Hares and wheatears (but not on the Common)

Maundy Thursday, very warm, slightly hazy. Having seen a couple of hares on Sunday when I didn't have my camera, I took myself  for a walk round the footpaths off Sandy Lane in the hope of getting a photo or two. I was initially disappointed, although I did find a brimstone butterfly for the survey, near the old graveyard.

But then, walking down Sandy Lane back towards the village I noticed a couple of birds on the brown earth of the field on the southern side. Closer inspection revealed they were wheatears - very good. A bit too far off for a decent photo, but here's what I got anyway.

Then I noticed a hare in the field which is planted with a cereal crop on the other side of the road. Having seen one, I realised there were two, and then I counted five! Four were chasing each other: not quite mad March hares, but clearly being aggressive. The fifth, which I imagine was a female watching proceedings, stayed some way off. Again, they were not close enough to get a particularly good picture, but this is the best of the ones I took.

The wildlife survey is taking off now, with a good few reports coming in. I saw my first speckled wood butterfly of the year in St. James's churchyard, so that's another one on the list. We've now had at least one report of everything we're looking at, except swifts. So who can see the first of those this year?

Song time

Had a lovely walk across the boardwalk this evening, enjoying the vast amount of bird song on offer. It started with a willow warbler, one of my favourite singers and not one we hear enough of in our neck of the woods. Soon after that I could hear chiffchaffs and blackcaps, and in the distance a song thrush.

As it happened, my route took me towards that thrush, and I eventually found myself standing beneath the tree it was singing from the top of. It was a truly virtuoso performance, and for all the wonderful songs of our visiting warblers, this bird is definitely one to treasure. It was accompanied by a blackbird and a blackcap, but that thrushwas undoubtedly the star of that particular show.

Silently, but it made my heart sing, glancing up I saw a female sparrowhawk fly across the common.

Not bad for a 40 minute stint!

Visitors arriving in droves

What a beautiful day! There have been others recently of course, but viewing them through an office window takes the shine off them. Today however was perfect: warm, but still fresh; a perfect, cobalt-blue sky; and lots of newly arrived birds to find without being too obscured by foliage.

On my walk round I heard 4 chiffchaffs sunging lustily, and was able to photograph this one at Scouts' Pond.

I was hopeful of also getting a picture of a blackcap: I heard 4 of those too, but none would stay in one place in clear view long enough. Never mind; next time perhaps.

At the junction of Chapel Road and Lower Street I found my first swallow of the year. As that is one of the species in our survey, that's another one off and running. Come on the rest of you, let's have your sightings! I can't believe I'm the only one seeing these things, especially since I'm only able to look at the weekends.So far we have 5 records of brimstone butterflies, and now this solitary swallow. There are also orange tip butterflies about, but they're not in the survey - perhaps we'll include them next year.

The orchid and cotton grass section of the common has some nice marsh marigolds growing in it: I found these less elusive to photograph than the warblers!

Chiffchaffs here

Taking my ears for a walk this morning, I was pleased to hear my first Chiffchaff of the year as far as the Common is concerned. I knew they were around, and had heard a couple at UEA during the week, but it's always great to get the spring migrants list for the Common under way. Now all we need are the rest!

Wildlife survey launched

Our wildlife survey for 2011 is now officially under way! We are surveying 7 easily recognised species: swifts, swallows and house martins for the bird lovers, brimstone, peacock and speckled wood butterflies for the lepidopterists, and hedgehogs for the hedgehog-ists.

We're hoping the children at the school will take part in large numbers, and involve their families. Tim Willey has explained what the survey is all about to them in a school assembly and every child was given one of our forms to get the started.

Forms are available from the Information Point at the Lower Street entrance to the Common, the Post Office in the High Street, and the Vernon Arms. Forms can be left for me at the Information Point and the Post Office, or posted to me.

However, we're hoping most reports will be submitted electronically, through the website. Jeannette, our wonderful website wizard, has done magnificent work to set up online forms, which generate an email to me. We have our first 3 records, all of brimstone butterflies, and as more come in the website will be updated with the results.

I do hope that lots of people take part: it's our contribution to a big push by the Norfolk Wildlife Trust to develop a clearer picture of the wildlife in the county, and I think it's well worth doing.

Gathering pace now

I think it's fair to say that spring is well and truly under way now. A walk round the common yesterday in glorious sunshine proves it. Blue tits were everywhere, including one investigating the nest box they use every year opposite the school. Great tits were singing wherever I went, along of course with lots of other birds. I'm not aware of any summer migrants having arrived here yet, but swallows, house martins and sand martins have already reached some parts of the country, so it won't be long now!I

Last week I had had a lovely view of a singing robin near Scouts' Pond, so this week week I brought my camera, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

Slightly further along the boardwalk, at the pond itself, I could hear a moorhen: with luck they will breed here as I think they did last year.There was frogspawn in the pond, and indeed last week I had seen a couple of frogs, doing what they do.

Last Monday evening five of the SCT trustees were lucky enough to attend a reception at County Hall given by the Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk for representatives of the five organisations nominated in the county for this year's Queen's Award for Community Service. We won't know the result for a few months yet, but it's great that the work we're doing is being recognised.

The latest project is our wildlife survey, which is almost ready to be launched properly. The online side is set up and working (3 brimstone butterflies recorded so far) and there are now forms available from the Post Office - you can also return completed forms there is you wish. We're waiting for more supplies, and then will be able to put them out fir use at the Information Point. Meanwhile, we hope to be telling the school children all about the survey very soon.

Working Party 6th March

Hello All,

Simply, thanks for the splendid work done this morning. 

Everyone can take satisfaction from, and be justifiably proud of, what's been achieved together.

Sadly, we didn't find a pingo so that bit of excitement was short-lived, but we live in hope.  There must be other special things lurking and discoveries to be made.

 

On Thursday week I shall set the BTCV to tidying the edges and odd bits of reed-bed that we left, together with a bit more scrub clearance on the periphery of what we did today.  And that really will be it for this season.

 

We next all meet together on Sunday May 8th at my place, when the Trust says thank you.  Shall we go the whole hog and make it black tie, or can we get away with something a little less formal?   The following evening, Monday 9th. May, is AGM, which is when you sieze the opportunity of becoming a Trustee.

 

Kind Regards from John

P.s. from Duncan:

It was a particularly enjoyable working party, with 17 volunteers having a thoroughly good time. the weather was just right: fine, without being too warm for the physical work we were doing. The ground conditions were good too, and even the vegetation was easy. There was even a faint smell of hay about the grasses and sedges we cut. John's cart was a great boon, as it has been throughout this cutting season.

And together we even managed to see quite a lot of wildlife. A sparrowhawk was spotted circling over Warren Woods, being mobbed by a crow. When a second crow joined in there were some serious aerobatics to be seen, before the hawk decided it was better off diving down into the woods for cover. A short while after, a barn owl flew across, presumably hoping for a nice easy vole brunch disturbed by our work. And indeed we had disturbed a couple of voles, but these were shepherded away to safety. A skein of about 30 pink footed geese flew overhead for good measure. 

And we found an early marsh marigold growing in a particularly wet patch. All in all, an excellent way to round off the season.