Wild Life

Skellingthorpe Old Wood is ancient woodland mentioned as far back as 1086 in the Domesday Book. The woodland has a high conservation value which is increasing as the conifer areas, planted during the 1950s and 1960s, are replaced by native species. Join WatchNK ranger, Steve Donagain, as he guides you around the wood to see first hand how nature is fighting back!

For further details contact Theresa Hobbs Countryside Promotion Officer tel. 694353 email theresa.hobbs@leisureconnection.co.uk or visit www.countrysidenk.co.uk www.leisureconnection.co.uk

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West Kesteven Wildlife Watch Group & RSPB Wildlife Explorers

Saturday 4th February 2012 10am to 12noon

Rockingham Forest

near Corby, beautiful Medieval hunting forest

Wild Red kites – see the aerial acrobatics of one of our most beautiful birds.

Park at Welland Gliding Club 3pm for a special talk, then guided walk with expert Chris Andrews, finishing at dusk about 4.30pm.

All meetings 10am to Noon and £1 per young person, unless otherwise stated

It is better to book, in case there have to be changes to the programme

For details and to book, contact Marianne Overton marianne.overton@biosearch.org.uk - 01400 273323 - 07768 428 769

or Jean Martin – jeanmartin@woodlandtrust.org.uk

Young Leader, Jake Beatty JJbeaty@btinternet.com

[WS Feb 2012]

Rauceby Woods Contribution from young leader, Jake Beaty “The group met at the car park on 18th September and set off for a nice walk through the woods about an hour and a half long, quite sunny but a little bit chilly out of the sun. We saw a pond which is normally there had dried out. Near the pond was an old well with the bucket still inside it, but you wouldn’t want to drink the water! After walking on a bit we came to an amazing viewpoint overlooking the A17 and RAF Cranwell. We took pictures of leaves on the trees, we saw eighteen types of tree including hawthorn, both native Oak species, Ash, Willow and Sycamore. We found a woodpecker’s hole and bracket fungus. “

The woodland was very dry indeed and we could easily hear and see the Woodmouse that looked at us from the thin, dry undergrowth. The violets were wilted, the blackberries not fruiting and the elderberries were tiny, only about two millimetres across. One of the Ash trees at the wood edge was so poorly grown with thin, soft leaves that it almost looked like a Mountain Ash, only distinguished by its characteristic black-tipped buds.

At the end of the event, Donna presented Marianne with a badge and certificate with thanks for ten years of voluntary service as an RSPB Explorers volunteer Leader. Encouraged by Brian Tear of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, Marianne started the Wildlife Watch Group in 1991 which graduated into a group combined with the RSPB Explorers eleven years later.

Big Bird event. The group held a Big Bird event on Saturday 24th, jointly with the British Trust for Ornithology and the Society of Biology. People came from different organisations but interests coincided well so there was an excellent buzz at break times! Thanks to Keith Voden for his superb demonstration and talk on netting and ringing birds, a process which has given us valuable information over a hundred years. Each bird was released unharmed. Keith gave fascinating insights into the lives of the birds we caught, evidenced in detail in their plumage and weight.

British Trust for Ornithology board member and volunteer co-ordinator, Peter Overton went on to explain the importance of the national records over 80 years, a fantastic data set giving us clear evidence of the health of our environment. It is only with clear evidence that we can encourage appropriate actions to follow. Britain has a truly impressive record, with 30,000 expert volunteers contributing to the latest Atlas of bird distribution, support which makes this possible. He discussed why birds of prey and carrion eaters had increased. Many species of small woodland bird and migrants have decreased markedly over the last 20 years since the last Atlas survey. Some wetland species, such as the Little Egret have increased and extended their range, from being a rarity in Britain to a common sight in the right habitat. Habitat improvements have brought increases in Bittern and the Avocet. Phil Espin, who co-ordinates the volunteers from East Lincolnshire pointed out that most species were holding their own in that part of the county.

Loss. Sadly the bird event coincided with the loss of Gordon Priestly, whose life slipped away, after a fierce two-year struggle with cancer. Gordon was a regular cornerstone of these events, with huge and infectious enthusiasm for the birds we found and for those we “might find”. His lifetime‟s work is testament to his unwavering efforts and an inspiration to many more who follow. He will be sadly missed and we extend our condolences to his family.

New members are welcome. For further information, contact Marianne Overton 01400 273323 or marianne.overton@biosearch.org.uk West Kesteven Wildlife Watch and RSPB Explorers meets monthly at the weekend in the best local places for wildlife. A calendar is available. The WKWW group has pages up on the national websites and on Hilltop Farm Holidays.

http://www.hilltopfarmholidays.co.uk/wildlifewatch.html The Society of Biology events are neatly up on the website at

http://www.societyofbiology.org/branches/east-midlands/events .

2004 weather was good for fungi!

For further details and booking of future NKDC’s Out And About Events, contact the Sleaford Tourist information Centre (Tel: 01529 414294).

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Request to Cat Owners

There has been a plea from local residents to all cat owners. If you don’t already would you please consider fitting a bell to your cat’s collar. This will help prevent the unnecessary killing of the local wildlife. A cat’s instinct is to pray on the wildlife but your domestic cat only does this for play and not to survive! The hunting and playing around with garden birds and other wildlife by your cat leaves an end result which is not very kind to the wildlife in our gardens. A simple bell attached to your cat’s collar will give the wildlife a sporting chance at least.

[WS Nov 2008]

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A Little Visitor

A little owl has become a frequent visitor to my garden just lately. It is often perched on an old, twisted branch of Hawthorn that catches the warmth of the afternoon sun. Its head swivels to the side, then behind and back to the front again, eyes blinking, looking down into the grass for worms and voles. The small birds vacate the feeders and set up a noisy racket in the hedge. An army of blackbirds hop around in the branches surrounding the owl. They try to mob it and annoy it into flying off, but it stays put. Sometimes it sits on the garden fence, repeatedly jumping down onto the grass in a rather clumsy style, like a blackbird drumming the ground to make worms appear. Other times it will sit preening its feathers and wiping its beak on the wooden rails. I noticed it sitting on the grass, looking intently at the movement of a mole pushing soil to the surface. Suddenly it fixed me with its yellow eyes and, feeling vulnerable, swiftly flew off. I could hear its ‘kip,kip,kip’ call from the safety of a nearby tree. One day it appeared to be asleep on the usual perch, face squashed onto its chest, in a broad V shape. I approached it for a closer look. The yellow eyes, ringed with black, opened suddenly and gave me a startled, enquiring glance. It stretched its short, stocky legs and dumpy, almost round body and elongated itself so that it looked bigger. The flight feathers were cream spotted on a liver-brown background with a lighter, fluffy layer underneath, topped by a wavy, dark brown pattern running down the length of its chest and body. Still it did not fly off, even though I was only two metres from the tree. I backed away slowly, trying not to frighten it. I think it could be related to a pair of little owls often to be seen in the early evening, sitting, side by side, in a tree further along the fen road.

Diane Bailey [WS June 2004]

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Swifts

Once more the swifts have been spending the summer with us and are already returning to their winter quarters in southern Africa. I hope Bassingham children learn something about these wonderful birds, also known as Black Martins or even Devil Birds, because of their amazing ability to store in their bird brains the details of the long journey back to the Bassingham roofs under which they were hatched. From here they dropped out of their nest and never touched earth again. Some brain, to find their way here again — and without calling in on the way for a coffee, or at McDonalds or at a garage for fuel! Their joyous screams, as they perform their aerobatics high in the sky, only cease when the two eggs they lay hatch and the feeding of the young becomes a task that allows no time off for slacking.

Think about the incredible job of parenthood in summer days when feeding starts about four fifteen in the morning and doesn’t stop until dusk around nine thirty. No wonder they are ready to fly off again back to Africa in August!

Frank Hoar [WS Sep 2003]

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Disappearing Wildlife?

I recently read that our fields and gardens are largely empty of wildlife. I open my curtains to a comical sight: a squirrel, grey, with a chestnut head, is racing towards the branches of the sycamore tree. Curiosity satisfied, it slowly, cautiously crawls down the trunk, then dashes a few feet into the dried up herbs of last summer. It plays a solitary little game, bucking and frolicking as if to a concerto. Then it’s off across the garden, effortlessly scaling the stable wall to check the bird feeder for peanuts. I notice the kestrel sitting on the fence near the road. It is looking intently into the grass for mice. Suddenly it drops down, then swiftly flies off towards the farm buildings, breakfast in its beak. Pheasants hungrily feasting off the new season’s grubs and shoots, moving in a wave across the grass. Late morning, I stop to watch a stoat purposefully scurrying along the line of the fence with a pheasant egg precariously crammed in its mouth.

It’s afternoon and a black, white and red woodpecker, followed by the green variety have a good feed on the peanuts. Although sparrows are supposed to be endangered, I count about thirty on the feeders, in the hawthorn hedge and disappearing underneath the pantiles of the house roof. I also see French partridges, green finches, chaffinches, robins, blackbirds, blue tits, and two perky little wrens hunting behind the clematis plants for moths.

As the sun sets against a fiery sky, two pigeons sit cooing to each other; the lapwings in the field over the hedge tune up again; they will continue into the night. Add to this the beautiful, clear evening song of the blackbird. Sometimes I’m lucky enough to catch sight of a shadowy fox slinking past the gate at night.

It’s mid-April. The swallows will arrive soon to nest in the stable and to share the insects with our resident bats. Every morning I shall be treated to a flying display by the squadron of young swallows, and every evening the male bird will serenade from my house roof. These are just some of the species of wildlife to be found in Bassingham Fen.

Diane Bailey [WS May 2003]

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The Village Pond, the Sands: it is necessary to carry out some management of the pond, including cutting back brambles along pathways and overhanging vegetation around the east corner, so that the water’s edge is visible. This was recommended by Roger Wardle of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group when the pond was restored in 1995. Since then, general maintenance has been carried out voluntarily by local people, particularly various members of the Merchant family. Advice from English Nature about protecting the habitat of the protected Great Crested Newt species has been followed and all maintenance will take this into account.

Please contact David Merchant (Tel: 788231 or 789657) or the Clerk if you would like further information about how the pond should be managed or would like to join the working party during the weekend of 22nd and 23rd February, when maintenance work Will be undertaken by volunteers.

Our pond and its surroundings are a rare and attractive feature of the village as well as providing a natural habitat for wildlife. Margaret Hutchinson Parish Clerk (Tel: 788489) [WS Feb 2003]

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Nature’s Calendar

Climate change is now clearly taking place and having a real impact on our natural environment. Appreciable shifts in seasonal weather patterns are having a perceptible effect on animal and plant life, here in the United Kingdom as elsewhere in the world. So, for instance, some birds are nesting earlier in spring, though the supply of insects for food may not be available. Some summer visiting bird are staying on a bit longer, while winter visitors are arriving a little later. Last autumn was very prolonged, many trees keeping their leaves into late November.

The Woodland Trust, the UK’s leading woodland conservation charity, has joined forces with the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology to assist its work in monitoring and evaluating changes to nature’s events. It is climate change that poses the biggest threat to what little remains of our woodland heritage. By monitoring variations in nature’s calendar, it will be possible to demonstrate how these changes are affecting our wildlife habitats.

Spring recording is well established and there are already 15,000 people recording throughout the country, looking out for the first sight or sound of summer migrant birds; the first buds to burst on common native trees; the first sightings of bumble bees, queen wasps and a variety of easily identified butterflies. Autumn recording is less well established. The recorders are mostly ordinary non-specialists, interested enough in these natural phenomena taking

place in our gardens and surrounding countryside to note when they see them happening. The departure of swifts, swallows and house martins; the arrival of fieldfare and redwing; the ripening of hedgerow fruits, and leaf-fall.

Perhaps you too would be interested in recording some of these changes in the autumn and would be happy to record, simply those seasonal changes you manage to note. The Woodland Trust will send you, free of charge, a recording sheet that is very easy to use. You can see alt the details on a fascinating website with beautifully produced wildlife features at www.phenology.org.uk , or by contacting The Woodland Trust, Autumn Park, Grantham NG3I 6LL (Tel: 01476 590808). Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to understand and enjoy the wonders of the natural world here in Britain.

Stan Underwood [WS Sep 03]

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Country Life

It must be that time of year; I have a spring in my step! It is the time to get out the cycle and put the exercise one away for a few months. Have you walked or cycled down Bassingham Fen recently? So much peace, quiet, panoramic views, soothing birdsong, all create contentment and a sense of well-being.

The birds have started nest building. My favourite is the lapwing or pee-wit, as some people call it, recalling its cry. Many come back to their old nesting sites year after year. Being a wading bird, they like wet, boggy ground. Before egg laying, they perform wild acrobatics above the nesting site. They lay four pear-shaped eggs, buff in colour with heavy black blotches. They are laid in a hollow on the ground with the tips of the eggs pointing to the centre. Lapwings like bare land next to a grass meadow, where they take the young to feed immediately after hatching. On many occasions, I have seen a nest in a field that I am preparing to sow. I mark the site and then drive round it, or in certain circumstances remove the eggs and then replace them after I have passed over the nest. The bird will come back and sit happily on the nest again.

Did you know that the lapwing has a crest on its head? This is erect when the bird is on the ground and flat when in flight. Hence the old country riddle ‘What is down when it’s up and up when it’s down?’

After all the walking I plan to do this summer, my step is more likely to be a shuffle than to have a spring in it...

George Marsh [WS May 2002]

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Beautiful Bird

There is a beautiful hen pheasant in my garden, she has been attracted here by the seeds that drop from the seed feeders. She walks around with such a gentle elegant step and has the loveliest tortoiseshell mottled feathers and the brightest eyes. Now and again she gives herself a shake and her feathers billow out like a giant ruff, I am watching her now as I write. She has become very confident and is nearing the door when she sees me in the hope that I will feed her, which I gladly do. Last week she brought two cock pheasants into the garden with her, the sun was shining and it lit up their glorious iridescent plumage. Then I hear the noise of the "sports guns" in the far distance. The idea that I should pick up a gun and shoot dead these glorious creatures, not to provide my family with food, but for "sport " is utterly unthinkable.

Christine Forster [WS Apr 2011]

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Visiting Raptors

At around dusk, a barn owl circles the field at the bottom of my garden. It is every inch the majestic, pale phantom, gliding on silent, dark-barred, creamy, spangled wings. It searches the grass for mice, rats and voles with unnerving dark, glassy eyes in a white heart-shaped face. ‘Then it disappears and can next be seen scouring the sandbanks and drains of the fenland and the banks of the river like some ghostly plane.

The kestrel often sits on the top of a pointed willow stick along the road. This is a good vantage point when it is hunting voles in the grass verge. It also sits on the fence rail of my garden in the early morning, hoping to catch voles and mice unawares. If unsuccessful, it tries another method of hunting in the lane: it will hover continuously for ten minutes at a time, wings high and tail spread out in a beautiful fan shape, dropping down a little, then hovering again, then finally dropping straight down behind the hedge. One afternoon I saw the bird alight on the grass next to my window. It too was fascinated by soil being thrown up into the air above a molehill. I was surprised at the richness of the brown feathers with their black bars, contrasting dark outer wings and black tips to the tail feathers. Then two round, ebony jewels, set in a noble head, looked up at me. It was strangely thrilling to meet the eyes of a wild creature, just for a second or two before it spread its wings and hastened away towards the nearby farm buildings.

Diane Bailey [WS Oct 2004]

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Where Have All The Squirrels Gone?

Several neighbours have commented to me that, since late autumn, there has been an absence of squirrels around the High Street area of Bassingham. No acrobatic antics from squirrels on bird feeders; walnuts in shells put out specially for their benefit left untouched; no tree top chases; bird food in feeders slowly disappearing instead of being rapidly emptied sometimes overnight; no gradual destruction of 'squirrel-proof ' feeders with wood chewed and wire mesh bent; no local sightings. Do you share these experiences? I would welcome any information from people who haven't noticed any changes as well as those who have. [WS May 05]

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An update [WS June 2005] Many thanks to all who responded to my request in the May edition of the Witham Staple. People from 10 homes enclosing Water Lane, Linga Lane, Lincoln Road and Little Eastgate reported almost a complete absence of squirrels since late Autumn; 2 people living towards Aubourn reported a marked decrease in sightings; 6 people from Newark Road and Carlton-le-Moorland reported the regular seasonal variations. Please let me know if there are marked changes or squirrels return.

An update [WS July 2005] Eight of the people who reported the total absence of squirrels near their homes for several months have now reported occasional sightings. Almost all the squirrels seem to be young ones, smaller and much less confident than past visitors. A similar pattern was reported in Hykeham where 2 crows were also observed attacking squirrels. Whilst they may deserve their "tree rats" label, squirrels can also be entertaining to watch. Thank you for your interest.

Please phone Thelma Rowland on 788652 or e-mail me at thelma.rowlandATvirgin.net

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Evening Talk - BATS!

Bassingham Heritage Room - Wednesday 25th May 2005 7.30 pm

Mr K Pilcher of the Lincolnshire Bats Group will be talking about - guess what! That's right, about bats!

If he has any in his care at the time, he'll bring them with him. Come along to hear about these fascinating creatures. It'll only cost you £1 at the door, including refreshments. There will also be a raffle. [WS May 05]

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Ears Open, Eyes Wide - Summer has arrived!

