A pair of Lesser Redpolls, presumably the same birds that I observed through last month, is still at the Brickworks. A couple of record shots HERE.
Friday, 29 January 2016
Saturday, 23 January 2016
A crisp winter's day & sunlit Buntings
Last Wednesday was one of those crisp, clear frosty days, bathed in sun light.
I came across a wintering Chiffchaff along the Bulbourne on Fishery Moor and, up in the little reed bed bordering Old Fishery Lane, there could have been as many 12 Reed Buntings. I counted at least 8 and photographed 5 of them. A couple were also ringed.
The Kingfishers (male and female) remain faithful to the Bulbourne and continue to attract admirers.
A group of 4 Crows were skittering on ice on Fishery Moor. They were stopping fairly frequently, though, to break off tiny protruding grass icicles, presumably to eat/drink. It seemed to require a great deal of concentration and effort for very little reward!
Amongst the other birds of note were 5 Grey Herons, spread across the Moors, and 3 Little Egrets (one of which was the colour ringed bird LAON(9);RAYN(D), in the Bulbourne west of Old Fishery Lane, last recorded here on 9/11/2015). The resident Kestrel on Harding’s Moor perched up briefly before taking flight to resume the hunt. A Goldcrest came through with a mixed Tit flock on Station Moor, a Song Thrush sang and it was hard to escape the rattles of numerous Mistle Thrushes (10+) favouring the moors east of Station Road.
I came across a wintering Chiffchaff along the Bulbourne on Fishery Moor and, up in the little reed bed bordering Old Fishery Lane, there could have been as many 12 Reed Buntings. I counted at least 8 and photographed 5 of them. A couple were also ringed.
The Kingfishers (male and female) remain faithful to the Bulbourne and continue to attract admirers.
A group of 4 Crows were skittering on ice on Fishery Moor. They were stopping fairly frequently, though, to break off tiny protruding grass icicles, presumably to eat/drink. It seemed to require a great deal of concentration and effort for very little reward!
Amongst the other birds of note were 5 Grey Herons, spread across the Moors, and 3 Little Egrets (one of which was the colour ringed bird LAON(9);RAYN(D), in the Bulbourne west of Old Fishery Lane, last recorded here on 9/11/2015). The resident Kestrel on Harding’s Moor perched up briefly before taking flight to resume the hunt. A Goldcrest came through with a mixed Tit flock on Station Moor, a Song Thrush sang and it was hard to escape the rattles of numerous Mistle Thrushes (10+) favouring the moors east of Station Road.
Thursday, 31 December 2015
Mixed ground-feeding flock at Roughdown
Throughout the winter, there is often a lovely mix of bird species feeding out in the open on Further Roughdown. One morning in October, I had Chaffinch, Green Woodpecker, Redwing and Mistle Thrush all feeding within one square metre. Today, a colourful flock of Greenfinches had joined the throng. For the full count, click HERE.
Monday, 21 December 2015
Warm enough?!
 |
| Meadow Buttercups flowering on Bulbourne Meadow 18th December 2015 |
I thought it was worth just noting the extraordinary weather we’ve had so far this December. On Saturday, temperatures reached 16°C at Northolt (the nearest observation site to Hemel). My car thermometer read 15°C. Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush and Great Tits have started their Spring songs. Robins and Wrens are singing (but do most of the year). Meadow Buttercups are flowering on Bulbourne Meadow and over at the Brickworks today, I came across leaf burst on Hawthorn (which shouldn’t happen for at least another couple of months!). It’s all rather worrying. If we’re going to get very cold weather this winter, it needs to happen asap before plants and flowers are too far along their springtime processes to recover. We’ll just have to watch and wait, I guess.
This will be my last post before 25th, so, I shall wish you all a very happy Christmas. Take care!
Thursday, 17 December 2015
Lesser Redpolls at the Brickworks
Lesser Redpoll is not an easy species to see around Hemel Hempstead and, up until today, I'd not seen them at Bovingdon Brickworks either. For more on the sighting see HERE.
Sunday, 13 December 2015
Mystery burrows at the Brickworks
David K had come across two curious burrows at the Brickworks a few weeks back. Thanks to the use of night time camera traps, we've solved the mystery, HERE.
Saturday, 5 December 2015
The Small Blue Project
The Small Blue: what is it and what does it need?
The Small Blue (Cupido minimus) is the UK’s smallest resident butterfly. Its survival is entirely dependent upon the presence of Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), a plant which can only flourish in early successional conditions (i.e. short-turf grassland with abundant bare ground). Whilst the larvae need the Kidney Vetch, the adult butterflies need places to perch and to roost. Ideal habitats include chalk & limestone grassland, especially with naturally occurring broken ground; man-made habitats such as quarries, gravel pits, road embankments, disused railways and other brownfield sites as well as coastal grassland and dunes.
UK decline and status in Hertfordshire
Across the UK, it’s estimated we’ve lost 80% of our chalk grassland habitat over the last 60 years. That's 80% of the sites where Kidney Vetch has the potential to flourish. And, according to Butterfly Conservation, we’ve lost nearly 40% of the UK’s Small Blue butterfly population since 1970. At the end of 2014, there were only 3 known colonies of Small Blues in the whole of Hertfordshire. It’s rare and is a high priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.
