At the recent Cambridgeshire Bird Club conference on Migration, Simon Gillings described his astonishing night time recordings of birds passing over his Chesterton garden: Little Grebes, including display calls, Barn Owl, Ring Ouzel, Common Scoter, Sandwich Terns – adult and juvenile and on several nights big numbers of thrushes. Overnight on Sunday 4th – Monday 5th November he recorded his “busiest” thrush night ever with at least 850 Redwings, a minimum of 79 Blackbirds, plus five Dunlins and a Water Rail and Fieldfares. @simon_gillings. Astonishing!

As well as providing new insights his records also complement some daytime observations. I have very rarely seen Little Grebes fly – only scurry across open water in a panic – but they have colonised the new lakes at Trumpington Meadows, Hobson’s Park and Eddington so they must arrive on night time migrations. I have seen an adult Sandwich Tern being trailed by a begging juvenile over Vinery Road many years ago. On 31st October Simon recorded a big night time passage of Redwings, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes and Fieldfares; the following morning I saw many Redwings feeding on hawthorn berries along the river to Baitsbite Lock.

It’s not just night time recording that adds to our understanding of bird movements. At the same conference, Dick Newell described a Common Swift, satellite tagged in one of his nest boxes in Landbeach, which was tracked to Mozambique the following winter. This bird almost certainly fed over Cambridge and our project area.

Three wintering Blackcaps caught in the UK and with fitted with geo-locators were found to have come from: 1, Eastern France; 2, Central Germany/N Italy; 3, Western France. Bird No3 must have migrated due north to winter in the UK.

So, where do birds live? Do they live where they breed, where they spend their winter or in the migration locations in between? Bird distribution is governed by food supply. The current thinking is that many species originated in (sub-Saharan?) Africa and moved out to follow seasonal sources of food when their African food supply became limiting; 2.1 billion birds migrate between Europe and Africa.

A species of Willow Warbler weighing less than 10gms (the weight of a 50p piece) has been tracked migrating from far Eastern Siberia, where it breeds, to over-winter in Tanzania/Mozambique. This one-way migration of 12-13,000km is the longest recorded amongst songbirds; the following spring it returns over the same distance. This truly is survival of the fittest!

Yellow-legged Gull Hobson’s Park (left)

The pair of Yellow-legged Gulls, one with a red leg ring (below)

Most winters there an influx of an unusual species. Last winter it was Hawfinches, this winter early signs suggested Couses’s (Arctic) Redpolls, Waxwings and/or Rough-legged Buzzards. The few Redpolls that have been found are mainly coastal but a carefully look amongst Lesser Redpoll flocks – in the Alder trees by the guided Busway near the Regional College – is worthwhile, Waxwings in Helsinki is a good early sign they will appear in the UK, but few have turned up. A good spot for Rough-legged Buzzard (R-LB) could be on the rough fallow north of Eddington. There are two R-LBs in the north of the County at the Great Fen project. If Short-eared Owls and a Hen Harrier can occur on the fallow before the construction of nearby Darwin Green, then so could a R-LB turn up here.

A new species for me in our project area was two Yellow-legged Gulls (Larus michahellis) at Hobson’s park on 6th November. Rob Pople saw them there on 20th October and the same species was there on 26th November 2017, plus one on Emmanuel College Sports pitches (off Wilberforce Road) in July 2015. Other recent records: Coldham’s Common, June 2016 (Carlos Davies); over Cambridge Science Park in July 2018 (Jon Heath); and Hobson’s Park on Sept 19th this year. This species was first recorded in Cambridgeshire in 1987 when it was then considered a sub-species of Herring Gull (Larus argentatus michahellis). One of the recent birds has a red leg ring. The birds were adults, at least 4 years old; the leg ring should have a visible identification number but it was probably put on as a newly fledged chick and the number has faded. It was probably ringed in southern Europe, where they breed and where it is the common summer sea-side gull replacing the Herring Gull. Wintering north of their breeding range is unusual but now regular!

Kestrel at Eddington

Black-headed Gull and Great-crested Grebe Eddington (below right)

Hobson’s Park Reserve (below left)

At Hobson’s Park a relationship between Great-crested Grebes and Black-headed Gulls can be seen: the gulls pick off edible material disturbed by the diving grebes; the same can be seen at Milton Country Park between Coots and Gadwall ducks.

A Common Buzzard over the Market Square on 27th October sent the pigeons scattering; 2 Grey Wagtails over Eddington and two Kestrels were hunting over fallow land to the north of the development on 5th November; a pair of Tree Creepers in Logan’s Meadow on 6th November; a flyover Green Sandpiper was heard near Fen Ditton on 8th November. Hobson’s Park attracts other species: on 9th November 9-11 Snipe around the lake margins is the biggest number of this species I have seen in our project area since they bred, with Redshank, in the wet meadows along the Fen Road up to the mid 1980’s; plus, a Stonechat and a Kingfisher. On 12th November 15+ Bramblings were recorded in the Beechwoods (Mike Foley) and a Bearded Tit at Trumpington Meadows on 15th November (Iain Webb) www.cbcwhatsabout.blogspot.com

Bob Jarman

bobjarman99@btinternet.com

17th November 2018

Six hundred and thirty Golden Plovers over Trumpington on 2^nd October was a good record (Steve Cooper, www.cbcwhatsabout.blogspot.com); Hobson’s Park is a good place to see overwintering birds. A Chiffchaff was singing in Long Road on 7^th October and another bird calling in Logan’s Meadow on the same day. It’s worth keeping ears and eyes alert for rare migrant warblers especially Yellow-browed Warblers that are being found increasingly inland and not just along the east coast in autumn. A probable was heard by Nick Littlewood on 19^th October in trees off the Fen Causeway but was not seen or relocated – they like Sycamores. In previous years, they have been seen and heard near Maids Causeway, Castle Hill (photographed) and last year in the trees bordering Stourbridge Common.

