Lockdown Diary: Wednesday 24.6.20

Yesterday evening, Ed and I were back at Castor Hanglands NNR in our ongoing search for Purple Emperors (which only started on Monday). As we were thinking of giving up (having seen several White Admirals, which are nice but no emperors!), a Purple Emperor flew over the treetops and crossed our path, only to promptly disappear. Another try this evening, I think…
In our garden, I saw what I believe is a new juvenile Dunnock first thing, as well as a different juvenile Robin from the regular visitor. So, breeding still seems to be progressing nicely among the birds. Meadow Browns are the order of the day when it comes to garden butterflies, with a few hanging around.
I decided after several years of neglect, to completely empty our Belfast sink mini-pond/birdbath, add some fresh pond plants and a few bricks and sticks as refuges/escape routes for critters. What do you think?

Belfast sink min-pond, our garden, Peterborough, 24.6.20
At lunchtime, I went and had a pootle in the garden. The highlights were seeing four big Frogs at the pond, and even better, a female Banded Demoiselle hunting over the pond. It is only about the second or third time we have ever seen one of these lovey insects in the garden. And (would you believe?) it is the first dragonfly of any type I have seen in the garden this year.

Female Banded Demoiselle, our garden , Peterborough, 24.6.20

PS The bin me have emptied our garden bins!

Lockdown Diary: Tuesday 23.6.20

I got up early this morning, to search a small green in Peterborough on which three giant Black Poplars stand. These mighty trees are hosts to the boring caterpillars of Hornet Moth, one of the great British insects; and I have found the newly emerged adults on a few occasions before, here. Hornet Moths are harmless Hornet mimics and are spectacular in yellow and black, with ‘clear’ wings.
Sadly, none were about today, so I popped up to Deeping Lakes LWT for a pootle. The highlights were seven Egyptian Geese, plus, best of all, the first tiny Common Tern chick of the year.
The east pit of this site has a colony of 30-40 Lesser Black-backed Gull nests. But it seems none of these have any chicks at all this year. I believe this is down to predation by Red Kites, which seem very efficient at swooping down into the colony to grab what they want without fear of retribution from the adult gulls. Some local birders dislike the gulls for their predatory nature, but here they are the ‘victims’.
Eventually, I suppose there is a balance between predation and breeding survival, but with people constantly altering the conditions of this big natural experiment, what the eventual outcome is is anyone’s guess.

Lockdown Diary: Monday 22.6.20

In the early evening, Eddie and I went out to Castor Hanglands NNR (just west of Peterborough) to look for butterflies. We were hoping for the first emergence of Purple Emperors. No luck, today, but there were at least half a dozen White Admirals and lotw of Large Skipper butterflies around. The main bird treats were a few Jays, and several families of small birds flitting through the bushes, including Long-tailed Tits, Willow Warblers and Great Tits.
Also, we saw a quite high-flying red Kite carrying something int its talons. It was eating whatever it was in the manner of Hobby. And quite long wing feathers came helicoptering very slowly back down toward the ground. Somehow the kite had got hold of a fairly substantial bird as prey: road kill pigeon perhaps, or Pheasant?

Lockdown Diary: Sunday 21.6.20

I went birdwatching and butterfly-watching at a mixd woodland near home, today, called Southey Wood. There were not too many great birds to report (I was hoping a Crossbill or two may have taken a liking to the various conifers). But the butterflies were great. White Admirals and Silver-washed Fritillaries were the stars of the show.

White Admiral, Southey Woods, Cambs , 21.6.20

Silver-washed Fritillaries, Southey Woods, Cambs , 21.6.20

Lockdown Diary: Saturday 20.6.20

My son Eddie and I went on a bit of an insect-hunt today. We explored a flower meadow near Etton (just north of Etton), where there had been an explosion of Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies, and also my first Common Blue (butterfly) of the season, there

Common Blue, Etton, Cambs, 20.6.20 (Mike Weedon) Then we went across to Bedford Purlieus, a lovely stretch of ancient woodland near the A47 (the main road to Leicester from Peterborough, and vice versa). This is the site where Dark Green Fritillaries first pioneered a colony a few years ago. A couple of weeks back there were one or two on the wing in the flower-rich meadow they love. Today, there were approaching 100 on the wing there! DGFs remind me of my first butterflying on the downs of Surrey, in my youth. Great butterflies!

