Latest Sightings and Woodland and Meadow Updates
BREAKING NEWS: JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH, APRIL, MAY, JUNE, JULY 2019
18th July 2019: This was not in the parish, but down in Witcham. A male Natterer's bat was found on a patio after(assume) being caught by a cat. It was taken to be cared for in Haddenham, but sadly did not survive. Just a reminder if one is found, email www.bats.org.uk,  or the Bat Helpline 0845 1300228 is available 9-5.30 mon - fridays for assistance. Sheila D.
18th July 2019: Attached are a few images of Swifts taken in Haddenham over the past 2 weeks and an image of the partial lunar eclipse taken in Aldreth (although you wouldn’t know!). Simon
11th July 2019: (Monday) Fairchild's Meadow, White Letter Hairstreaks, Skipper and views by the ponds at the botton of the meadow, showing many wild flowers. Ian and Sheila D.
9th July 2019: Swift images from Haddenham taken last week.  Also a White-letter Hairstreak image from Fairchild’s Meadow on Sunday (7th).  At Fairchild’s Meadow there was a singing Turtle Dove which display flighted over the meadow, 3 White-letter Hairstreaks and a Hornet Hoverfly. Simon.
30th June 2019: Cinnabar Moth in the outside plant area by the doors at The Haddenham Garden Centre.  Very colourful indeed. Although apparently common I have never seen one before. Ruth King
25th June 2019: Swift taken over our garden in Aldreth on 17th June. Simon
22nd June 2019: Walk around Fairchilds Meadow warm and sunny :-
Turtle Dove heard purring, top of field, Blackcaps, Swifts, House Martins, Blackbirds with young, Robin and Dunnock.
Butterflies:- Speckled Wood, Large White, Meadow Browns (many), Skipper (large, I think) 1 faded Painted Lady, 1 Small Heath, and many small Bumble bees(various) and Honey bees and Hover flies on the brambles on the path by the wood. Sheila and Ian D.
21st June 2019: Hinton Reservoir this morning. Lovely Summer morning with a light breeze.
1 Hare, 1 Green Woodpecker. many young Starlings and 6+ Long Tailed Tits, 2 House Martins , 1 Swallow and 3 Swifts. 
Water birds:-  35 Greylag geese, 4 + 1 young Little Grebe, 2 + 3 young Great Crested Grebe, 2 Tufted ducks, 26 Mallard, 7 + 2 young Coot, 2 Moorhen.
2 Eyptian geese were there a couple of days ago.  S & I Dickerson.
16th June 2019: Bee Orchids growing in Haddenham (taken on 9th June).  We counted them yesterday and found 120+ flower spikes.  Also, on 9th June there was a single flower spike in Robert Norman’s Orchard. Today (16th) , there was a Hummingbird Hawkmoth nectaring on Valerian in our front garden. Simon
31st May 2019: A Cuckoo heard  for first time in about three years, calling about three times Fen end of Butlers Lane, Aldreth, yesterday.  John Burgess.
24th May 2019: The attached image was taken in Aldreth this evening.  Also, a Hobby after Swallows and House Martins along the High Street. Simon Stirrup
21st May 2019: 1/ Song Thrush from Station Road. 2 &3/  Stream near Nine Acre wood.   Sheila and Ian D.
RECEIVED 19th May 2019:

10th May: Lapwing pair displaying over 1 field and 3 feeding in another field, Kingfisher 1 on river, Swift 20+, House Martin 7 (including 3 collecting mud from field), Hare 2
 
15th May: South of Hoghill Drove - Mute Swan pair and nest with 1 egg + 1, Greylag 4, Mallard 2 pairs, Coot 2, Buzzard 2 displaying, Black-headed Gull 3, Common Tern 2, Kingfisher 1, Swift 1, Reed Warbler several, Sedge Warbler several, Yellow Wagtail 1, Swallow 2
Aldreth - House Martin 6
 
19th May: Tinker’s Lane – Brown Argus 2
New Cut Drain – Brown Argus 2+, Common Blue 3+, Small Copper 1, Small Heath 3
 
Last week in Aldreth, our neighbour had 2 Turtle Doves at her feeder.  She had a photo to prove it!  Sadly, no sign since.
 