Trumpington Meadows on the 9^th October had three hunting Kestrels; five Little Grebes on the pond and a confusing first year female Tufted Duck without any sign of a tuft. Trumpington Meadows and Hobson’s Park have been buzzed by drones which certainly disturb wildlife. If you see drones there contact the Wildlife Trust and Cambridge City Council (Guy Belcher) respectively. Disturbance especially during the breeding season could be an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981).

My Robin has stopped attacking its reflection in my windows but Richard Price, whose house overlooks Hobson’s Park, sent me a picture of a stunned Meadow Pipit that had flown into his window; the bird recovered and flew off.

Stunned Meadow Pipit – Hobson’s Park (left)  Male Peregrine – Cambridge (right)

The night time recording of flyover migration by Simon Gillings (@simon_gillings) continues to produce fascinating records: overnight on 1^st – 2^nd October Pink-footed Geese; 7th-8th October, Common Scoter, Snipe, Redwing; 10^th – 11^th October, 352 Redwings and 101 Song Thrushes – the last date also saw big numbers of thrushes arrive along the east coast at Holme Bird Observatory. Goldcrests have either arrived from the continent or have disbursed from local coniferous nest sites: two were in the only trees in Thompsons Lane on 13^th October – potted Olive Trees – by Jesus Ditch and Beche Road

The more we know about bird migration the more remarkable it becomes – not less! The recording of night time migration at inland locations and the identification of species killed by Peregrines at their inland nest sites has added new dimensions to our understanding as well as satellite tagging and geo-locators, which require catching the birds and attaching these devices to them. The Cambridgeshire Bird Club has a conference on Bird Migration on Saturday 2^nd November at Cottenham Village College – all are welcome – details on the Bird Club’s web site.

At Wakefield Cathedral, beneath the Peregrine nest and roost site, the severed head of a Leach’s Petrel has been found! This pelagic species was either an inland vagrant brought in on strong winds (there is some evidence for this) or a strategic overland migration from the North Sea to the Irish Sea and then onwards to the south Atlantic where this species spends our winter. In spring, it returns to breed on the northern isles such as Foula. This bird never made it and was probably killed by a Peregrine at night.

The Cambridge Peregrines can still be seen regularly in the city centre and have been seen along Madingley Road (Robin Cox) and over the junction of Histon Road with Gilbert Road. The photograph shows the male, taken on 18^th October – the female is about a third larger with bigger moustaches!

Crowing over the flag!

Pre-roost gathering of Carrion Crows

Kestrel over Trumpington Meadows

Black-headed Gulls began to arrive along the river, in small numbers, from Riverside to Jesus Green in the second week of October; last winter numbers built up to about 275 birds. Grey Wagtails, typically birds of waterside can be seen and heard over any part of the City but two were around Jesus lock on 13^th October. A Red Kite was seen over farmland in the north of our project area on 19^th October. On the same date a pre-roost gathering of 35+ Carrion Crows assembled in Whytford Close, Chesterton, making an absolute din – a cacophony of crows! This number is probably half the City’s population. I have no idea why or whence they departed. I couldn’t resist photographing one Carrion Crow standing on the top of the flagpole above the Guildhall.

The photograph of the Roe Deer was taken on 15 October at the Stump, just east of the Fen Ditton/Horningsea Road on the edge of our project area; a good place to see Roe Deer in our project area.

Roe Deer at the Stump Spider season (left)  Garden Orb spider (right)

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com 25^th October 2018

During the autumnal months of September and October the moth trapping season begins to wind down. The number of moths caught and diversity of species generally decrease with each recording session. Lower night time temperatures, including the first frosts of the season, as well as the increasing likelihood of rain and stormy conditions mean there are fewer opportunities to run the trap. This October there has been an exceptional spell of mild weather. The temperature in Cambridge on the night of 12/13th reached 18 ºC – perfect conditions for some late season moth trapping and over 50 moths graced the trap the next morning; exceptional for this time of year.

One particular species tends to dominate my garden trap in north Cambridge in autumn – the Large Yellow Underwing. Late August to early September is the peak of the flight season for this big and clumsy moth. At this time, it is not uncommon for over 100 individuals to be filling the trap in a single night’s catch. Accompanying the Large Yellow Underwings are other routine species for early autumn. These include Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Vine’s Rustic, Square-spot Rustic (which comes in an incredible variety of forms) and the oddly named Setaceous Hebrew Character. As we move later into September one of my favourite groups of moth start to appear – the Sallows. These striking moths are generally woodland species, which have evolved a yellow, orange and brown colour mix to their forewings to camouflage against the autumnal senescing leaves. This autumn has been good for this group, with Barred Sallows and Sallows trapped in decent numbers. Dusky-lemon Sallow has so far eluded me this year but I managed to record my first Orange Sallow – a stunner!

A plague of Large Yellow Underwings and Sallows: (Clockwise from top left) Barred Sallow, Sallow, Orange Sallow and Dusky-lemon Sallow

Moving into October and the real autumn specialists start to appear. Generally, moths emerging at this time of year are darker with more brown tones compared with those typical of the summer months. Some of the more regular October species coming to my garden include Black Rustic, Blair’s Shoulder Knot and Lunar Underwing. There is always the chance of something more interesting, and though not too rare, I was pleased to catch Mallow, Feathered Thorn and Yellow-line Quaker in recent nights. White-point is a moth that tends to do very well in the Cambridge area and, despite being marked as Nationally Scare B, turns up in most trapping sessions at this time.

Top to Bottom: Feathered Thorn, Yellow-line Quaker, White-point

Micro moths are much less numerous in autumn compared with the summer months, with only a handful of species recorded in most trapping sessions. There is however always the potential for a few interesting species turning up, especially if there is a mild night. A new micro moth for me this year was the Box-tree Moth. On finding this invasive species in the trap I was amazed to see how big it was; far larger than most micros and even some macro species! These invaders first appeared in the UK in the London area in 2007, and have subsequently spread northwards. There is now a large population in the Trumpington area – much to the dismay of local gardeners. Other interesting micros from my garden in the last 2 months have included: Epiblema foenella, Agonopterix nervosa and Acleris sparsana.

From top to bottom: Box-tree Moth (left), Epiblema foenella & Agonopterix nervosa

Jon Heath 15th October 2018

The ducks on the edge of Hobson’s Park were not Garganey but Teal; I got it wrong – several birders contacted me …. moving swiftly on!
(left) Teal! Hobson’s Park – 7th September

Cattle Egret – Mare Fen (left)

Confrontational Robin (right)

A Peregrine on St Luke’s Church on 12th September (Ben Greig) was a good find. Disbursed birds from the City’s breeding pairs could be hanging around any of our tall building and, in the past, have been seen on the Catholic Church, St Giles Church, St Andrews and St George’s churches in Chesterton and the Riverside chimney. A female Marsh Harrier over the NIAB’s Trials Ground in the north of our project area on 13th September was unusual and a new bird for the site and probably our project area. It fits the pattern of most adult birds leaving local breeding sites over winter and returning the following spring. A brown juvenile Hobby was also seen there on the same day.

There are still Chiffchaffs about; 13th September was a beautiful day and three were singing along the river between Chesterton and Fen Ditton and one, possibly two, feeding in the tit flock in the rear gardens of the Doctors’ surgery in Fisher’s Lane, Cherry Hinton on 24th September. A Blackcap was in Logan Meadow willows on September 29th.

Simon Gillings tweeted recording night time passage of Tree Pipit, Golden Plover and Robins on September 13th. (@simon_gillings).

The Swallows that bred under the A14 bridge near Horningsea were still feeding over the river on 13th September but had gone a week later on 20th September. Six were over Fen Ditton meadows on October 1st. The first Siskin paid a fleeting visit to the garden feeders on 14th September but I have not seen it since. The confrontational Robin, far from being at ease with him?self, continued to attack his reflected image in the second and third floor bedroom windows. He has given that up and now chases away any other songbird that appears near the garden feeders up to Blackbird size.

A Meadow Pipit, low over Hawthorn Way on 19th September, was unusual. A skein of about 120 Greylag Geese and 25 Canada Geese flew over Fen Ditton towards Milton County Park on 20th September. It’s always worth a look into geese flocks for Barnacle Geese (probably from the feral population that breeds freely on the Suffolk coast) and Pink-footed Geese. Pink-feet have been seen in the north of our project area in the past and will be wanderers from North Norfolk. Olwen saw a distant ring-tailed harrier opposite the Beechwoods on 19th September; it was probably a Hen Harrier but two ring-tailed Pallid Harriers have turned up not far away: one at the Wildfowl and Wetlands reserve at Welney and one in nearby Herts around Therfield Heath and Greys (Cambridgeshire Bird Club Autumn Bulletin 2018).

The Herons feeding along the river at Riverside can be very confiding if not intimidating! I have seen an adult walking on the concrete embankment just meters from pedestrians and cyclists. On 29th September, I saw a Carrion Crow killing and eating a Woodpigeon on Midsummer Common. I have never seen predation by a crow like this before; it grimly stabbed it to death with its bill. Perhaps the pigeon was sick or injured or had been stolen by the crow from a Sparrowhawk but there was no sign of one.

A raptor survey on the edge of our project area on 22nd September produced no visible bird of prey passage but a strong southerly movement of about 100 House Martins in the allocated one-hour watch.

On 23rd September Chris Brown saw a flock of 19 Spoonbills flying over Stetchworth Ley heading west towards our project area (www.cbcwhatsabout.blogspot.com). At some point, they changed direction and turned south and were next recorded in Greater London in the Beddington area ( www.surfbirds.com)! Six Cattle Egrets have been present on the Wildlife Trust reserve at Mare Fen, between Swavesey and Over, for much of the month and are probably part on the recent influx into southern England. They seem to have disbursed and are quite likely to turn up around the cattle on our riverside commons; the bird found by Jon Heath in April 2016 with cattle off the Fen Road was probably the wandering long staying bird from a site in Suffolk.

Simon Gillings recorded overflying night migration of Sandwich Terns on five occasions during the month including at 21:33 on 22nd September and 04:51 the following morning (@simon_gillings).

Redwings are now arriving from Scandinavia and their nocturnal flight call were heard on September 26th. There is an excellent website – www.xeno-canto.org – that has recordings of bird songs and calls.

A recent report from the RSPB proves that persecution of raptors continues and is widespread; we know this – one of our local Peregrines was shot and injured last year but was taken into care at the Raptor Foundation near St Ives and recovered and was released. If you want an excellent a day out with the children/ grandchildren/by yourself/with another visit the Raptor Foundation.

The BTO wants Tawny Owl hooting records – www.bto.org/owls. I have records from five probable breeding sites in our project area and plan to submit these. The popular “toowit toowoo” rendition – is, I think, an amalgamation of the female “keewick” and the male hooting “towooo” calls.

Small Copper  (left)

Migrant Hawker (below)

Honey Bee? (below) feeding on Ivy flowers

I’m a great fan of Ivy – except growing up my house walls! There is a fine tree in Ainsworth Street shrouded in ivy – the City Council claims the tree is unstable and must come down. Ivy certainly does increase wind resistance during storms but is a wonderful late pollen and berry source for insects and birds especially city House Sparrows. It would be better to trim the ivy rather than fell the tree. There is a full wall of ivy behind the Cherry Hinton Doctors surgery that was full of bees during mid-September. The best House Sparrow nest colony in the City was in the ivy covering the front of a house in Radegund Road but it was removed and the sparrows were forced to move on.

The fine weather also brought out Small Copper butterflies in our project area which, it seems, have had a bad year and Migrant Hawker dragonflies in our sector of Milton Country Park.

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com

1st October 2018

Sound recording night time migration over the City has produced sensational results (see August Blog: NocMig). Jon Heath set up his recording equipment in his garden in north Cambridge on the night of 28th August. The next day when he played back the recording, there appeared to be the call of an Ortolan Bunting at 02:57am. He set it up again the next night and, incredibly, recorded another set of Ortolan Bunting calls. He checked with other experienced bird call recordists and all agreed: Ortolan Bunting. This is likely the second and third records of Ortolan Bunting for Cambridgeshire and our project area after Simon Gillings, of the British Trust for Ornithology, recorded the first from his east Cambridge garden last year. These records add to the theory that Cambridgeshire and the skies above our project area may be an important migratory flyway highway for birds.

Ortolan Buntings breed in central Europe and Scandinavia and are rare east coast migrants, mostly in autumn. They have never been seen in Cambridgeshire; these are the very first records. Ortolan Bunting is known to be a nocturnal migrant and an autumn flight path over southern England was suspected after a sequence of recordings over Dorset in 2016. Both Simon’s and Jon’s records have yet to be ratified by the Rarities Committee of the Cambridgeshire Bird Club.

Whitehall contingency planning for a no-deal Brexit has been named after another bunting – Operation Yellowhammer.
Yellowhammers have become one of our most threatened farmland birds; I assume the names of the Whitehall operation and the status of Yellowhammers are intended! There are three breeding territories of Yellowhammers near the Histon Road/Huntingdon Road footpath close to the Darwin Green Development.

Garganeys – Hobson’s Park 7th Sept 2018 (above)

Local patch birding is a new enthusiasm amongst bird watchers …. as well as chasing rarities on the Norfolk coast! If I lived nearer to Hobson’s Park that would become my local patch. It’s a brilliant park in our NatHistCam study area, with a nature reserve established by the Cambridge City Council. It’s the best place I know for Corn Buntings and nearby, on 7th Sept, in small ponds by Long Road Bridge, there were two Garganeys; an unusual species for an urban location.

There were also two Yellow Wagtails, House and Sand Martins, the House Martins presumably from the Addenbrookes colony. What I like about Hobson’s Park is the “big sky”: Addenbrooke’s in the distance looks like a nuclear power station and the new low-rise development of Great Kneighton is on the opposite horizon!

I have a new and very territorial Robin (left) in my garden. It spent two days attacking its own image in the kitchen window and eventually flew into the kitchen to sort out this competitor. He (probably not a “she” as the sexes cannot be separated easily) flew out of the kitchen in terror and now lives at ease with his own image …. very male!

Ortolan Bunting in Greece – Jon Heath (left); Corn Bunting – Hobson’s Park Spring 2018 (right)

I often wonder what lives on Elder (Sambucus nigra). The larvae of some moths do but I never see any evidence of eaten leaves. Text books say it’s especially frequent near rabbit burrows and badger sets because both species find elder distasteful. The berries often go uneaten but I saw a bush behind the Grafton Centre completely stripped of berries by a mob of Starlings, which I have never seen before. Maybe that accounts for its distribution as seedling and saplings appear everywhere presumably from flyover bird droppings.

