At this morning’s WWG we noticed
Two greylag geese on Alder Pond
A kestrel around Pony Wood
Quite a few goldfinches in the Orchard and fields.
A dunnock singing to us as we left the shed
Month: April 2021
Linnets near Feeding Tables
The linnets are acquiring their breeding plumage.
Red Mason Bees
Good numbers of red mason bees, the species that are attracted to cardboard tubes for nesting, feeding on gooseberry flowers near the Millennium Oak. There were also a number of solitary wasp species on the flowers.
Steve
Dunnock
This dunnock was on a post opposite the Paddock yesterday.
Shelduck and cowslip
Two shelduck swimming on School Pond this morning. Also a cowslip in the Hay Meadow, towards the southern end, visible from the Fauna path .
Seen Today
Looking into Upper Sowerholme from a garden, I saw a chiffchaff singing away.
Also on the border between the Aldcliffe Road gardens and Upper Sowerholme was a bullfinch.
Then walking round to Pony Wood there was a swallow over the Arable Field, a reed bunting by the path and the two oystercatchers were sunning themselves in the field.
Then in Pony Wood box P2 was being occupied by two blue tits, both went inside.
In addition, the linnets were continuing to feed on the bird tables.
Oystercatchers
Yesterday a couple of oystercatchers were in the Arable Field.
I am not sure whether they are the same birds that we see across the Canal.
Last year a pair nested on the roof of B&Q!
Swallow over Hay Meadow
First swallow I have seen over reserve this year.
Fairfield volunteering Saturday 10th April 2021
Here is Jonathan’s message
Hello All,
The Fairfield Association’s monthly Saturday volunteer sessions will resume on April 10th using social distancing to maintain safety.
People will work in teams of up to six and there will be staggered start times. Volunteers must maintain two metre distance at all times.
The meeting place will be the Orchard stump circle and not the shed.
To facilitate this we need to know the numbers planning to attend. Please could you let Ian Procter know by noon, Thursday 8th April.
Ian will then allocate people to teams and start times and inform volunteers no later than noon on Friday.
Ian can be contacted via email, like so: sysaf123@gmail.com
Or you can contact him via the miracle of modern telephony over at the Volunteer Co-ordination Helpdesk, which is: 07811 970595
We have two main jobs on the Saturday:
* Burning the brash stored alongside the Fauna path.
* Moving brash into the ‘wild’ section of the Orchard to block the recently much overused path. This will once again preserve the area for wildlife.
Very best wishes,
Jonathan.
Jacks galore!
The scheduled final flush count of the winter took place this morning. Much colder and drier under foot than last week. A total of 30 snipe, the most this late in the season since April 2015. 25 in Big Meadow, 5 in School Pond. The main point of comment was the high number of jack snipe – comprising a third of the total, all in Big Meadow. (Not as marked, but the proportion of jacks last Monday was also unexpectedly large at just under a quarter.)