Dark Green Fritillaries, Bedford Purlieus, Cambs, 20.6.20

Also there, were many Marbled White butterflies and lots of Emperor dragonflies working the meadows, plus this young Scarce Chaser dragonfly, which was unexpectedly away from water (I normally associate them with well vegetated ditches and slow rivers around here).

Scarce Chaser, Bedford Purlieus, Cambs, 20.6.20

Lockdown Diary: Friday 19.6.20

Another day with not a huge amount to report, wildlife-wise. My relatively open garden skies had me looking up, David Lindo-style. You can’t beat Swifts overhead, but a Buzzard gave it a go, its presence announced before I could see it by some of the local Lesser Black-backed Gulls (which presumably make something of a living finding scraps in people’s gardens…)

Lockdown Diary: Thursday 18.6.20

Firstly, for those who are caught up in the gripping plot line of Peterborough council’s bin collection, it turns out they are coming next week, after all… Spoilers!
This news encouraged me to go further with my light-gathering operations in the garden, cutting back more Elder and buddleia branches to reveal the sky and allow light onto our fruit trees. Give it a week or two (I tell myself) and the ugly bare ground that has been revealed will start bursting into green growth. I had a bit of a sit around in the garden after doing this heavy duty gardening, in the evening. My first reward was a pair of fly-over Rooks. They fly over every night on their way to roost, but the amount of ‘canopy’ in our garden has stopped me seeing the sky clearly enough to see them for many years!
The second reward for sitting quietly doing nothing was a female-type Blackcap appearing just above our pond, gently working its way through a Dogwood bush, looking for caterpillars etc. I haven’t had any evidence of Blackcaps in the garden for many weeks, so it felt very special watching this bird. I really like warblers, and have a particular fondness for Sylvia warblers (not that I am planning to go to Northumberland for the singing Asian Desert Warbler on Holy Island, you understand… ).

Lockdown Diary: Wednesday 17.6.20

Today was a day where I didn’t go beyond the garden for my wildlife fix. I popped out there at lunchtime and spent the whole time attacking a huge amount of brambles which have been smothering some of our fruit trees (figs, apples, and plums). Hazel suckers are causing similar problems so I removed some of the offenders, too. A Robin was my main companion, seeing what I revealed with my cutting and raking.
Every fourth Wednesday, the council ‘brown bin’ men come to empty our garden waste. So, I was hoping they would come soon, and I could stuff the bins with at least some of my bramble pile. But they never came… So, in the evening, I had to move the great pile to the side of the garden, again accompanied by the same Robin.
Eventually, all was moved off the lawn (well, to the side of the lawn), joining the already burgeoning ‘stick pile’ (actually one of two). So, I settled down with a beer and watched the newts in my newly revegetated pond, apparently laying eggs among the surface vegetation, rolling over to reveal their spotted, orange bellies.
A Blackbird started singing, then a Robin, then another couple of Blackbirds in the neighbourhood joined the evening chorus, and several more distant Robins joined in from distant gardens. Such a soothing chorus to enjoy as I surveyed my giant stick piles and gardening detritus!

Lockdown Diary: Tuesday 16.6.20

A the weekend I acquired some Frogbit plants for our garden wildlife pond. I had been trying to clear some fo the duckweed from the surface for a while, and the addition of Frogbit (which look like small lily pads) has instantly made the surface of the pond much more attractive.
Also at the weekend, I found a pile of Spiked Water Milfoil which had been dragged out of a narrow fishing ‘lake’, as it annoys the fishermen (perhaps the fish hide in its subaqueous mass of leaves, or their hooks get caught in it). Anyhow, I took a couple of carrier bags of the stuff as it looked to be still alive, and introduced this to our pond.