During this (hottest on record) summer I often heard crickets. On a mid-August evening, I heard one on Castle Hill and then another outside my house in Chesterton, which I recorded. I matched the recording with an excellent free app called: iRecord Grasshoppers and related insects. They were non-native House Crickets (Acheta domesticus) and have been heard in Cherry Hinton, Trumpington and Grantchester. I have heard them before at Addenbrooke’s by the heating systems. I understand they are escaped food for pet reptiles and this hot summer has brought them out from torpor.

Watch flocking Long-tailed-Tits. The frenzy of the flock often attracts other bird species and its always worth a look to see what else has been drawn in. Flocks usually have a lead species – in the UK it’s often Long-tailed Tits and flocks may circulate around a feeding territory as a “bird wave”. In the tropics and semi-tropics these flocks draw in both aerial feeding species and ground feeders.

The Common Lizard colony at Orchard Park has a stay of execution. Development of the site may not now take place until spring 2019 and hopefully a translocation site will be found.

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com

10th September 2018

The more we learn about bird migration from satellite tracking and the night time recording of over-flying birds the more remarkable the story becomes; as if it wasn’t remarkable enough anyway!

Guy Belcher recorded 43 Whimbrels over Little Shelford on 20^th August – they were likely Siberian birds moving south and they probably passed over our project area. The north westerly winds today (25^th August) will probably produce a show of Arctic and Great Skuas (Bonxies) on the north Norfolk Coast. The curious thing about these birds is they appear to fly west and into the Wash rather than follow the coast east then south on their southerly migration. Observations suggest they exit the Wash at the mouths of the rivers that flow into it – the Great Ouse and the Nene – and continue a south-westerly overland migration following these river valleys. They continue south-west to join the Severn estuary and so “short-cut” the route round south-east England and arrive into the Atlantic much quicker.

The Whimbrels were possibly following the same track. A comparable spring migration has been observed with skuas following the Great Glen north-east from the Atlantic to the North Sea avoiding the route around the north of Scotland. I once saw an unseasonal immature Arctic Skua fly out of the mist in mid-January 1985 at a farm reservoir in our project area.

Our project area could be a major flyway highway! In the 1960/1970’s Graham Easy observed Skuas over Milton but at a great height moving south west over the City. The trouble is that skuas usually fly too high to be seen and do not call so cannot be picked up by night-time sound recording (“noc-mig”). Migration height is another puzzle with some recent evidence that songbirds fly at altitudes of 5-6 km. This comes as no surprise. It was once assumed that Siberian migrants flew round the Himalayas to avoid flying at extreme altitude over the mountains and then filtered east and west to over-winter in the Indian sub-continent. In the 1970’s local birders camped in the Himalayas above the tree line noticed large early morning flocks of thrushes making land fall from the north. They had clearly come straight over nearby 6-7 km high Himalayan peaks.

It makes sense for the Whimbrels, Guy recorded, to follow the Ouse/Cam valley over our project area. Many winter in west Africa and on the Canary Islands and this is a much more direct route from Scandinavia than following the coast of England to the Atlantic. However, some do just that and I recently saw two groups of 10 and 15 flying south past Southwold.

Recent finds below the feeding perches of the City centre Peregrines include the severed head of a Moorhen and Black-tailed Godwit feathers! How the severed Moorhen’s head got there is anyone’s guess – an overhead migrant perhaps!? I don’t think I have ever seen a Moorhen fly any higher than 5 m! I suspect our City centre Peregrines hunt over the Ouse Wash. I have seen Peregrines heading north-east over Castle Hill/Huntingdon Road and between Girton and Impington and sitting in the aerial tower at Over. The general trajectory of travel seems to be towards the Washes and I have seen birds hunting at Chain Corner between Earith and Sutton Gault.

A recent article in The Observer (RSPB chief warns: we’ve got to protect our rare birds. 19.08.18) talks about the loss of 420 million birds in western Europe. The article specifically mentions Cirl Buntings which were occasionally recorded in our study area in the 1940’s and 1950’s (Bircham 1989). They are now only found in south Devon and Cornwall and were the subject of a successful RSPB recovery programme. Farmers there have combined to grow successions of spring crops leaving weedy over-winter stubbles on which the birds feed. Turtle Doves have declined by 90% which might be due, in part, to the loss of habitat in their African wintering grounds. This is the first year (in my birdwatching life-time) I have not seen a Turtle Dove.

The development at Darwin Green pushes our farmland birds: Skylarks, Yellow Wagtails, Yellowhammers, Linnets and Grey Partridges further to the edge of our project area whilst species like the Tree Sparrow have been lost. The devastation of adjacent landscapes and habitats due to the A14 widening might mean these species may require specific recovery programmes in the future like the Cirl Bunting.

