No 8 April 2020 (2)

More news from members 16th April

Dear Birdwatchers,

Thanks again to all members who have written in and given updates on their birding and nature experiences.

A quick update on my garden:The blue tits are still going in and out of the nest box, a blackbird is in the process of making a nest in the clematis and so is a robin now. So far the sparrow hawk has not eaten the nesting birds although it has been flying overhead on occasions. A few days ago (12th April) four buzzards were circling high above my garden. They came from the West and drifted Eastwards. Did anyone else see them?

Please keep sending your updates and I will prepare another Newsletter when we have enough material.

Nigel

From Leo Young

I have been for three walks in the past week .From my house it is a short distance to an ancient track, which I now know is called Clayway Drove. It is bordered by trees and hedges and cuts through farmland. So a variety of different wildlife is attracted to the area.This week I can add to the butterfly list large whites, orange tips and a single speckled wood, which was sunning itself in the middle of the track yesterday. I was delighted to see and hear blackcaps singing; linnets, jay, greenfinches, male bullfinch, green woodpeckers and a common gull among the blackheads.Plus my personal bird of the week a yellowhammer.I have not yet seen any martins, swallows or whitethroats.

Despite these short walks, I am putting on about a pound each week. It is hard resisting the temptation to eat every time I go in the kitchen.

No. 8 1

Planning Team

David Godsmark John Middleton Mavis Middleton Tony Pleasance Nigel Puttergill Anthony Weston Barbara York

Forthcoming Events

21st April Cancelled Monk’s Wood (dawn) (Barbara York)

11th May Cancelled Maids cross (barbara York)

20th May Cancelled Barnes, London wetland (Anthony Weston)

16th June Cancelled Holme / Dersingham Bog (evening) (Nigel Puttergill)

22nd July Cancelled Titchwell (Tony Pleasance)

BIRDING NEWSLETTER Ely U3A Birdwatching Group

No 8 April 2020 (2)

From Graham Cole

Lock down garden bird list up to 40 with addition of long tailed tits plus one heard. An unusual for us tawny owl, that appears to like calling every so often in the afternoons. I think it is in the trees that bound the playing field and the fishing pit SE of our property.

Muntjac deer and hedgehog in my garden.

From David Latham

David wrote and told me about a red-legged partridge that is often in his and his neighbours garden. David lives in Ely not far from the Beet Club.

The pictures below were taken by his neighbour, John Law.

No. 8 2

No 8 April 2020 (2)

From Tony Pleasance

An Exaltation of LarksPeople often talk about the richness of the English language and for me nowhere is this better illustrated than collective nouns. So, thanks to James Lipton’s excellent book ‘An Exaltation of Larks’ which includes over 1100 examples, here are his 55 collective nouns for a dissimulation of birds. For other birds you may wish to make up your own. For example, for avocets Barbara York may choose an extinction where others may prefer an eloquence. I’m off now to look for a chain of bobolinks. Oh! Wait a minute I’m housebound, perhaps next year.

Species Collective noun Species Collective

noun Species Collective noun

Bluejay scold Heron siege Rook building

Bobolink chain Hummingbird shimmer Ruff hill

Cardinal radiance Jay party Shelduck dopping

Chough chattering Lapwing deceit Snipe walk

Coot cover Lark exaltation Sparrow host or ubiquitous

Cormorant gulp Magpie tiding Starling murmuration or clutter

Crane herd Mallard sorde Stork mustering

Crow murder Merlin leash Swallow flight

Curlew herd Nightingale watch Swan wedge

Dove dule Ostrich wobble Teal spring

Duckpaddling (on water) team (in flight)

Owl parliament Thrush mutation

Eagle convocation or jubilee Parrot company or

prattle Toucan durante

Finch charm Partridge covey Turtledove true love

Goldfinch glister Peacock ostentation Vulture wake

Goosegaggle (on water) skein (in flight)

Penguin colony or parade Woodcock fall

Goshawk flight Pheasant nye Woodpecker descent or gatling

Grouse drumming Pigeon dropping Wren herd

Gull squabble Puffin improbability

Hawk cast Raven unkindness

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No 8 April 2020 (2)

From Mary Barber

Birds in our small garden have to be brave. We have a vast housing Estate being built and houses are now being built just behind our garden hedge. Also all the neighbours cats are a bind prowling around or bedding down under our car or using our flower bed as a loo. Two years ago we had a song thrush nesting but the blackbirds reckoned our garden is theirs and did their best to see the thrushes off . We still have a brave dunnock, one pair of black birds and a starling nesting in the roof guttering. A great tit sings “teacher teacher” so can’t be far.

No. 8 4

The Butterfly ListPeacock (Graham Cole)Comma (Nigel)Brimstone (Leo Young)Large White (Leo Young)Orange Tip (Leo Young)Speckled Wood (Leo Young)