In fact, it's been arriving in small instalments for some time now. The swallows arrived on cue, back on the 17th April, and have been twittering away every day, perched on the telephone wires for a rest. They came nine days before the bird that everybody can recognise, by sound at least: the cuckoo, seeking out the nests of dunnocks, meadow pipits or bramlings to lay its eggs in. Then the house martins got here on the 2nd May and were soon busy building their nest under the eaves. On the 4th May we had the rare treat of a pair of turtle doves, the smallest and most beautiful of the pigeons, who stopped off in the walnut tree at the bottom of the garden. You're lucky if you see them, though you sometimes hear their distinctive gentle purring song in summer copses and woodland edges. Even more elusive is the nightjar, a nocturnal feeder like the tawny owl. It has an unmistakable, continuous eerie churring song that changes pitch as the bird turns its head! A friend reports hearing it as she was cycling quietly towards Haddington one evening some weeks ago.

Usually last of the swallow-like birds to get here, the swifts appeared on the 11th May, though it'll be mid-summer by the time they're high in the sky screeching as they race at amazing speeds in search of insects. All these migrants travel vast distances between their wintering grounds in Africa and their summers in northern Europe. All the more amazing when you realise that, for instance, young cuckoos find their way to Africa for the first time without any adult company!

Another welcome sight heralding summer are the butterflies, who seem magically to wait their turn, one species at a time, as if to enable us to appreciate them better: brimstone, small tortoiseshell, small white, holly blue, peacock, comma, red admiral, painted lady and so on - suitably pretty names for beautiful jewels on the wing! If you grow in your garden a few of the plants they like, they'll be sure to pay you more than the odd visit over the summer.

Stan Underwood [WS June 2005]

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Wildlife & Maintenance in the Churchyard

The churchyard that surrounds St Mary's Church, Carlton le Moorland is not only a peaceful resting place for those who are buried there and a lovely quiet spot for anybody to enjoy, is also a haven for wildlife - plants, trees, small mammals, insects and birds. Our ancient village churchyards often prove to be among the few natural conservation areas in a landscape of otherwise intensive agriculture: they have remained over the centuries a sanctuary for local flora and fauna, free from herbicides and pesticides, and where animal and plant species have been able to survive and quietly flourish. A botanical survey of the churchyard identified over sixty species of flowering plants and some twenty species of tree. The number and variety of trees is particularly good for birds and insects. As well as many songbirds, we have resident tawny owls and greater spotted woodpeckers. You can find snowdrops and celandines, aconites and bluebells, cowslips and guelder rose.

Sympathetic maintenance is important if wildlife is to continue to flourish, and gravestones and floral tributes need to complement the lovely natural context. A helping hand has been given on several occasions by young trainees from Hill Holt Wood. In December a group of them and their two leaders came and cleared away the dense congestion of Russian vine that had grown up into one of the ancient yew trees, threatening to kill it. At the same time, they presented a fine bench they had made from a Chinese juniper tree they had felled in the churchyard a few years ago. Such involvement in our village life by these young people sets a very good example and is much appreciated. You can see pictures of them at work on below.

by Stan Underwood [WS Feb 2006]

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Frog Spawn
The frogs have visited our VERY small wildlife pond early this year.
We have far more frog spawn than can possibly survive in our small pond. It takes about four years for the frog to mature enough to lay frogspawn of their own. If you would like to encourage frogs, and have a pond (preferably with no fish, as they eat the tadpoles!)
Please contact Lesley on 788352 to arrange a frogspawn collection.

[WS Apr 2006]

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Roger Chaplin's Bird List - Updated Regularly (See Below)

Roger lives in Carlton Le Moorland and compiles a monthly bird list mainly around the areas of Carlton and Norton Disney, in particular from his garden in Westhall Close and on his journey to work at the quarry area of Norton Disney. One of the main reasons for the list is to monitor the rise or decline of bird life around the quarrying industry. This list monitoring some 70 bird species is now included on our website (www.withamstaple.com under the "News" section on the "Wildlife" page).

With so many species in decline it is important that we find out why and, if possible, what can we do to encourage birds to come back to the area? With the disappearance of many hedgerows parts of the songbird population has been in decline for many years, but Roger's list suggests that their numbers might be picking up a little. The increase in wetland area's and clearer drains and dykes have encouraged the wader and water fowl population to take up residence in large numbers, for example the Oystercatcher mainly a sea bird has been around Norton all year and is possibly nesting there this year.

In early May a Little Stint paused by for a rest and feed by a gravely shore. He probably came all the way from Russia to visit our part of the world -"what an honour!" Also noted were the pair of Gargany drakes all the way from Spain, the sand Martin all the way from Africa to nest in their hundreds in sand banks…. the list goes with much many more interesting sightings.

Roger is interested in sharing this information and hopefully encouraging more people to either make a list or pass on bird sighting information. With such collective information we should be able to predict more accurately on a local scale when to expect the visitors to arrive each year and to monitor more accurately rises or falls in their numbers. The Witham Staple website is pleased to publish such information.

