karen's country calendar

The first sunny warm day for some time so I took the opportunity of visiting Brampton Wood in the hope of perhaps seeing the last black hairstreaks of the season and a few new butterflies for this years list. I soon got into conversation with someone just coming away and he told me what he had seen today althougt sadly no hairstreaks but I was still hopeful of seeing other species. Sites 1 and 2 clearly marked along the main ride were the main hot spots for hairstreaks so this was where I aimed for first.   I was glad of the signs as I would never have been able to find my way through the narrow paths amongst the blackthorn.  I found the sites and waited a while but no movement, then suddenly a small brown butterfly flew and landed in a bush a short distance away but difficult to see clearly amongst the twigs and leaves.  Before I could get my binoculars focussed it flew off and I didn't find it again but it was the right size, in the right pl...

Although the weather didn't look that great for butterfly spotting, we hoped that the sun would break through later and in any case the temperature was quite warm already as we left to visit a new nature reserve and butterfly trail. We found the reserve in the end although it would have helped if either my sat nav or road atlas actually recognised the new 11A junction on the M1! College Lake is a former quarry and we were quite surprised when we looked out the visitor centre window and found we were looking right down on top of the whole area!   Various ducks and geese were evident together with terns, and a few waders. We took the circular walk and unexpectedly came across a patch of grass and trefoil where we found large numbers of small blue butterflies, a few common blues and brown argus too ... and the sun wasn't even out!  The sky seemed to brighten a bit from time  but there weren't many other butterflies about except for a brims...

So it wasn't cold and it wasn't windy but just a bit damp at times for our annual early morning birdwatching trip down the Great Ouse unlike the beautiful sunny mornings in the past two years.  Consequently we were a bit unsure whether we would get anywhere near the 50 we logged last year.  There was a large difference in the birding knowledge of some of the passengers with someone saying to me " are 'Canada Geese and Greylag different then?  when I pointed out to her the two species and one passenger so enthusiastic she had already booked another trip in two weeks. Once again I had the job of making the list and scribbled down the names as people called them out to me, many of them spotted only by Paul who even recognised  the silhouette and flying motion of a lone common sandpiper as it flew ahead downstream close the water surface.  Soon I had 20 then 30 and as we pulled into the mooring we spotted a pied wagtail bringin...

With cooler showery weather forecast I decided to make the most of a free and beautifully sunny morning and took a stroll round our local Godmanchester nature reserve.  Summer migrants have started to arrive and willow warblers, black caps,  sedge and reed warblers were all in evidence together with my first speckled wood butterfly of the season.    I was pleased to see a willow warbler obliging with its song from the top of a tree and a sedge warbler was singing its heart out from a low bush.    35 species seen in total today.  mute swan  through the trees     greylag geese    Canada goose female reed bunting   sedge warbler    sedge warbler  great crested grebe  great crested grebe   speckled wood  willow warbler     

A cold frosty morning with the promise of a fine dry day saw us leaving early to visit Titchwell Marsh with the  hope of seeing some new birds for this years list.  After a short stop at Huntstanton to see fulmars gliding along the edge of the clifftop we soon parked up at the reserve. We first took the straight path down towards the coast, where we were glad of warm clothing, hats and gloves due to the chilly breeze.  From the path to the hides we noticed a pair of male red crested pochards and a large flock of brent geese. Avocets and a couple of little ringed plovers were two new birds for list seen from hides together with a little grebe,  snipe and sandwich terns.  Walking back we stopped by a reed bed and were rewarded by a view of bearded tits, firstly a shape flitting across between the reed beds then seen quite clearly through binoculars amongst the reeds.  After a delicious broccoli and cheese bake for lunch we headed towards home via ...

I couldn't stay at home on such a beautiful morning so made a short trip to our local Nature Reserve at Godmanchester.   Everything was calm and still apart from the sound of birds and ducks and a few dog walkers. My first stop was the hide where I spotted a couple of oyster catchers pecking amongst the grass.  I then walked around the lake through hedged paths,  open meadows and woodland with sightings of the usual garden and  woodland birds but also a female bullfinch and a treecreeper.  Plenty of wigeon in and  around the lake together with the usual blackheaded, common and lesser blackbacked gulls.   Geese were also in evidence  on the meadows comprising Egyptian, Canada and greylag with a single white variety amongst them mixing with several little egrets.  Also coot, moorhen, great crested grebes, cormorants, mute swan and mallards.  A beautiful walk to be  repeated as the seasons change I think. Entran...