Saturday 3 January 2015

Beddington Farmlands Birds and Wildlife Highlights 2014

Here's a few personal highlights from the farmlands this year

WINTER
 Early 2014 will long be remembered for the floods and storms
 A storm blown Kittiwake
 Female Stonechat- numbers recovered this year in the mild conditions

SPRING
 Great Crested Grebes prospecting in early spring
 Quakers in early Spring
 Comma on Colt's Foot in early Spring
 Spring Mallards
 Muslin Moth in April- the first for the farmlands
 Kent Black Arches in May
 Bar-tailed Godwit- a classic late Spring speciality 
 Spotted Flycatcher- a late Spring speciality 
 Wheatear

SUMMER
 The Bird Group wildflower meadow
 Young Fox
 Ruby-tailed Wasp in June
 Golden Bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle in June
 Common Shelducks successfully bred this year 
 Purple Loosestrife
 Horse-tail and Reedmace
 Pyramidal Orchid in June
 Purple Hairstreak in June
 Six-spot Burnet in July
 Moth Mullein in June- a regional speciality
 White-letter Hairstreak- the discovery of a population on Irrigation Bridge was one of the highlights of the year

AUTUMN
 Blackwits- an early autumn speciality 
 Juvenile Spotted Redshank 
 Glossy Ibis- a first for Beddington (August) 
 Small Red-eye- a population was discovered on the lakes this year
 Bee-wolf 
 Grey Phalarope- another highlight of the year found in November
 Brent Geese in November- a classic late autumn speciality 
 Sedge Warbler- up to 15 were gathering in a small area on the Northern Lakes
 Sandwich Tern in September 
 Osprey in September
 Clouded Yellow- a late autumn migrant
 August Thorn
 Oak Processionary Moth- the first for the farmlands (a controlled pest so was taken into quarantine by the local authority ) 

WINTER (again)
 Good numbers of ducks were on the lakes 
Hunting Kestrel

A pretty good year. 157 bird species recorded overall and lots of new species recorded in the continuing Beddington Farmlands Bioblitz.

For daily bird sightings and more: http://beddingtonfarmlands.org.uk/
For more information on Beddington Farmlands, reserve development and public events : http://bfnr.org.uk/

2 comments:

Rachel Anne Walls said...

Good and interesting stuff Mr. Alfrey.

Peter Alfrey said...

Cheers. Have a great time in Goa!