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Roger Chaplin's Bird Observations

If anyone is interested in a couple of hours birdwatching any time I'm available you can either phone me or "e"mail on "plantfit@tesco.net"

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Roger Chaplin's Bird observation November/December 2007

A beautiful barn owl seen most evenings in the bushes on Norton Disney road near the Bassingham junction, I was watching him last Friday after visiting Norton village Christmas fair, good views of him for a good 3-4minutes, I know it doesn’t sound a long time but in bird watching terms it is. Fieldfare and Redwing are birds to look for at the moment, although you can hardly miss them if you look in the fields around the villages, The fieldfare is a bit bigger than a song thrush and the redwing just a bit smaller but at first glance they do look like the thrush, on closer inspection the fieldfare has a grey head and rump and what looks like bigger breast spots, the redwing has a brown back with a nice white stripe running across the top of the eye from beak to back of the head but a distinctive red patch under the wing, these welcome visitors come to us from north Russia and Iceland, but can fly as far south as North Africa, and the fieldfare come all the way from Scandinavia,
Still plenty of Buzzards around near Norton big wood and Tonges wood, if you hear a “ peee-uuu”sound in the air just look up and more than likely it’s a buzzard, majestic flight and usually being mobbed by the crow/rook population. A visit to a quarry site today 16/12/07 with a member of the BTO (British trust for Ornithology) to count birds and species in the area this produced:
30+ Pochard duck
300+ tufted duck
3 Mute swan
10 cormorant
12 black headed gull
20 great black back gull
6 little grebe (dab chick)
10 mallard
10 + coot
1 grey wagtail ( very nice, and close by as well)
1 green woodpecker
1 great spotted wood pecker
And on the way back home 3 jay bird
Not bad for a couple of hours in the fresh air in this lovely part of the country, and all for free.
If any one who had the bird nest boxes earlier this year have still got them up keep an eye on them as some birds may well use them as night roosts, and please let me know if young birds were raised in them this season just out of interest.
Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all.

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Roger Chaplin's Bird observations for May-June 2007

Well the place is teeming with young birds, where ever you look there’s an adult bird feeding their young, house sparrows lined up on the fences and washing lines with their young wings fluttering every time the adult bird gets near as if to say “feed me first”, and blue tits doing much the same, I have been watching the swan nest site down stream of the bridge at Aubourn for a few weeks now but I haven’t seen any young, If anyone knows if the young hatched before the river flooded please let me know, talking of floods, there is a Bewick swan that has took up residence at the moment in a flooded field at the side of the road from Stapleford to Brant Broughton, a bit smaller than the more common Mute swan and he has a bright yellow patch on his bill from his head to half way down the bill, unmistakable compared to the Mute swan.

Buzzards have successfully bred again this year in Tonges wood and a wooded area near to the disused Swinderby airfield. The adult Buzzard that circles the airfield wood has a white head and shoulders, I know the colouration of these birds is very diverse but I’ve never seen one with so much white on it, No sign of the Nuthatch that I saw last month but fingers crossed it will return, In the area of the airfield main gate and the entrance to the old quarry a Grasshopper warbler has been heard, it sounds very much like a ratchet on a fishermans reel, although not rare in the area it’s not all that common so well worth listening and looking for. Talking of rare birds did you know there’s a Montagu’s Harrier nesting on Digby fen, I know it’s not our area but with only 5-8 breeding pairs in the whole of the UK it’s well worth mentioning and visiting, the site is well sign posted from the A17 near Heckington and from Digby village, the RSPB are monitoring the site and are more than willing to talk about the birds and point them out to you.

Back to our area and there’s a very busy Barn owl in the Carlton pond area going into the fields, catching it’s prey and returning to the farm area so I can only assume there are young that need feeding, I’ll keep a sharp lookout for any young and if spotted I will put it in the next report, Just before ending, has anyone noticed an increase in the Grass snake population this year? I see them most mornings now when I’m coming home from work. Keep your eyes open for them, they have a bright yellow “V” shape on their heads, Oh by the way they are harmless.

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Roger Chaplin's Bird Observations for April/May 2007

With the mild weather still with us, as expected some species are coming in early such as the spring favourite the Cuckoo, first heard in the field at the back of Westhall close Carlton on the 26 April. I actually saw him the following day in the same area sitting in a tree, about the size of a Kestrel but when sitting in a tree his tail points upwards and his pointed wings downwards, if you are close enough you can see his striped front like a little pullover,

The sand martins have returned to the quarrying area’s, fantastic aerobatic displays, I’ll carry out a count over the next couple of weeks and compare it to the last two years lists (Results next time) Swinderby airfield has thrown up a couple of surprises just lately in the form of 5 Curlew, a large wading bird with a large downward curved bill, the first time I’ve seen them in this area so will be keeping a lookout for them on my travels. Bullfinches also put in an appearance near the airfield, usually seen when flying away from me, the give away is the white rump just as they disappear into the bushes, a short wait with eyes peeled and they return to their feeding station again for a better view.

You have probably notice how brightly coloured the birds are looking at this time of year, well they are all trying their best to impress their potential mates with colour/display and song.

I’m looking forward to seeing how successful the Buzzards have been this year, the highest number soaring over the woods last year was 12 at one time so hopefully that number will increase.

I would just like to thank all those who took up my offer of a free nest box a few months back, and I hope the little birds have took up residence in them and you get the same enjoyment as me watching the young leave the nest for the first time and make their own way in the world.

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Interested in a Bird Table?
With a bit of luck and time permitting Roger will be making some small bird nest boxes out of recycled pallets from work over the next couple of months. He would like to offer these to Witham Staple readers for their gardens - free of charge! Any surplus that he is left with will be put up in the local wooded areas. [WS Feb 2007]

March 2007 - Bird Sightings

It looks like spring has come a little early, or did winter not arrive?
And by some of the bird sightings this month it was hardly worth the effort of flying to Africa for their annual migration, why? Because Sand martin’s and Swallows and Chiff Chaff, a little warbler, have been spotted already in Lincolnshire, the first day of March to be precise,
Now a bit closer to home and the Buzzards have been showing very well above Tonges wood and Norton Disney big wood with as many as a dozen of these majestic raptors soaring and surfing on the thermals rising from the tree’s at a time,

Woodpeckers are showing quite well in these area’s, the Great spotted woodpecker hammering away on the trees, (at this time of the year it’s to mark out their territory not for food) and the Green woodpecker with his distinctive laughing call and undulating flight are seen and heard every day. Skylarks have also been spotted above the fields alongside Norton road on leaving Carlton,

The wetland areas, (although most places have been wet just lately) around the quarries and Thurlby lake are full of Gulls, Greater black backed, lesser black backed, herring gulls and black headed gulls and if you are in the area about an hour before it gets dark just spare five minutes to watch them come in, I’m sure you will stay for more than the five minutes to watch this spectacle.