Images below are – rainbow from Ewell Fen, Common Blue and Brown Argus
18th May 2019: Dambank and Long Drove -  3 Wheatear, 3 Yellowhammers,  Min. 8 Corn Buntings, 18+ Stock doves, 1 Yellow Wagtail, 1 Pied Wagtail, 1 Blackcap, Swallows, Reed Buntings,Skylarks, Great and Small Tits, 1 + Lesser Whitethroat, 5 Greylag geese,  1 Kestrel, and 1 Buzzard, 7 Mute  Swans  and 1 Barn Owl ( Colin Bidwell).  Ian and Sheila D.
5th May 2019: Beautiful male Wheatear this evening (05/05/19 18:55) where the track crosses the "line drain" at TL461728.  Unfortunately I didn't have my camera but got a poor but recognizable photo with my phone.  Also visible from here were at least 4 Yellow Wagtails and what looked like a similar number of Yellowhammers, in a ploughed field to the north.

I also saw and heard several Whitethroats, and a Lesser Whitethroat was singing at the bottom of Linden End Field at TL46337387.

Yesterday evening (04/05/19 19:45) five Grey Partridges were in the bare field by the Twentypence Road at TL47877307.  Also, I could hear a Yellow Wagtail calling from the field on the other side of the road here. Stephen B
4th May 2019: Spring hares from Ian Dickerson

3rd May 2019: HOT OFF THE PRESS!
1 TURTLE DOVE, Fairchild's Meadow - Linda Powell reported, but unsure, confirmed by Ian Dickerson.
Also 1 Mistle Thrush and 6 min. Willow Warblers. ID.
Simon Stirrup has just seen a Hobby hunting on the edge of Aldreth!
3rd May 2019: Dambank and Long Drove . Blackcap (heard),  2 Grey Partridge,  Whitethroats (many),  Skylarks (many) Reed Buntings (many) up to 10 Corn Buntings(singing), 4 Yellow Wagtails(m and f),  2 Red Legged Partridge,  3 Linnets, 1 Kestrel +prey, 2 Greylag geese,  14 Swans,  1 Buzzard, and 4 Hares – So a good tally on a damp, dull morning. S&I Dickerson
Two late reports from 29th April 2019:
2 Short Eared Owls  in area of Old West River – Colin Bidwell.
Bullfinch near path side of Fairchilds meadow – Caroline Lee.
22nd April 2019: Flat Bridge area - Great Crested Grebe 2, Little Egret 1, Pochard 1 male, Gadwall 3, Mallard 2, Shoveler 1 pair, Snipe 1, Sand Martin 1, Kingfisher l, Roe Deer 4; Aldreth - Yellow Wagtail 1 flyover. SS
20th April 2019: Aldreth - A pair of adult Lesser Black-backed Gulls perched on the Aldreth Village Centre was a surprise. SS
15th April 2019: First two Swallows around the garden today; also our first Orange-tip butterfly. Sheila and Ian D.
9th April 2019: A couple of sightings: on 9th March at Long Drove – White Wagtail c5 and on 8th April at Long Drove – ringtail Hen Harrier.
Photograph: Blackbird nest in our garden on 30th March (Simon Stirrup)
29th March 2019: Hinton Reservoir:-  Sunny Spring  morning with a light breeze , we had 20 Greylag Geese, 4 Little Grebe, 4 Tufted Ducks, 5 Mallard, 4 Coot, 9 Moorhen, 1 Cormorant, 1 Common Gull, 1 Green woodpecker and 9/10 Fieldfare. Station Road :- 1 Chiffchaff visited today.  Butterflies , 1 Comma, 1 Brimstone and 1 Red Admiral (so far!!)  S & I Dickerson 
28th March 2019: Down the droves today, light breeze and bright. DAMBANK - Skylarks, Kestrel 1 probable Marsh Harrier and 1 Hare. LONG DROVE - total 34 Mute Swans, 5 Roe Deer, 2 Mute Swans in stream, Skylarks, 1 Reed Bunting 2 Mallard, 1 Red Kite, 2 Kestrel, 2 Hares   and 1 probable fem. Brimstone butterfly. BACK DROVE - Skylarks, 1 Buzzard, 4 Roe Deer , 1 Peacock and 1 Red Admiral butterflies. A noticable lack of small birds about.
In the garden, 1 Comma and 1 fem.Brimstone and another dark,(unidentifed) butterflies.  Sheila and Ian D.

