Pick of the birds this week was a cracking male Merlin watched chasing a Skylark near the river. The lark was constantly singing whilst being hunted which I think is the same principle as antelope ‘pronking’ to show predators it is too fit to be worth chasing. It seemed to work as it escaped unharmed.
Floodwater dominated again this week and turned up a few
birds this included Oystercatcher…
We didn’t used to get the first until late February but
they are recorded annually in January now. Also on the floods were 34 Canada
Geese, three Gadwall (far from an annual visitor), a pair of Tufted Duck and 42
Teal. There was also a good count of 57 Common Gulls, again this is unusually
early as they don’t normally appear before early March.
This morning a skein of 21 Pinkfeet flew north over the
village…
A flock of 45 Lapwing over Langlands yesterday included a
very small wader but frustratingly brief views meant I couldn’t identify it.
I also had this unidentified (presumably juvenile) duck species
on the floods yesterday.
It’s actually very rare these days that you walk along the
strandline of receded floods without seeing a plastic duck, where the hell do
they come from?!
Other sightings of note included a group of 12 Siskin in the
trees near Morton bridge and a flock of 120 Linnet in a cover crop along Potter
Lane
Villagers have also reported at least three different Barn
Owls in Ainderby over the last week.
On the mammal front I had brief views of Otter in the Swale
yesterday, eight Roe Deer on Langlands today and at least six Hares doing what
comes naturally!!
Finally, I have set up a little WhatsApp group in the parish
to report wildlife sightings, WIG-WAMS (Wildlife Information Group – Warlaby,
Ainderby, Morton and Scruton). Just let me know if you would like to be added
in.
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