Last month I wrote about the experimental “Insect Hotel” made from old pallets and filled with other waste materials picked up from the area....

...well the hedgehogs have been seen wandering about, the Toads are on the move, odd bee’s have been seen stretching their wings in the sunshine and my office has been like a magnet for the lacewings that lived in the hotel over winter. I will leave the “hotel” there and wait to see what takes up residence next, who knows the Robins and wrens are using it as a night roost so they might decide to raise a family there.

Just a little footnote: Please drive a bit slower at the “T” junction over the river near Norton Disney as the Frogs are making their way across the road to their breeding grounds. Thank you.

January/February 2007 Bird Sightings

It would appear from my observations in Jan/Feb that the most commonly seen birds around the area are visitors from other shores, Fieldfares in great flocks of up to 100, Redwings of similar proportions and mistle thrushes in smaller flocks, All winter visitors from Scandinavia, Greenland and the tundra's of Russia, to our little part of the world, what a privilege.

On to some resident birds now, A Nuthatch was seen in Tonges wood in January, although not a rare bird it's not all that common in this area. I'm trying to encourage hole nesting small birds at the moment by putting up some nest boxes in the local woods and I'm hoping a Nuthatch will take up residence in one.

Whilst on the subject of creating homes for wildlife, back in October last year I saved some old pallets from going to a landfill sight and stacked them on each other and filled the gaps with some old dug up clay drainage pipes which would have been thrown away, into these I placed some small twigs and leaves I picked up from the floor of the woods, hoping to provide a winter home for Lacewings and Solitary Bee's, this is placed at the edge of Norton Big wood.

After observing this "insect hotel" for a few days we have hibernating Hedgehogs (2) about ½ dozen toads, a pair of wrens and a pair of robins using it as a night roost as well as the Lacewings and bees it was built for. 1 hours easy work on a Saturday afternoon and discarded material was saved from a landfill site and a home has been provided for 12 of our wild creatures and who knows how many insects? Plus it's a pleasure to see these little fellows using something that I built to help them survive.

I will update these observations next time Look out for flocks of Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Yellowhammers and Starlings, especially about an hour before dusk, you won't be disappointed with the flying display.

Observations for December 2006

Some of the geese are returning to the wetland areas at the moment with good sightings of Canada and Greylag geese, the duck population on the lagoons at the quarry sites have also risen with good sightings of Teal, Mallard, Tufted duck, Pochard and a few widgeon. The Teal are a fairly small duck and on closer inspection have really nice yellow patch either side of their tail, a chestnut head with a dark green eye patch that extends to the rear of its head, if you are lucky enough to see them in flight you will notice rapid wing beats and the ability to twist and turn at will, A great little visitor to our part of the world from Iceland and the far north tundra's.

Tawny owl's seem to be in abundance at the moment and appear at almost every turn in the road but the little and barn owls have virtually disappeared, I put that down to the weather with it being so mild they don't have to travel far from their roost's to feed,

The fields are full of Fieldfare, Redwing and mistle thrushes and in particular the bushes that still hold some berries, there's a nice bush just after the bends in the road on leaving Carlton for Norton where you can see these birds feeding on berries at most times of the day.
I have been keeping an eye on the nest boxes in my garden and in Norton big wood for the past few weeks and the humble sparrows have been taking nest building material into them, "they probably think it's spring" If you have any nest boxes in your garden keep an eye on them as a lot of small birds use them for roosting in at night.

There was a rare visitor to Norton Disney and Carlton Le Moorland over the Christmas break and that was a Red Kite, he is larger than the Buzzard and a very elegant and graceful bird of prey the most distinguishing feature is it's forked tail orange red in colour and the wingtips are very finger like and black.

Just a few more local names to go with last months.
Barefaced crow= Rook
Chiffchaff= Lesser Pettychaps
Starling= Stare
Mistle Thrush= Storm cock
Blackbird= Merle
Yellow wagtail= Barley bird
And for some reason in Suffolk the Grey heron is called "Frank"

Happy new year

Observations for October / November 2006

It appears most of the geese have left the area for the time being but the gull population seems to have exploded, at the moment there are Greater black backed gulls, Herring gulls, Black headed Gulls invading the fields and wetland areas in their hundreds, and most of them are following the tractor and plough looking for an easy meal as the soil is turned over for them, who said we are destroying the wildlife through modern farming practices?

Tawny owls can still be seen along Norton road in the morning and evening, all you have to do is listen for them, look in the direction the hooting comes from and keep your eyes peeled, Little owls are harder to spot, they tend not to fly much at night, but keep a sharp lookout on the road if you are driving as they tend to sit there staring at the car headlights just bobbing up and down with not much clue as what to do.

Thurlby lake is productive at the moment, there's about 200 Pochard on there and the odd Kingfisher in the margins, although last week I got a good sighting of a Little Egret, smaller than a Heron and pure white with yellow legs and dark feet well worth looking for, Now that autumn is with us the Fieldfares and odd Redwings can be seen in the fields in flocks, these visit the area from the tundra's of Russia and parts of the arctic circle and spend the winter with us, they look similar to large thrushes. What to look for in the garden now is that old favourite the Robin, small flocks of long tailed tits, Gold finches and the odd Gold crest, so you don't even have to go outside to look for birds, just look out of the window. Last month I wrote about a book I'm reading that contains some local names for birds and I've picked a few out for a bit of fun.

Pochard=Poker duck

Sparrow hawk= Blue hawk

Buzzard= Gled

Kestrel= Windhover

Oyster catcher= Sea pie

Swift= Devil bird

Sand martin= Bank swallow

Green woodpecker= Yaffle

Long tailed tit= Bottle tit.