Part of our pond (Peterborough), now with added Frogbit (the little lily pads) and Spiked Water Milfoil (under the surface). There is still a bit too much duckweed, and the other plants you will notice are Water Dock , Greater Spearwort and Pendulous Sedge.
The long and short of all this is that the Smooth Newts seem to love the changes to their aquatic environment, and are getting busy presumably laying eggs in among the new vegetation.
When I originally dug the pond in 2007, I stocked it with various native plants from friend’s garden wildlife ponds in Peterborough. But, people move house, ponds disappear, and evolve. Very few of the original plants I introduced have survived, and this is partly down to me letting too many leaves from surrounding trees accumulate in the bottom of the pond, subtly altering the chemistry and making it too nutrient rich. It probably needs a good dredge, but for the time being, I am attempting to oxygenate it and alter the ecology with what plants I can acquire.

Lockdown Diary: Sunday 14.6.20

It was a relatively quiet day for me, wildlife-wise, today. The highlights were my first Marbled White butterfly of the year, near Etton, Cambs. And this obliging Barn Owl, one of six I saw hunting along the Deeping High Bank (the banks of the Welland) in south Lincolnshire.

Barn Owl, Deeping High Bank, near Crowland, Lincs, 14.6.20

Lockdown Diary: Saturday 13.6.20

There have been extraordinary numbers of singing Blyth’s Reed Warblers and Marsh Warblers in the country in the last week or two, including one or two at Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire. So, I went to the closest the Peterborough area has to Wicken, Woodwalton Fen NNR, early on Saturday morning, to see what I could hear. Needless to say, I heard not rare warblers, but I was surprised to come across half a dozen singing Grasshopper Warblers, including this one, which I was able to photograph.

Grasshopper Warbler, Woodwalton Fen NNR, Cambs, 13.6.20
There were also really good numbers of Reed and Sedge Warblers about, busy raising families on the abundant insects in the fenland habitats, there.

Sedge Warbler, Woodwalton Fen NNR, Cambs 13.6.20
Other highlights included several Cuckoos, perhaps two hunting Barn Owls and insects such as Mother Shipton (a day-flying moth with the face of an old witch on each wing!), Four-spotted chaser and Scarce Chaser dragonflies.

Mother Shipton moth. Can you see the ‘witch faces’? Woodwalton Fen NNR, Cambs 13.6.20

Lockdown Diary: Monday 15.6.20

I was back at Ferry Meadows CP on my bicycle, this morning. Nothing particularly special to report, but I did hear a Cuckoo and a couple of male Cetti’s Warblers in full song, on the way home. The Nightingales have stopped singing (if they are still around) and most of the warblers are only singing intermittently, presumably as they are concentrating their efforts on bringing up babies!
The best I could muster in the rest of the day was our first garden Meadow Brown butterfly of the year.

Lockdown Diary: Friday 12.6.20

The mistiness in the air and easterly wind promised good things at Ferry Meadows, this morning. Sadly, not ‘good’ new birds appeared. I did enjoy listening to a Cuckoo, however. Also, I saw my first independent Black-headed Gull juvenile of the year, feeding on worms in the puddles of one of the car parks.

Juvenile Black-headed Gull, Ferry Meadows CP, Peterborough, 12.6.20
My friend Don told me had noticed that thousands of tiny Common Toads had emerged from Lynch Lake (the smallest of the three lakes) and were scattered all over the path and in the nearby grass. I didn’t realise quite how tiny these toads were until I saw them for myself! There were perhaps tens of thousands of the blighters, and every jogger, walker or cyclist who came through was inevitably splatting them, without even knowing it (members of the non-birding public rarely see what is under their feet, let alone what is singing or flying round them!).
It was quite distressing, and the only thing I could of was for Don and I to scoop up as many as we could to transfer to my garden pond (via a carrier bag from the Co-op). We probably got about 100 toadlets and I released them near our garden pond. They all turned and aimed for the water!