Watch for unexpected autumn migrants in back gardens. An easterly wind followed by rain could bring new birds to your local patch and garden. Two autumns ago, a mixed flock of tits included Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, a Lesser Whitethroat and a Reed Warbler in my very small Chesterton garden. Later in October, and if you are lucky, listen for the high pitched, rising “suwheet” call of Yellow-browed Warblers – they like Sycamores. Not to be confused with the contact calls of overflying Redwings, especially at night, that begin to arrive in numbers from the end of September – that’s a thin, high, flat “zeep”!

Bircham, P.M.M. (1985) The Birds of Cambridgeshire. Cambridge University Press.

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com

27th August 2018

Most of my birding is done by sound not by sight, but it depends where you are. In the City, gardens and woodlands it can account for 90% of records, which can then be checked out visually: flyover Peregrines, Common Terns along the river, singing/calling warblers, thrushes passing overhead at night when they arrive from the end of September onwards, even when sea watching – passing waders and the distinctive flight call of some gulls, especially Mediterranean Gulls.

The New Birding is to set up sound recording equipment at night, in a quiet spot away from peripheral noise and capture the flight calls of night-time migrants. Records can be confirmed from listening to play-backs or converting sounds to sonograms and comparing these to standard samples for comparisons; it’s called NocMig! I have heard Whimbrels and Green Sandpipers over Cambridge on clear dark nights in August, but this new technique is more systematic. Highlights this July have included a Whimbrel, Quail and, remarkably, a Bittern over our project area. Now is the time for active wader migrations and, with or without recording equipment, it’s worth listening on clear dark nights (especially if the wind is from the north or east).

A day-time Whimbrel was recorded over Trumpington Meadows on 27^th July (Iain Webb). It also confirms that  urban Peregrines hunt at night and the remains of over 100 species of birds have been found in their pellets, many of which must be on overnight migration e.g. Quail, Nightjar, Water Rails. 

Wimbrels – Donegal 2017

Until the late 1960’s the Cambridge Sewage Farm was THE local hotspot for wader watching – especially during the autumn and spring passages. I remember seeing and hearing my first Temminck’s Stint and Wood Sandpipers there. One rarity recorded was the Red-necked Phalarope. The latest edition of British Birds describes its migration, which must be one of the most remarkable. After breeding on Fetlar, Shetland, male phalaropes fly north and west to Greenland, then south along the east coast of North America to the Caribbean, cross central America to winter off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru …. and then back again the following spring! WHY? Did they start to do this before the continents moved apart, or because food and therefore breeding conditions were so much better in Shetland?!

Most of our Swifts have gone; a few remained over Chesterton on 6^th August. Swallows are still feeding young in Ditton Meadows (right) and Horningsea. Rooks may be having a tough time. They are birds of damp north–west Europe where they can probe soft earth for grubs and insects.

The baked soils due to the hot weather must have cut off much of their accessible food supplies. The Rookery count next spring will be a measure of how many Rooks survived this exceptionally hot summer.

Rook probing solid ground baked hard by the sun

A specific search for Meadow Pipits on agricultural land in the north of our project area found none. This is the first time in 30 years that no breeding pairs have been found. Meadow Pipits are Red Listed (50% population decline without any signs of recovery). I have no explanation other than loss of an insect food supply – in winter there is often a flock of 20+ birds.

Accompanying the Meadow Pipits in winter are Pied Wagtails (right). From now on they begin to assemble in overnight roosts. There used to be a roost of about 150 birds in the trees outside Carlucci’s Café by the Grand Arcade (Lion Yard!).

 Left: You are being watched! Roe Deer in the north of our project area

Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps are still calling in the heat of the mid-day sun.

I hope this exceptional summer has been good for butterflies. The following photographs were taken in Chesterton at the end of July. The Butterflies of Cambridgeshire (Field, Perrin, Bacon and Greatorix-Davies) features the Grizzled Skipper on the back cover. This butterfly is now a County rarity but in the 1960’s and early 1970’s it was common on brownfield sites in the north of the City: Arbury and Chesterton.

Below: Battered migrant – Painted Lady

Right: Peacock

Right: Speckled Wood

Bob Jarman         bobjarman99@btinternet.com

6^th August 2018 

I was wrong about the Common Terns not appearing this year. Two pairs were feeding along The Reach at Fen Ditton on 11^th July and one pair headed off high due south with food, as if to feed young. I have never worked out where they breed, but this pair were heading towards Cherry Hinton Pits or even Hobson’s Park.

Common Tern on The Reach 1^st July                       Reed Warblers were still feeding young on Ditton Meadows on 1^st July, but where are the Sedge Warblers this year? Perhaps the “Beast from the East” stalled their north-wards migration this year. Some years ago, I photographed a Sedge Warbler at Little Wilbraham and only noticed on the photo, it was ringed; closer examination showed it had a French ring. Perhaps that’s where their migration north stopped this year.

I guestimate there are 10 pairs of Kestrels in our project area and perhaps the same number of Sparrowhawks. Jon Heath has a wonderful film on Twitter of Sparrowhawk chicks in a nest in the north of the City; Barry Sims has photographs of a nest in Romsey town (below). Sparrowhawks became extinct in Cambs in the early 1960’s due to toxic agrochemicals. They were extinct in the County for about 25 years but returned in 1985.