Attached is an image of a Blackbird nest in our garden on 30th March.
8th March 2019: Around the Droves this morning – DAMBANK  - 50+ Fieldfare, 1 Skylark, 2 Mallard, 1 Kestrel, 4 M. Swans, 1 Cormorant, 3 Buzzards, interacting and calling together. LONG DROVE  - 1  Wheatear , 57 Mute Swans, 1 Buzzard in tree(could be one of the three), Skylarks(heard), 1 Kestrel, 2 Mallard, 7+ Pied Wagtails, Approx 250 each of Common and Black headed Gulls,  60+ Stock Doves, another 8 Wheatear( in same field as Gulls etc) 50+ Starlings, up to 20 Goldfinch and 3 Reed Buntings.  - Better result than this time last year!!  Sheila and Ian D. 
26th FEBRUARY 2019: One or two Brimstone butterflies in the garden on 23rd February. SimonRegards
17th FEBRUARY 2019: Reed buntings still coming regularly, feeding on softbill seed on the patio. Three different individuals identified. Best news: a pair of Mistlethrushes appear to be about to nest in the ash at the bottom of the garden - first record of Mistlethrush for a couple of years. Still waiting for a Blackcap! Jake 
13th FEBRUARY 2019: Barbara York saw her first pair of frogs in amplexus in the pond plus a peacock butterfly sunning itself. The goldcrest is still in full song but not showing much.Simon
5th FEBRUARY 2019: After very cold and some snowy weather, a thaw today, but misty and damp. Wildlife seen as follows:-
 
Hinton Reservoir – 1 Cormorant, 22+ Mallard, 13 Tufted ducks, 50+ Wigeon, 14 Pochard, 2 Little Grebe, 28 Moorhen, 10 Coot, 2 Canada geese, 19 Greylag geese, 2 Herring Gulls, plus numerous others and 1 Kingfisher.  Other birds seen,  up to 40 Fieldfare, 2 Redwing,  2 Chaffinch, 2 Robins and 1 Buzzard. S & I Dickerson.
 
Sewage works, Haddenham - 100+ Starlings 6 Pied Wagtails and 1 Grey Wagtail.
 
Hogshill Drove – 4 Yellowhammer inc 1 Female, 4 Chaffinch, 4 Goldfinch, 4 Fieldfare. S & I D.
4th FEBRUARY 2019: Green Woodpecker late afternoon, stayed about 15 minutes. S&I Dickerson
24th January 2019: Up to 3 Jays have been regular visitors during the recent cold weather. Here is one from 18th January on our peanut feeder. Simon Stirrup.
24th January 2019: 1 Coal Tit singing in the garden, plus Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen also in the last few days. Barbara York.
9th January 2019: Cool, bright and breezy day down on the droves.  Clayton Bridge: 46 Mute Swans.  Long Drove: 4 Roe Deer, 3 Corn Buntings, 3+ Reed Buntings and 50+ Goldfinch in a mixed flock. 2 Kestrel, 1 Skylark and 50+ Starlings. Foulmire Drove: 2 Kestrel, 250+ Lapwing, up to 10 Fieldfare, 200+ Starling and 5 Corn Buntings.  Sheila and Ian D.
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