At least eight teal on School Pond yesterday morning (27th), then in the afternoon as well as teal scuttling among the rush was a bigger bird, bigger than a mallard I thin, on the water preening itself. Could this be the sheller Jon mentioned? Too dark and murky to make a good identification.
Jay in Sunnyside Lane
Thanks to Ruth and Mandy with help from Helen Easton and Sue Nieduszynska, we made over £650 at the Green Fair last Saturday. The calendars were especially popular and will now be showing the passage of 2015 in Holland, America, Russia and New Zealand. From Ruth ” We had lots of lovely comments from people who enjoy using the nature reserve/s and orchard. People came to the stall who I have never met before, who are not Members, but said how much they appreciate it.” We have made useful contacts and may have gained extra volunteers. Well done to Ruth and Mandy.
There were 6 teal and a single female shoveler on School Pond this morning. I can’t remember seeing shoveler here before…
Whilst in the West Field this morning we found a group of feathers, the remains of a bird kill. We didn’t recognize them but include a photo here in case the remains indicate a significant species.
Can anyone help?
For scale, the background is a piece of A4 paper.
Jay in Orchard yesterday.
I was in the Flora Field yesterday checking the clearing of the wild flower margin when I disturbed three partridge. I am pretty sure I glimpsed red legs – but aren’t ‘ours’ grey partridge?????
Pheasant in the Flora Field this morning whilst we hedge laid in the West Field.
Jay in the Orchard yesterday
I walked along the Fauna footpath last night, shortly after dark. There was a lot of noise coming from School Pond – birds calling and splashing about. Identified the laughing quack of the mallard and, listening to the audio on the RSPB website, the other sounds were probably also mallards. Hadn’t realised that these are amber list birds!
https://www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/birdguide/name/m/mallard/index.aspx
As we walked home after this morning’s hedging work, we saw a kestrel flying above Cromwell’s Pond. It was being driven off by a magpie. Hopefully it does not suffer the same fate as the sparrow hawk described in an earlier post.
I was contacted by the Lancaster Beekeepers this morning, who sent their response to the government’s recent ‘National Pollinator Strategy‘ in case it might be of interest.
I’ve attached a PDF of their response below:
LBK’s response to the goverment’s ‘Pollinator Strategy’
For anyone interested in keeping bees or attending a course run by the LBK, please follow the link below:
Lancaster Beekeepers Website
We are regularly seeing tree sparrows on our feeder in the back garden on Aldcliffe Rd, today saw 6 in a front garden nearby and one in the low bushes along the Flora Field wall. 
Jon Carter led a very successful walk at 9:30 on Nov. 10th. 17 people attended. The highlight was seeing so many snipe above School Pond – possibly disturbed by the rush cutting in the Hay Meadow. Photo shows a Kestrel in the ash tree on the Fauna path. Full list below:
