Recent garden highlights

Fledgling Tree Sparrow | First juvvy of the season | 30 May 06 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

I suspect the expected bumper crop of young from c.16 pairs of Treeps might not be forthcoming due to the cold spring and lack of inverts for the adults to feed their nestlings. Lets hope broods two and three make up for the lack of young birds around at present.


Young Brown Hare | 26 May 06 | One of two leverets in the garden in recent days | Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30

I dusted the moth traps down for only the second time this year. Nights still quite cool and only 22 species caught. A few highlights -


Pale Tussock | 29 May 06| A new species for the garden.


Figure of Eighty | 29 May 06


Figure of Eighty | 29 May 06


Rustic Shoulder-knot | 29 May 06

Moth images | Nikon Coolpix 995

Broad-billed Sand

Broad-billed Sand 19 May 06. Over Fen, Cambs

A cracking find by Richard Thomas. Haven't seen one for over 10 years and this bird showed well despite strong wind, no light due to leaden sky and occasional heavy showers which meant only a record shot was managable.

Image | Leica APO Televid 77 | 20x WA | Nikon Coolpix 995

More Turtles

Seven Turtle Doves with Stock Dove. Farcet Fen. 18 May 06.

I'd love to know just how many Turts use my garden. This morning I had six birds, two obvious pairs and two singletons which the males from the pairs spent much of their time seeing off.

This afternoon I have seven birds, only one obvious pair and a group of five with no behaviour to suggest pairing etc. Are any of these different to this mornings birds?

Possibilities -
1) Total 7 birds
2) Two pairs and five singles = 9 birds
3) Two pairs and seven singles = 11 birds
4) Three pairs and five singles = 11 birds
5) Three pairs and seven singles = 13 birds


Turtle Dove. Farcet Fen. 18 May 06. They occasinally wander right under my office window.

Images | Panasonic Lumix FZ-30
All images © Steve Dudley

Gypo Goose

A neighbour has just stopped by to ask me what the goose-like bird is sat in one of the fields on the fen. I presumed it was the Muscovy Duck which has been seen out here recently, but she said it was the wrong colour. I asked her to point it out to me and she said ‘well there it is – you can see it from here’ pointing across the fen from my front door! To my amazement it was an Egyptian Goose. The Fletton BP bird I presume (only c.3 miles from me). So, garden tick no. 119 and my fourth for the year.

Garden listing is great. Just like normal listing, you don’t know where the next tick is going to come from. Gypo Goose was never on my ‘likely’ list unlike many other species which have yet to make it on!

Full garden list click here.

Of fen and field

A few images of recent days activities.


Turtle Doves. Four of the eight in the garden in recent days. Farcet Fen. 15 May 06.


Grey Partridge female. Blackbush. 15 May 06.


Grey Partridge male. Blackbush. 15 May 06.


Snipe. Nene Washes. 13 May 06.


Yellow Wagtail. Nene Washes, 13 May 06.

First nights trapping of the summer on 12/13 May. Not a great deal - the best being -


Swallow Prominent


White Ermine


Muslin moth

Turtle Dove and moth images | Leica D-Lux 2
Other images | Leica APO Tevevid 77 c/w 20xWA eyepiece & Nikon Coolpix 995
All images © Steve Dudley

Black Tern

Friday 5 May

Walkng back across the fen I noticed distantly a handful of birds over the irrigation res. Wow! Black Terns! Since I was nearer home I called in for scope and camera and could see them flitting around from the bedroom window - garden tick no. 118! By the time I had walked down to the res the birds were wheeling high in the sky. They started to come back down, but unfortunately they headed south and pitched down on to Bevill's Leam. I nipped back home for the car and popped down to Tebbitt's Bridge where the birds could be viewed feeding along the leam down towards Froghall Bridge - too far for any snaps. Boo!

Full garden list click here.