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/