Nature Notes for April / May 2010

April 4th Broadstone Recreation Ground a bright sunny morning heard several Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) singing and a Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) in full song. Also saw a pair of Sparrow hawks (Accipiter nisus) hunting, I often see these raptors in the recreation ground, it would be nice to have them nest once again in the park. Later in the morning I took a trip to Dunyeats Hill it was starting to get quite warm so I decided to do a casual reptile survey. I found two male Slow-Worms (Anguis fragilis) the first this year and four Sand Lizards (Lacerta agilis) plus four Common Lizards (Lacerta vivipara) sunbathing on some of the refugia. I also discovered a Toad (Bufo bufo) the first one to be recorded by me on Dunyeats Hill in three years. Checking one of the daughter colonies of the Southern Wood Ant (Formica rufa) which are part of the budding system of these ants I found several tiny Beetles (Atemeles emarginatus) that live with these ants and are known as guests and nearby a Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata) was singing perched high on some gorse.

April 8th I put out my moth trap in the evening, the first time this year in the morning and I recorded three Early grey, four Twin spotted quaker, twelve Common quaker, two Hebrew character, two Oak beauty and one Satellite moth, not many but then it is early in the season, the two oak beauties being the gems of the catch. All were released the following evening. The Blackthorns are looking wonderful now covered in white blossom telling us that spring is here, there are several of these trees growing alongside the road (Broadstone Way) between Creekmoor and Holes Bay.

April 11th I looked in at Hatch Pond the Bitterns (Botaurus stellaris) that were seen there during the winter had gone and a pair of Mute swan (Cygnus olor) have made a nest on the edge of the (Phragmites) bed which can be seen through the trees on the eastern side of the pond. On my way home I checked the small pond in Pocket Park, there was plenty of water and tadpoles, this pond dries up most years and the tadpoles usually perish.

April 17th another beautiful morning and not a cloud in the sky I saw several Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) in flight and calling, the call sounding more like a rattle similar to the Fieldfares alarm call. The Mistle Thrush is a resident but is much more shy and wary unlike the Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos). Being sunny and warm I went to Dunyeats Hill and out of the twenty tins checked only two showed signs of life and they were male Slow-Worms. There were plenty of Common Lizards seen scurrying into the heather as I approached them; I also observed two Green Tiger Beetles (Cicindela campestris) the first this year. I have also found the Slave Maker ant (Formica sanguinea) that decided to move its nest last September I love this ant, I will be monitoring this new nest weekly as it is situated close to a path, while I was examining this ant a Buzzard kept me company by flying quite low looking for prey until finally moving on. I decided to make my way home and accidentally flushed a Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) from the heather the zigzag flight was unmistakable.

April 18th Broadstone Recreation Ground early morning while walking our dog Peggy I noticed a pair of mistle thrush being hassled by magpies, they must have a nest nearby. The Magpie really is a pest, over the years I have found several broken Blackbird and Song Thrush eggs on the ground that have been taken from the nest and eaten by these birds. Later in the morning I put two more corrugated tins on the heath for the reptiles one of the tins put down last year did have a male Slow-Worm under it, but it would be nice to find a Smooth Snake or an Adder. While I investigated a Wood Ants nest I found nearby a Grass Snake egg empty of coarse among the tree litter this would have been one of many hatched late last summer.

There are plenty of Willow Warblers (Phylloscopus trochilus) on the reserve now and I have seen several Swallows passing overhead.

24th April I took a trip in the morning to Dunyeats Hill to photograph the new formica sanguinea colony I found last week, while on the heath I did observe two Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) the first time I have seen these birds on Dunyeats.

28th April in the morning I went to Hatch Pond to see what summer migrants had arrived, the reed bed was dizzy with the sound of Reed Warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) they arrive here in mid-April after wintering in tropical Africa. Another warbler found here is Cetti's (Cettia cetti) his explosive song is very impressive. While I wondered along the bank of the pond I noticed movement of the water lilies close to the margins on closer examination I could see several large carp some red and white like the coy and another that looked like a mirror carp, all double figure fish searching for food, water snails and algae being their main diet until June 16th when carp anglers try to tempt them with their many flavoured baits, strawberry, pineapple and chocolate to name a few. Carp fishing today has become a science gone are the days when you fished for them with a worm or a piece of bread. On my way back home I looked in at Pocket Park to see how the tadpoles were coming along and as usual the pond had dried up except for a very small amount of water that would not have filled a bowl and was alive with hundreds of tadpoles struggling to survive, this happens every year why hasn't something been done to stop this happening? What was the purpose of putting a pond there in the first place if it cannot be maintained?

Keith Clements - Parks, Nature Reserves & Heathland

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