Tiny toadlet on my finger nail, our garden, Peterborough, 12.6.20

Tiny toadlet on a bindweed leaf, our garden, Peterborough, 12.6.20

Toadlets just about to enter our pond, Peterborough, 12.6.20, note the minuscule duckweed leaves for scale

Lockdown Diary: Thursday 11.6.20

It was a quiet morning at Ferry Meadows. The highlight was a gathering of 6-10 Common Terns all picking from a small area of Gunwade Lake, like a scene from the Blue Planet in miniature, as they followed a ‘bait ball’ of small fish (I presume) just below the surface.
In the afternoon, I popped out once or twice to attempt to scoop some of the duckweed from the surface of our pond. The whole surface had a dense covering, and I fear that the underwater plants are getting no light, so I have made some space for the light to get in. The pond is beloved of several types of ‘true flies’ (ie of the order Diptera), including hoverflies and soldierflies, which love to lay their eggs there (despite the duckweed).

Lockdown Diary: Wednesday 10.6.20

It was raining quite heavily this morning (good for the garden etc), so I declined to cycle down to Ferry Meadows to continue my quest to see an Osprey there. Yesterday, I looked at some photos on a Flickr group of the ‘Ospreys’ seen on separate days in the park. The photographer thought they may be different individuals, based on the wing pattern. But, having analysed them by adjusting the contrast in Photoshop, and looking for little tell-tale details, I have concluded that it was the same bird on both occasions. It has a blue ring with white writing (unreadable), which suggests it is probably one of the Rutland-bred birds having a wander. The fact that it returns to FMCP is perhaps a sign that an extended vigil would be rewarded. Something for the weekend (as they say).
I was also a bit tired this morning after taking a bit of a long evening stroll around the Nene Washes (a bit east of Peterborough), which is easily the best birding site (though site is pushing it, as it is enormous!) around these parts. Highlights included three drake Garganeys (starting to move to their dull ‘eclipse’ summer plumage), three adult Cranes (non-breeders), a male Marsh Harrier, drumming Snipe, singing Cuckoo, hunting Hobby and a couple of summering Whooper Swans. Mustn’t grumble.
Lunchtime update: There are high-pitched youngsters in the garden. Eventually, I tied them down to a new family of Robins. I have never mastered the ID of baby birds on call!

Lockdown Diary: Tuesday 9.6.20

Three times in the last few weeks, and twice in the last few days, one of the Ferry Meadows photographic regulars has seen an Osprey (or two Ospreys; or three Ospreys!). That included one yesterday while I was sitting at my kitchen desk, processing photographs of Barn Owls from the weekend.
So, this morning (and it is a beautiful, still, sunny morning) I was back on my bike at FMCP. Needless to say, there were no Ospreys. But it was very pleasant. There were Red Kites in the air, Red Kites in and on the nest; skimming Common Terns and Sand Martins and the odd singing Reed and Garden Warbler still.
Nothing spectacular, but who knows when the Rose-coloured Starling, Blyth’s Reed Warbler or Bee-eater will appear… Meantime, I would be delighted with ‘just’ an Osprey!

Lockdown Diary: Monday 8.6.20

A quiet day day (wildlife wise) today, when staring at the Tree Bumblebees around the nest box outside our kitchen window is the most soothing pastime. They have just about completely plugged the entrance hole (which is big enough for a Great tit when the bees aren’t in occupation). I am not sure if it is mud or wax they have used, and I am not about to get close enough to find out…
I am very fond of these recent colonists. Our garden has very few actual flowers (it is more of a shady, leafy place) for them, but they like the tiny pink flowers of a snowberry bush we have.

Tree Bumblebees in the partially blocked entrance to a nest-box, our garden, Peterborough June 2020
And talking of that bush, it lines the fence bordering the garden which used to have a swathe of light-blocking leylandii trees. My one concern about their recent removal is that they may have housed nesting birds. I have no direct evidence of this, but today I watched a pair of Collared Doves snuggling up in one of our cherry trees. They indulged in a bit of flirtatious behaviour, then there was some ‘allofeeding’ (courtship sharing of food, bill to bill) followed by a bit of mating!
Were these birds which had been evicted from the neighbours’ trees? I guess I will never know.