Hemel Hempstead 2015
On the 8th June 2015, David Kirk and I happened to spot a single Small Blue butterfly in Dellfield meadow, Westbrook Hay. We could hardly believe our eyes! It was the first to be recorded on Trust land. Further investigations revealed that the roadside verge of the A41, less than 200 metres away, had been planted with Kidney Vetch (KV). Two days later, I counted up to 12 Small Blue butterflies on KV beside the A41 at the Boxmoor/ Bourne End exit.
Eager to confirm breeding, over the next 9 weeks, I visited the A41 site at least once a week. By the middle of July, larvae were appearing on the KV flower heads and at the very end of July, a second, albeit modest generation emerged of at least 3 butterflies. It was the best possible news. And, the Trust, who'd been keeping a close eye on progress, and had already been considering the feasibility of attracting Small Blues to the land, were keen to do everything in their power to help sustain this rare, local breeding population.
The Box Moor Trust Small Blue Project
The KV along the A41 isn't managed or protected. The Trust’s aim is to attract the butterfly to food plants within managed habitat so that the colony is safeguarded. A handful of suitable sites nearby, on Trust land, were identified for an autumn planting of Kidney Vetch: 2 at Roughdown Common (chalk grassland) and a few at Bovingdon Brickworks (a brownfield site with areas of nutrient poor, bare sandy, clay soil). The Trust worked extremely hard to dovetail this project with county-level conservation objectives and researched thoroughly the various conditions needed to ensure that both Kidney Vetch and Small Blues would be given the best chance to thrive. At the end of November / beginning of December, organised and led by David Kirk (Chairman), more than half a dozen enthusiastic helpers (from trustees, staff and volunteers) rolled up their sleeves and planted some 500 seedling plugs and seeds across the two sites.
David (Chairman), Peter Ablett (Chairman of Estate & Land Committee) and other key trustees, volunteers and staff have busted a gut to get this project off the ground before winter. Let's hope the rabbits and slugs munch elsewhere and we reap the well deserved rewards in the spring!
The Small Blue (Cupido minimus) is the UK’s smallest resident butterfly. Its survival is entirely dependent upon the presence of Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria), a plant which can only flourish in early successional conditions (i.e. short-turf grassland with abundant bare ground). Whilst the larvae need the Kidney Vetch, the adult butterflies need places to perch and to roost. Ideal habitats include chalk & limestone grassland, especially with naturally occurring broken ground; man-made habitats such as quarries, gravel pits, road embankments, disused railways and other brownfield sites as well as coastal grassland and dunes.
UK decline and status in Hertfordshire
Across the UK, it’s estimated we’ve lost 80% of our chalk grassland habitat over the last 60 years. That's 80% of the sites where Kidney Vetch has the potential to flourish. And, according to Butterfly Conservation, we’ve lost nearly 40% of the UK’s Small Blue butterfly population since 1970. At the end of 2014, there were only 3 known colonies of Small Blues in the whole of Hertfordshire. It’s rare and is a high priority UK Biodiversity Action Plan species.
 |
| 10/06/2015 Small Blue on Kidney Vetch at the A41 Bourne End exit |
On the 8th June 2015, David Kirk and I happened to spot a single Small Blue butterfly in Dellfield meadow, Westbrook Hay. We could hardly believe our eyes! It was the first to be recorded on Trust land. Further investigations revealed that the roadside verge of the A41, less than 200 metres away, had been planted with Kidney Vetch (KV). Two days later, I counted up to 12 Small Blue butterflies on KV beside the A41 at the Boxmoor/ Bourne End exit.
Eager to confirm breeding, over the next 9 weeks, I visited the A41 site at least once a week. By the middle of July, larvae were appearing on the KV flower heads and at the very end of July, a second, albeit modest generation emerged of at least 3 butterflies. It was the best possible news. And, the Trust, who'd been keeping a close eye on progress, and had already been considering the feasibility of attracting Small Blues to the land, were keen to do everything in their power to help sustain this rare, local breeding population.
 |
| Small Blue: larvae through to adult at the A41 colony |
The Box Moor Trust Small Blue Project
The KV along the A41 isn't managed or protected. The Trust’s aim is to attract the butterfly to food plants within managed habitat so that the colony is safeguarded. A handful of suitable sites nearby, on Trust land, were identified for an autumn planting of Kidney Vetch: 2 at Roughdown Common (chalk grassland) and a few at Bovingdon Brickworks (a brownfield site with areas of nutrient poor, bare sandy, clay soil). The Trust worked extremely hard to dovetail this project with county-level conservation objectives and researched thoroughly the various conditions needed to ensure that both Kidney Vetch and Small Blues would be given the best chance to thrive. At the end of November / beginning of December, organised and led by David Kirk (Chairman), more than half a dozen enthusiastic helpers (from trustees, staff and volunteers) rolled up their sleeves and planted some 500 seedling plugs and seeds across the two sites.
 |
| 27/11/2015 Kidney Vetch plants (plugs & seed) protected from rabbits by wire mesh Left: Lower Roughdown south-facing bank by A41. Right: Further Roughdown sheltered gully by railway line |
 |
| 04/12/2015 Kidney Vetch plants (plugs) protected from rabbits by wire mesh South-facing bare-soil banks at Bovingdon Brickworks |
 |
| 04/12/2015 Left: a south-facing bare soil bank was sown with Kidney Vetch seeds. Right: more KV plugs protected by wire mesh Bovingdon Brickworks |
David (Chairman), Peter Ablett (Chairman of Estate & Land Committee) and other key trustees, volunteers and staff have busted a gut to get this project off the ground before winter. Let's hope the rabbits and slugs munch elsewhere and we reap the well deserved rewards in the spring!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)