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Bugbrooke LINK
...the website for the village of Bugbrooke, Northamptonshire              |
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Nature Notes - Recent Sightings 2010: Many winter migratory birds have been in Bugbrooke during the winter, amongst them Redwings and Fieldfares. These are both members of the thrush family, the redwing about the size of a song thrush but with red patches under the wings and the fieldfare larger and greyer. They are often in mixed flocks and feed on berries such as hawthorn, holly and cotoneaster. Another migrant I have seen is the Blackcap feeding on holly. Until recently, the Blackcap was only a summer visitor, but although the summer migrants still leave, eastern European Blackcaps have started to come here for the winter. 2010: Allen Dale has had Siskins and a Reed Bunting coming to his bird table in Butts Hill Crescent, and he has heard of others who have too. The Reed Bunting is a wetland bird which has increasingly come under pressure from its loss of habitat, but has adapted to living and breeding in oilseed-rape and cereal fields. A hard winter has probably made it search further afield and it has found a good food supply in gardens. Don’t assume that all LBJs (little brown jobs) around the feeders are sparrows! The first Swallow was seen on 23rd March over the meadow at the end of Smiths Lane. It seems to fit into a wider pattern for this year, as despite the exceptionally long, cold winter, Swallows have been reported in the national newspapers as arriving earlier than usual. The first reported Cuckoo was heard in the field at the end of Johns Road on 27th April, and Swifts were seen first on 28th April. 2010: Small Copper butterfly and Reed Bunting in Charity Meadow on 11th May Red Kite seen over Chipsey Aveue/Johns Road/Butts Hill Crescent for a week from 3rd May Yellowhammers in gardens of Smitherway/Butts Hill Crescent Holly blue butterfly in garden from 14th May Moths becoming more frequently seen. Cinnabar and the tiny Small Purple and Gold moths seen regularly in gardens Just thought you may like to know for interest following your bird watch in Bugbrooke - yesterday a Sparrowhawk descended into my garden in Ash Grove - like a rocket and swooped a little sparrow off the grass where it was pecking with another few and took it off like lightening into the air - I have never seen this happen in our garden before and felt it was quite unusual - as our garden is certainly not large and there is quite a high hedge at the back and a large fish pond which would normally restrict large birds coming into our garden ! E-mail received 26/05/10 An otter has been seen in the brook! Natural England are not surprised! 15/06/10 Click on image to enlarge
A pair of Red Kites was seen near Charity Meadow 04/07/2010 Numerous Gatekeeper butterflies in gardens and in fields 01/08/2010
An Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar was found in a fuscia in a hanging basket in Chipsey Avenue. It was about 3 inches (7.5 centimeters) long and as thick as a man's little finger. It is fairly common, but is only occasionally seen at this time of year. To see a better picture of the caterpillar click here, and to see the Elephant Hawkmoth, click here. 08/08/2010 2010 2011: January /February See the results of the 2011 Bugbrooke Bird Survey to view bird sightings in January. The little egret is now resident in the brook through Bugbrooke. As many as 3 have been seen and they move around from Pattishall down to where the brook meets the Nene near Nether Heyford. They are quite timid and you may stand more chance of seeing them flying over. Click on the pictures below to enlarge.
March 26th March, This morning John Mundy got up at 6.30pm and saw a Munkjack Deer in his garden. (Great Lane) November 2011- Roe deer sightings around Smith's Lane Egret seen near the brook
December 2011 Sightings of a Red Kite, one over Baptist Close 09/12/11 being mobbed by rooks, and another 12/12/11 over the football ground. |