Lockdown Diary: Sunday 7.6.20

Easily my highlight of the short bit of birdwatching I did today was seeing a male Stonechat at a site south of Peterborough. Stonechats are regular winter visitors to the area around here, but summering birds (and indeed breeding birds) are rare. I had heard of a Stonechat being seen in this area in the last week or so, so it wasn’t exactly a ‘find’ as such. But still nice to see.
The big news from the Weedon garden is that the owners of the house next door, presumably in an effort to sell the house, have removed the giant leylandii trees which have been blocking light to our garden fo r years and stopping grass growing on half of our lawn! The new-found light has transformed our garden, and given me new-found motivation to shape it even more for wildlife (it already resembles a shady woodland glade!).

Lockdown Diary: Saturday 6.6.20

I took a bit of a drive this morning, and the two best things I saw were a beautiful female Marsh Harrier, flying along the River Welland, and a magnifiecent Barn Owl sitting on a fence line by the road, allowing me to take a few shots. It is a ringed bird, but it is not possible to read it, mainly because the writing wraps roudn the leg, rather than running parallel to it. It is something I have been banging on about for years, but I think the BTO will carry on doing what they have always done…

Barn Owl, near Crowland, Lincs, 6.6.20
In the afternoon, I went looking for Fly Orchids at Bedford Purlieus (a great piece of ancient woodland in Cambs, west of Peterborough). I found one over-mature plant, where all the ‘flies’ had shrivelled somewhat. However, when the sun broke through, a Dark Green Fritillary came out to play, and feed on the few thistles which were in flower. These butterflies are superb, and have only been in the Peterborough area for the last few years. They remind me of my youth, near the North Downs on the Surrey/Croydon border, where they the highlight of a summer’s day butterflying in the meadows of the downs.

Dark Green Fritillary, Bedford Purlieus, Cambs, 6.6.20

Lockdown Diary: Friday 5.6.20

Why is it that ‘flaming June’ always seems to be so cold and wet? Anyhow, a bit of a change in the weather is needed, for the garden if nothing else. Today was a quiet day for me, wildlife-wise. I cycled down to Ferry Meadows, and had the briefest of glimpses at a baby Red Kite. But when I cycled by the nest area later in the morning, the rain was so heavy, the parent bird was sitting tight, sheltering his/her youngsters (I presume the parent share the sitting duties, but I am not sure).
I did add to my tally of young birds seen in our garden, however, after the rain stopped, with a young Blackbird hopping about. Do, we have seen juvenile Magpie, Great Tit, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Long-tailed Tit and Starling in the garden, so far…

Lockdown Diary: Thursday 4.6.20

I haven’t been out and about on my usual early morning rounds, this morning. This is entirely because I was out late last night, listening and looking for night birds. It is surprising how many birds are active at night, especially wetlands species. But it was a bit of a stinker last night, so I was driving up the road from which our little close branches, at just after 11pm.
And there was a Hedgehog in the middle of the road. So, I stopped to let it pass. But it was just hanging around not trying to get to the other side. It is a bit of a black spot for splattered Hedgehogs on this road. And this one was certain to join the unwritten accident statistics. So I put the hazard lights on, got out of my car and try to shoo Hedgy to the side of the road and into someone’s front garden. But, of course it was not for shooing and started to think about rolling up instead.
By this stage, there was one (admittedly very patient) car forced to stop behind me and another was coming straight toward me and the ‘hog. So, I thought it was time to intervene and pick him up and move him. But, they are of course prickly fellows, so I had to think on my feet. I took off my thick outer short and wrapped the Hedgehog in it.
But none of the nearby gardens were at all suitable. So, I put him (still wrapped) in my car and drove 300m home to release it in our largish and very suitable garden. Which is what I did.
I really hope it wasn’t out foraging for a family of tiny Hedgehoglets. But, even if it was, it was sure to die on the road last night. So, I think I did the right thing. I hope I did.
11.20am update: I just popped out for a breath of fresh air in the garden. I am delighted to report there was a family of Long-tailed Tits moving through the ‘canopy’. They haven’t nested in our garden but at least they are bringing the brood to feed here! It is hard to know how many youngsters there were (difficult to follow them through the leaves), but there was planty of calling. It is the first time in 20 years that I remember seeing juvenile Long-tailed Tits in the garden!

