male Reed Bunting - showing black cheeks and bib, with white moustachial stripes

Female Reed Bunting - with a more streaked belly, and a chestnut-brown crown 

with a paler central stripe.  Females also have the white moustachial stripes, but this one

has unusually dark cheeks, which tend to fade during the year.

Female Reed Bunting