Peregrine at the second City site

Common Buzzard over Ditton Fields

Female Sparrow-hawk with chicks Romsey

One Peregrine fledged at the second breeding site in the City (photo Richard Johnson). I guestimate five pairs of breeding Buzzards in our project area; in July, whilst watching the City Centre Peregrines, a pair of Buzzards were circling over the city in the same binocular view. Just five years ago I would not have thought this possible!

We have had no rain since the 29^th May; in Queen Edith’s Way Goldcrests come to drink at a garden pond and “skitter” across the lily pads. A Garden Warbler is still singing in the Orchard in Milton Country Park, on the very northern edge of our project area and Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Song Thrushes were still in song in mid-July. Two territorial male Yellow Wagtails were located at a farm site also on the northern edge of our project area.

A Quail heard at night over the City is, I suspect, a first for the City and hints at the nocturnal movement and migration of birds that goes unnoticed.

Himalayan Balsam (above), an aggressive coloniser of river and stream banks, is well established in the south-west corner of Ditton Meadows. Eighty-Five Ivy Broomrapes were counted in the central reservation in Longworth Avenue and lots in St Giles (Ascension) Cemetery in deep shade, but none in Newnham College grounds this year.

Lots of Swifts are screaming over their nest territories. Interesting data from Clarke Brunt’s Swift nest boxes in Milton:

• Birds return from 5^th May to 7^th May; first eggs are laid from May 14^th to May 25^th
• They lay two or three eggs (2 or 3 days apart); hatching is approximately 19 days from the last laid eggs; from hatching to fledging is approx. 42 days. Fledging is from July 19^th to August 2^nd.
• If an adult is lost and the remaining bird attracts a new mate and lays a new clutch, fledging can take place from August 16^th to 18^th but one exceptionally late pair fledged young on September 9^th. In the field, a September Swift sighting is unusual.

Thank you Clarke – I hope I have those figures correct! See – http://www.viridis.net/animals/swifts.html

The excellent photograph of the fledged Peregrine is by Richard Johnson – his Facebook page is: https:/www.facebook.com/Richard-Johnson-Wildlife-Artist-318774484888727/.

The photo of the Romsey Sparrowhawk with chicks is by Barry Sims. Thank you, Richard and Barry,

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com 17^th July 2018

To the amateur naturalist moths can be a fascinating subject to study. They are an incredibly diverse group with over 2,500 different species recorded in the UK (71 species of butterfly recorded in the UK seems meagre in comparison!). Though often dismissed as brown and drab, many moths are quite the opposite, showing just as brightly coloured wings and a great deal more variance in terms of shape and body size than butterflies.

What makes moths such an interesting group to study? Well, for me it is the fact that a large diversity of species can be observed in a small area, such as an ordinary back garden. The most effective way to assess the moth population of a site is to run a ‘light trap’ overnight. This technique attracts moths in large numbers by exploiting their tendency to become disorientated by bright light. Moths enter the trap where they rest on egg trays and are unable to get out. The next morning, the ‘catch’ can be studied and once identified and recorded the moths are released unharmed. Using this method to date I have recorded over 400 species of moths in my north Cambridge garden.

Actinic Mercury Vapour moth trap

Privet Hawk

There are many spectacular and beautiful moths to be found in the Cambridge study area. The most impressive group are the Hawkmoths, which are medium to large moths, often brightly coloured. There are seven species which can be regularly recorded in Cambridge city which include the enormous Privet Hawkmoth (as large as a mouse!), bright pink Elephant Hawkmoth and stunning Eyed Hawkmoth. Late May to July is the best time to look for Hawkmoths and this year has been particularly good with a larger than normal number recorded.

Elephant Hawkmoth

Eyed Hawkmoth

Buff Tip (upside down!)

On an average night at this time of year one could expect to catch at least 50 species, even in urban areas. Intriguing moths such as the Buff Tip (which perfectly mimics a twig) as well as the striking Leopard Moth and Phoenix Moth are all common in the city centre.

Warmer nights tend to be the most productive, and with the ongoing heat wave which Cambridge has been experiencing, it has resulted in a bumper spell for moth recording. The night of July 7th produced a particularly large catch in my garden, with upward of 450 moths consisting of 120 different species!

With every trapping session there is always the chance of catching something rare. Trapping during the warm weather and southerly winds this summer has been rewarding with several unusual species recorded in my garden. These have included the Red Data Book species Toadflax Brocade (only a handful of Cambridgeshire records), the scarce immigrant Dewick’s Plusia and one of my favourites – the Scallop Shell, which is normally confined to damp woodland.

Toadflax Brocade

Dewick’s Plusia

Scallop Shell

As we move into late July and August we can expect a shift from spring and summer flying moths to late summer and autumn specialities. This can be a very productive period and produce some of the largest catches of the year. Two particular species: Large Yellow Underwing and the curiously named Setaceous Hebrew Character have been very abundant during this period in previous years – often filling the trap! There is also the increasing chance of catching a rare immigrant or two, as migrant moths are carried by favourable autumn winds from the near continent.

