 |
raynevillage.info |  |
 |
| HOME | < LAST MONTH | NEXT MONTH > | RETURN TO WILDLIFE | FEEDBACK |
Country Matters 11th May 2003
This is the time of the year when it is difficult to know what to write about because everything seems to be happening at once.Our first Swallow arrived in the farmyard but it was over a week before any of its mates arrived. After a brief celebratory fly and a look at last years’ nest sites they disappeared. The House Martins then arrived and finding a nice puddle of mud started collecting beakfuls to repair their old nests. As it was still dry our mud was probably one of the few sources available to them in the area so we often had over ten in the mud hole at any one time. The Swallows have also returned but as yet have made no attempt to repair their nests and I have just seen my first Swift of the year. Their main nesting site is on the south side of the old grain silo of Enterprise Court. They fly up under the corrugations of the vertical cladding and are probably nesting on the horizontal purlins. Some years ago I estimated about 40 pairs nesting but numbers have been well below this in recent years.
The timing of egg laying and the hatching of the eggs is vital as it must coincide with an ample food supply for the young. Some birds like the Swallows and Martins have several broods in a season, which spreads the risk but the Great and Blue Tits usually have one brood. They will often lay all or some of their eggs then apparently abandon the nest if the weather looks unsuitable. They will then return to lay the rest of their clutch of often up to fourteen eggs. They will then only start to sit on their eggs if the hatch of caterpillars has started in the surrounding hedges and trees. Though all the eggs usually hatch the number of young finally fledged is dependant on the supply of and growth of their food supply. Last year the Great Tit in the box on the front of the house raised four young and a Blue Tit by the kitchen window six young, a very poor season reflecting the food supply. As I write this there are four tit nests near the house all of which have just hatched. I hope their weather forecasting is correct this year.
The Stock Doves are back nesting in our old oak tree for the third year running. They usually like to nest in a hole or crevice though I have seen nests on a top of a large branch. A pair of Green Woodpeckers excavated a hole in an old ash tree only 25m from the house last year. This year they have deepened the hole and added a second. We think they are nesting in one of them but they are very secretive. The pair of goldcrests, Europes smallest bird, are back again. The male spends long periods of the day sitting in the trees singing away. As I am very deaf I depend on Syl for this information.
The Linnets which have been in flocks feeding on the set-aside fields until recently have now paired off. We have a pair in the garden and if they nest it will be a first for our garden.
The badgers continue to ignore the so-called badger gates in our garden fence preferring their own which they have dug under the fence. The foxes are also using the same entrances. Badger numbers are very high at present and Harold Giles has found yet another sett within the parish. Mark Giles has recently seen badger cubs along Shalford Road. The first young appear above ground during April. Unfortunately the high badger numbers are probably the reason that for the first time that I can remember we have no signs of hedgehogs in the garden.
For those readers living in the Sunlido Gardens they should look for Banded Demoiselles along Pods Brook. This is one of the best sites in Essex for one of Britain’s most beautiful damselflies. The male has a wide black band across each wing and a fluttering flight. The males defend a small territory along the riverbank flying from a perch in the vegetation to attack any intruding male. The females are a bright green without the wing band but they are more difficult to find as they sensibly rest up away from the males until they are ready to mate and lay eggs in the riverside vegetation but below water level.
This part of Pods brook is also one of the few areas locally where you can see Water Voles. Unfortunately Mink have been seen on the Rayne Lodge fishing lakes and one even gave a swim past during a fishing competition last year. This predator will probably mean the voles will be lost even from this part of the river.
To Top of Page
For corrections or changes, please email :-