karen's country calendar

A dry December day and a visit  by my sister provided the opportunity to visit Welney.   Although not particularly sunny, there was no wind and it was quite pleasant for a walk. Most of the birds were seen from the hide just across the wooden bridge and included whooper and  mute swans, greylag and canada geese, a variety of ducks including mallard, teal, shovelers wigeon, pochard and shelducks,  large  numbers of black tailed godwits and lapwings.  Other waders included redshanks, a snipe and possibly a little stint though difficult to identify.  We were also treated to a sighting of a whinchat on the reeds and a kingfisher perching in a tree viewed from the restaurant.  Whooper Swan    Whooper swan with greylag goose, lapwing and flock of black tailed godwits.    pair of mallards    lapwing    wigeon    distant view of snipe by fence post and ? little stint in front to the right.   kingfisher perching in  tree  

Whilst searching on line for butterfly hot spots in Cambridgeshire I stumbled across a Hertfordshire site and suddenly realised that Therfield Heath near Royston was actually only a 25 minutes easy drive from home.  So today being hot and sunny I decided to pop over and see what I could spot.   Therfield Heath is largely used as a golf course so I took a chalky looking path around the edge, I was disappointed when all I saw were a couple of whites but decided I would just enjoy the walk over the heath and the clear views all around. On the way back  I suddenly saw a tiny flutter of blue and watched for a few minutes until it settled but its wings were quickly closed which didn't help much with identification.  As I watched, it spread its rather tatty looking wings and I managed a quick but rather blurry photo before it flew off, However, this was enough to positively identify it as a Chalkhill Blue for which Therfield Heath is apparently a hotspot. Soon after I saw a tiny brow

A few sunny days and an opportunity to go further afield meant I could go butterfly spotting!  Sites visited included Bedford Purlieus Wood , apparently known to be one of the best butterfly habitats in Cambridgeshire, Brampton Wood and Grafham Water and aslso a day out to Lakenheath Fen. Bedford Purlieus, once we found the way in, provided a wide variety of species including the tropical looking Silver Washed Fritillary which is actually orange, and a rare sighting of the dainty White Letter Hairstreak!  Similar species were seen at Brampton Wood but it was the Purple Hairstreak we saw there, fluttering high up in a oak tree! We saw most of the common butterflies again at Grafham Water including a couple of Painted Ladies, my first sighting of the year!  Finally at Lakenheath Fen, there were  large numbers of Red Admirals and Peacocks and a couple of Small Tortoishells which have been lacking in recent weeks according to the Butterfly Conservation website. Unfortunately no sightin

The track leading down the Drift is in desperate need of mowing - not good for my hayfever! The wheat is turning from green to gold and the rape pods are filling out, not long till harvest. Very few butterflies at the moment, either too cloudy, windy or too wet to walk along the field edge.  Just a handful of whites, the odd meadow brown and one red admiral noted recently.   Did see a lot of young swallows the other day, swooping over the fields and saw a buzzard mewing overhead.  Drift pathway Wheatfield    

A few weeks since I last posted and things are changing fast.  The wheat is in full ear, the oil seed rape is full of green pods, some more wildflowers are out. Corn in full ear    Dog Roses        Maize   Elderflower

  A walk today round the back of Hilton Green past the meadow provided a wealth of wildflowers and in the fields,wheat could be seen coming into ear.     Clover, buttercups and cow parsley   Wheat in ear

Even a week brings changes this time of year, all the trees are in full blossom,  a time when the Drift is at its prettiest with many pinks and whites alternating down the sides of the track. The wheat is almost full height and will soon be in ear. Trees in full blossom down the Drift    Wheat growing taller...    Crab apple blossom   Horse chestnut candles full out 

No typing, no babysitting and a beautiful warm May morning presented an ideal opportunity to pop across to Fen Drayton Lakes after work this morning,    Before I even reached the carpark I came across three families of greylag geese grazing by the waters edge.  Plenty of warbling and birdsong to hear including cuckoo and sedge/reed warblers but ones I actually saw were chiffchaff, whitethroat, blackcap, garden warbler together with some of the common garden birds.  Common terns swooped over the lakes and blackheaded gulls were seen nesting on the  floating raft. A number of butterflies seen, mainly whites and orange tip.   Greylag familes   Greylag goose and goslings    Chiffchaff   Chiffchaff   Nesting blackheaded gulls   Green veined white butterfly     

E very lunchtime Murphy and I go for a walk down Hilton Drift and I cant help but notice the changes in the seasons as we pass the same trees and hedges each day.  Its early May and  the weather has started to warm up so I thought that I would record my observations of nature changing through the year. The wheat fields are now a lush green and growing taller each day, the rape is in full flower,  and the trees alongside the track are now breaking into leaf and blossom. Swallows seen swooping over the fields and a buzzard circling overhead. Wildflowers are starting to bloom and a few butterflies, brimstone, orange tip, small tortoiseshell and peacock flutter along the hedgerows though barely settle. The Drift  Blossom at the edge of the wheat crop. Bluebells Horse Chestnut candles just starting to open Swallow preening Field Beans in flower Oil seed rape in full flower  Orange tip butterfly Pink Campion