Jon Heath 13^th July 2018

One of the young Peregrines from the city centre nest site fell to the pavement on 5^th June. It was taken to the Raptor Foundation near St Ives for rest and recovery and released to its nest site on 12^th June. A second bird fledged successfully but a third chick died in the nest. The Peregrines at the second site had one large chick in mid-June. The bird from this site that was shot last year and also taken to the Foundation recovered and was successfully released earlier this year.

A pair of Sparrowhawks displaying over Canterbury Street on 31^st May suggests a late nesting attempt – the first might have been lost in the April rains. A male Sparrowhawk over the old Ridgeon’s site in Cromwell Road was probably on a hunting mission from the active nest in Romsey Town.

A Cuckoo in Rustat Road on the 8^th May was an unusual city record – it may have been “casing” Hedge Sparrows to parasitise.

A Barn Owl hunting over Ditton meadows on 1^st June during the day was probably feeding growing chicks in a nearby nest.

Change of ownership of a terraced house has meant the ivy growing on the front of the house has been removed and one of the best House Sparrow colonies in the city has been lost. It’s a difficult one: ivy growing on house walls – I’m sympathetic to the new owners and would probably do the same myself.

Sad young Peregrine on the pavement 5th June photo from Twitter

Meadow Pipit Hobson’s Park mid-June 2018

A cycle ride from Chesterton to Addenbrooke’s on 12th June across Coldham’s Common produced the following singing warblers: 10 Blackcaps, 3-4 Chiffchaffs, 2 Common Whitethroats, 1 Lesser Whitethroat (by Barnwell Road bridge) and 1 Garden Warbler (south eastern corner of Coldham’s Common, in the tall hedges). This time of year Chiffchaffs make a strange, soft “grrk, grrk” call between “chiff-chaffing” which is often not mentioned in the text books. No Cetti’s Warbler in Barnwell this year – might not have survived the Beast from the East.

Blackcaps are abundant this year with birds singing in most dense groups of shrubs and trees – St Lawrence’s School, Arbury Road and on the other side of the road at St Catherine’s Road/Arbury Road junction are good examples. A Willow Warbler singing in the birches opposite Cambridge North station suggests breeding. This warbler is becoming scarce in the south of England; the UK population seems to be moving north and west.

Common Whitethroats have eventually turned up but about half the usual number. Sedge Warblers are in very short supply. Goldfinches feeding on sunflower seeds appear to discard the embryo end of the seed and just eat the endosperm.

Three to four pairs of Swifts appear to be using the Swift Tower in Logan’s Meadow. The UK population of Swifts is about 87,000 – down 50% in the last 20 years and has probably declined due lack of nest sites as we seal and modernise our roofs and loft spaces. Swift awareness weeks encourages us to install nest sites in our houses, see: www.actionforswifts.blogspot.co.uk/.

A second count of apparently active nests of House Martins at Addenbrooke’s in mid-June produced 74 (73 in mid-May!).

Hobson’s Park between Addenbrooke’s Hospital and Great Kneighton is well worth a visit (bicycle is best!). There are at least eight singing male Corn Buntings making it the best local site for this bird I know. Corn Buntings are Red Listed resident farmland birds and have suffered a severe population decline of 90% of the breeding population between 1970 and 2010 (Balmer et al 2013). They are late nesters and nest on the ground. If they nest in winter barley the eggs are destroyed at harvest in late July and if they nest in winter wheat the young are killed at harvest in late August. They have also suffered from the lack of over-winter stubbles for winter feeding. In 2016 John Meed had 6-7 Corn Buntings on the adjacent grid square covering Nine Wells.

Corn Buntings singing at Hobson’s Park mid-June 2018

Hobson’s Park also has plenty of Skylarks and a few Meadow Pipits breeding – the latter another Red Listed resident bird of our open countryside. The lake there has 2-3 pairs of nesting Common Terns amongst the breeding Black-headed Gull colony and, at least, 2 pairs of breeding Lapwings and Little Grebes. Sadly, there are no Sedge Warblers – the habitat looks ideal – but at least two singing Reed Warblers.

The single Common Tern seen in April on Riverside was probably the same single bird at Milton Country Park; that too has left. Sadly, no Common Terns are to be seen in our project area along the river Cam this year.

The RSPB does an annual nocturnal “listen” for Crakes and Rails at their wetland reserves; this year they located a calling Little Crake at their Ouse Fen reserve between Over and Holywell on 23^rd May. The last County records were both in the City in late March at Barnwell in 1826 and Chesterton in 1864 (Bircham 1989); both birds were collected, i.e. shot and stuffed!

Common Blue butterflies were out at a farm site in the north of our project area in May and June enjoying the hottest May on record; I’m not much of a botanist but there are vigorous plants of Viper’s Bugloss (love the name) along the cycle-ways at Cambridge North Station and Hobson’s Park. Ivy Broomrapes are appearing in the ivy central reservation in Longworth Avenue, Chesterton.

Balmer D. et al (2013) Bird Atlas 2007 – 2011. BTO, BirdWatchIreland, SOC

Bircham, P. M. M. (1989). The Birds of Cambridgeshire. Cambridge University Press

Bob Jarman bobjarman99@btinternet.com 20^th June 2018