If nothing else these names could come in handy in a pub quiz!

October 2006 Observations

So far this month it seems that wetland birds are taking over the area with many Canada and Greylag geese putting in a very noisy and visual display, in one afternoon at the beginning of the month I sat on the bank overlooking a lake at Norton Disney quarry and it was full of these geese all preening their feathers and following each other about from one area to another, the sort of thing you see on a TV programme such as Autumn watch, it's much better in real life though and the fresh air does you good so have a walk down the lanes and a peek over a hedge, you'll be surprised at what you will see.

Onto some smaller birds now and I mean smaller, the gold crest's and long tailed tit's are back in Tonges wood, working their way along the edge in the morning and back again in the evening, the goldcrest being Britain's smallest bird and if it wasn't for the tail the tit would be the smallest by ¼ of an inch I've also seen these in my garden at about lunchtime, so you don't have to get up early to see them.

The Buzzards are putting in some great gliding display's at the moment, only yesterday afternoon (Saturday 14th ) there was one as I was entering Carlton from Norton just circling at about 50ft, and another as I was leaving Bassingham on my way to Whisby.These magnificent birds of prey are probably the largest we get around here, so if you see a large brown bird soaring above it's more than likely a Buzzard, (now you're already on you're way to identifying birds,)

Keep you're eyes open for our winter visitor in the fields now, such as Fieldfare, Redwing and Mistle thrush, all looking similar but with size differences and subtle colour differences.

I'm reading a book at the moment about local or alternative names for some species of birds so I'll try and include some next month.

August-September 2006 Observations

Exciting times on the wetland area's of Norton Disney, Geese are flying in to the area in their hundreds , at least 500 Canada geese and the same amount of Greylag geese, I'm sure they're getting ready for the migration. also on the same wetland area are about 100 Pochard, these are ducks of a similar size to the more common Mallard, light coloured flanks with a rusty brown head is my way of identifying them, On to dry land for the next bit, the swifts, swallows, sand martins and almost all the house martins have left us again for another year and I wish them well on the long journey to Africa, two thirds of them never having been before as these were hatched just a few weeks ago, no sat-nav, no road maps and no mobile phones to ask the way, is'nt nature wonderful?

Their are a few Tawny owl's about at the moment around Carlton and the odd Barn owl which is a spectacular sight in the morning skimming over a mist covered field looking for his breakfast, the little owls are still between the river bridge and Norton village if you care to look just before dusk.

It looks like the Oyster catchers have left us for the time being but I think they will be back over the next few weeks, Shelduck chicks have flown and just left their parents on the wetland, I suppose next years bird count will show if they remembered where they came from, I will be looking out for them.

Back in about June time I wrote about seeing a Little stint around the quarry lagoon area, well I'm pleased to report that 4 little stint visited the same lagoon at the beginning of September and I'd like to think they have bred successfully and used our part of Lincolnshire as a stop over on their way back to Russia, once again the bird count may show this to be the case.

If anyone is interested in a couple of hours birdwatching any time I'm available you can either phone me or "e"mail on "plantfit@tesco.net"

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Roger Chaplin's Bird List - Data Table Dec 2005 to Oct 2006

SPECIES	DEC 05	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEP	OCT
Greenfinch	30	25	20	20	22	20	40	50	60	40	30
Chaffinch	10	25	25	20	10	15	30	30	40	60	25
Goldfinch	10	15	20	25	5	6	20	25	18	25	25
Bluetit	20	15	15	15	15	20	40	40	50	50	40
Greattit	20	20	20	18	20	20	50	40	50	50	40
Long tailed tit	4	6	0	6	0	4	20	25	15	10	25
Cole tit	4	2	0	0	0	2	4	0	0	0	2
House sparrow	25	30	25	20	20	20	40	50	80	100	100
Hedge sparrow	12	12	8	10	10	12	25	20	18	20	30
Tree sparrow	12	0	10	10	8	8	15	15	20	20	30
Wood pigeon	200	250	300	500	250	300	250	300	500	500	300
Collard dove	25	30	25	25	30	30	40	50	50	25	20
Turtle dove	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	10	8	0	0
G/S Woodpecker	2	2	4	4	2	2	2	4	2	4	4
L/S woodpecker	0	0	2	2	1	1	2	2	1	1	2
Green wood pecker	4	2	4	4	4	4	6	5	6	6	4
Willow warbler	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	6	0	0	1
Garden warbler	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	0	0
Wood warbler	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Black cap	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Starling	300	500	500	500	50	50	150	250	300	500	1000
Blackbird	30	25	30	25	20	20	20	30	40	30	35
Song thrush	0	4	4	4	6	8	12	8	8	10	12
Fieldfare	15	20	50	50	10	0	0	0	0	0	4
Mistle thrush	0	0	0	0	2	1	4	0	0	0	2
Magpie	50	25	25	25	30	8	25	35	50	50	50
Carrion crow	10	10	12	20	20	10	25	20	60	60	100
Rook	30	30	50	50	25	30	30	30	40	80	100
Jackdaw	100	100	50	50	50	50	150	250	200	250	300
Sparrow hawk	2	2	0	2	0	0	2	2	1	0	1
Kestrel	4	4	4	6	4	6	6	8	8	10	8
Buzzard	4	4	6	6	7	9	10	8	12	9	12
Pheasant	30	25	30	40	30	25	30	30	60	80	100
Partridge	0	5	10	15	10	8	25	25	50	50	40
Swallow	0	0	0	0	2	4	30	30	20	2	0
Sand martin	0	0	0	0	20	150	300	300	100	0	0
House martin	0	0	0	0	0	4	30	30	20	25	10
Swift	0	0	0	0	0	2	20	25	10	0	0
Cuckoo	0	0	0	0	2	4	2	0	0	0	0
Wheatear	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Barn owl	2	2	2	2	2	2	3	4	3	2	2
Tawney owl	3	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	4	4	6
Little owl	2	2	3	2	0	2	4	3	4	4	4
Mallard	30	25	15	20	10	15	20	20	40	100	80
Tufted duck	50	50	30	20	20	15	50	75	80	100	120
Golden eye	0	2	2	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Shelduck	0	2	4	2	6	6	8	14	10	2	2
G/C Grebe	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	2
Little grebe	0	0	0	0	4	6	8	12	12	10	8
Heron	0	2	0	0	2	2	3	2	2	3	2
Canada goose	10	10	25	30	30	20	30	30	100	150	800
Greylag goose	5	5	15	10	20	20	30	30	40	200	800
Mute swan	2	2	4	2	6	6	10	6	4	6	6
Great black back gull	6	4	6	8	8	10	8	3	8	6	50
Herring gull	2	10	10	4	4	4	6	8	12	20	30
B/Headed gull	2	8	8	10	4	4	2	4	8	10	12
Common turn	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Lapwing	25	30	50	50	20	15	50	100	150	200	300
Little ring plover	0	1	2	1	4	4	6	4	4	3	2
Red shank	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Green shank	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
Tree creeper	4	8	15	15	18	18	20	10	8	8	4
Gold crest	0	0	6	8	2	4	10	12	6	4	15
Jay	0	4	8	15	4	4	8	10	6	4	10
Little stint						1	0	0	0	4	0
Snipe						2	2	2	0	0	0
Egyptian goose						0	0	0	0	1	0
Arctic turn						2	0	0	0	0	0
Garganey						2	0	0	0	0	0
Hobby								1	0	0	0
Pochard								12	20	80	50
Green Sandpiper								3	3	4	2
Coot								30	50	80	60
Cormorant								2	2	3	0
Dunlin										4	2

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Hummingbird Hawk Moth Sighted

On 19th July (2006), Michael & Christine Herod of Linga Lane Bassingham sighted this impressive moth hovering amongst their Phlox. A letter to the Lincolnshire Echo from B. Taylor of Aubourn (28 July) suggests it was hovering there amongst the geraniums. D. Rowland of Bassingham caught one on camera in August and the picture was printed together with an article in the Lincolnshire Echo on 12th August.

The wings beat so fast they make an audible hum. They fly during the day and can be seen throughout lowland Britain in the summer. Hummingbird hawk moths cannot survive the British winter, so migrate to and from southern Europe in autumn and spring.

The caterpillars, about 50 mm long, are colourful. They have a green or reddish-brown body with white dots, white, dark and yellow horizontal stripes and a blue, yellow-tipped horn". Claire and Nick Buck spotted one, about 6cm long, on an ash tree branch in Bassingham Fen early in September (2006), while walking their dog. They managed to take the stunning photograph shown below:

From the RSPB website (www.rspb.org.uk) I have gleaned the following information:

"It is so named as it can be easily mistaken for a hummingbird as it hovers, probing flowers for nectar with its long proboscis. In fact, it is smaller than any hummingbird. The wings beat so fast they make an audible hum. They fly during the day and can be seen throughout lowland Britain in the summer. Hummingbird hawk moths cannot survive the British winter, so migrate to and from southern Europe in autumn and spring. The caterpillars, about 50 mm long, are colourful. They have a green or reddish-brown body with white dots, white, dark and yellow horizontal stripes and a blue, yellow-tipped horn".

See item below for more information about moths and butterflies.

[WS Sep 2006]

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Britain's Butterflies Under Pressure

Britain's Butterflies are Under Pressure. Just 56 butterfly species are now resident in Britain, a 2006 study by the charity Butterfly Conservation ( www.butterfly-conservation.org ) has shown. Five species have become extinct in Britain during the past 150 years. Lincolnshire has lost 15 species. The main reason/or the decline, the report suggests, is the intensification of agriculture, urban spread, and the accompanying destruction of the butterflies' traditional woodland habitat.

However, as pointed out in a summer 2006 article in the Daily Telegraph, warmer summers have led to an increase in the number of foreign butterflies and moths being attracted to Britain from North Africa and elsewhere. Three such species to look out for are:

the humming bird hawk moth (macroglossum stellatarum) see more above;

the painted lady (vanessa cardui), from North Africa;

the clouded yellow (colias croceus) from the Mediterranean.

Two useful websites for identifying and learning more about the moths and butterflies found in the UK are:

www.ukmoths.org.uk

www.britishbutterflies.co.uk

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Musk Beetle Spotted in Bassingham

Mike & Christine Herod of Linga Lane Bassingham photographed an unusual beetle in their garden in late July 2006. With the help of Madeleine Vickers and the lincolnshire based National Wildlife Helpline Service (contact: roger@wildlifehelpline.org.uk ) they received the following confirmation that it was a musk beetle from Dr Roger S Key, Beetle Recorder for The Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union ( www.lnu.org ) :

"I can confirm that this is the musk beetle (Aromia moschata) - the species seems to be starting to do a little better in Lincolnshire again after an apparent absence of nearly 50 years. It seems to have a couple of 'headquarters' in Lincs now - in the fens near me in Crowland and in the area to the South and West of Lincoln - although both of these areas are only based on a few records only. It would be nice to find where they are breeding - usually in willow/osier in timber between 3 and 6 inches thick - low down on boughs that are somewhat stressed (e.g. - the self-thinning that willow pollard crowns undergo as they get larger and a max of half a dozen of the regrowth shoots survive, the rest turn sickly and die - ideal habitat for the species".

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Zebra Butterfly in Bassingham

While out walking on Sunday 26th August 2007 Ron Scatliffe of Lime Grove spotted this stunning exotic butterfly in my garden on High Street Bassingham, the butterfly was approximately 3" across and had a lovely floating habit when in flight. We think it was an American Zebra butterfly. We thought how interesting this sighting was and decided we would share it with the readers of the Witham Staple.

Christine Forster [WS Oct 2007]

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