Lockdown Diary: Wednesday 3.6.20

I was back on my bike, cycling down to Ferry Meadows CP this morning. My hopes in early June were for something like Little Tern passing through, or perhaps one of the Ospreys which keep being reported around Peterborough, in recent weeks (including at least three times at FMCP). Instead the initial highlights were watching the feeding Swift flock over Gunwade Lake (the largest of the lakes there).
Also, on the shore of Gunwade, there was a family of Pied Wagtails, with fully-grown young, and a single juvenile Grey Wagtail (with a subtly buff breast; but lemon yellow undertail coverts).
But the real highlight came later, when I quickly checked the active Red Kite nest which it is possible to see, if you know where to look. Today, for the first time, I could make out two fluffy white chicks! I think it is the first time I have seen a Red Kite chick in the nest, anywhere!

Lockdown Diary: Tuseday 2.6.20

Of course, I was at the Quail place again, this morning. In fact, I was at the site at 4.45am, anticipating lots of early morning action. But it was a total no-show. The Quails have gone quiet. Less than a week ago it was possible to hear up to six singing males in this group of fields. But, it seems that all that singing has had its desired effect and the males have attracted females to pair up with and so have no need to keep singing. At least that is what I am hoping.
The rest of the farmland bird gang have no such qualms about singing despite being paired. So, the Sky Larks, Corn Buntings, Reed Buntings and Whitethroats were all putting on a tremendous vocal show this morning.
The final highlights were a close Barn Owl by the car as I drove home, and an impressive number of Brown Hares in the fields. I watched one washing itself, a bit like a cat. It was splaying out its long toes to have a good lick and when it washed its paws it rubbed them together rapidly like it was boxing in March!

Lockdown Diary: Monday 1.6.20

For the third morning running, I saw the Quail in its favoured corner of its bean field. It really is a magical way to start a morning. I presume the combination of the wet winter and the very dry spring has meant that the broad beans are not very dense or well grown, and this has made it much easier to see into this field. Maybe, the coronavirus restrictions have stopped excessive spraying in the fields, too, which would allow Quails (and the abundant Sky larks, Corn Buntings and Yellow Wagtails) there to have insects to feed on.
Talking of Yellow Wagtails, there is one particular male that loves the end of the shabby, bird-filled hedge in this area of south Lincolnshire.

Yellow Wagtail, near Crowland, Lincolnshire, 1.6.20
The Quail action stopped early, so I had time to stop at Deeping Lakes LWT on the way home. On the short drive I saw a Buzzard and three hunting Barn Owls. And at DLLWT itself, there was a pair of Garganeys on the east pit (which I had found on Sunday morning, there). The drake is just starting to go into eclipse, but that did not stop him flirting outrageously (mainly head bobbing) with the female.

Lockdown Diary: Sunday 31.5.20

Of course, this morning, I returned to the bean field where the Quails had been seen on Saturday. And, with patience and luck, I rediscovered one in exactly the same area of the field. The other one has moved on, presumably having found a partner?. This individual, though, was patrolling around the field, covering perhaps 300m on foot before bouts of singing and moving on. I could do this every morning!

But, as on Saturday, as the sun got warmer, so the Quail went quiet. I moved down to Orton Brick Pit in south-west Peterborough, to hope for a return of the Osprey seen the previous day (not by me) and to enjoy the insects and other wildlife in and around the clear waters of this excellent site. A splash drew my attention to a small fish (perhaps four inches long), which turned out to be a small Pike! And swimming a few feet from that (but I failed to get a photo) was a giant underwater bug which is known as a Water Stick Insect. This is the first time I have seen our largest aquatic insect, and what an impressive beast it was: about three inches long and looking like a mantis or indeed a stick insect, or a gigantic underwater Water Measurer.

Young Pike, Orton Brick Pit, Peterborough, 31.5.20

Four-spotted Chaser, Orton Brick Pit, Peterborough, 31.5.20

Emerging damselflies