If I have a choice where to go its Hobson’s Park ………at the moment!. It used to be called Clay Farm. Countryside Properties who,I think, are the agents/builders of Great Kneighton (the “e” before the “i”!) have created a recreational area and nature reserve between the new village and the railway line. The nature reserve will eventually be handed over to the City Council, as will, I expect, the area set aside for allotments. From Chesterton to Hobson’s Park on the southern edge of our NatHistCam project area is an easy cycle ride for me mostly along the guided bus routes out into “big-sky-country” and also to the nearby chalky arable escarpment of Nine Wells.

John Meed has been studying Nine Wells for several years as it is threatened by the expansion of Addenbrookes. He has counted: 33 pairs of Skylarks, 17 pairs of Linnets, 15 pairs of Grey Partridges (73 birds there in November 2017 – Cambridgeshire Bird Club Annual Report No 91, 2017), 14 pairs of Yellowhammers, 6-7 pairs of Corn Buntings and 1-2 pairs of Yellow Wagtails – all Red Listed bird species. It is a remarkable list of threatened farmland birds on the edge of our City.

Hobson’s Park looks as though it might extend the habitats at Nine Wells with the addition of a wetland nature reserve. Corn Buntings are already singing there on sunny days so too are Skylarks; 12 Linnets seem to be resident and a pair of Stonechats can be seen on most visits (see December 2018 blog). On/around the wetland site are +/- 60 Common Snipe, 4-5 Jack Snipe (several observers), a male Bearded Tit (since mid-November) which gives the best views of this species you could wish for (but it can be elusive and often feeds on the ground at the base of the reeds), 3 Little Egrets, Kingfisher,Water Rail, Kestrel and an assortment of ducks. A Jack Snipe was also seen at Eddington on 24^thJanuary (Boris Delahaie, www.cbcwhatsabout.blogspot.com)

Bramblings are uncommon winter visitors to Cambs. According to Iolo Williams on Winter Watch there has been a Brambling invasion into the UK this winter due to a shortage of beech mast in Europe. Beech mast is their staple winter food. The Brecklands around Brandon have big flocks most winters and reported numbers in Cambs, this winter, have been about average – the flock of 40+ in the Beechwoods is unusual but not exceptional. In January 2018, I spent the New Year in 2017/2018 in Israel and saw large flocks of Bramblings on the very southern limit of their winter range in the Golan Heights and along the eastern edge of the Sea of Galilee – a bird I did not expect to see there – and not a Beech tree in sight!

The cold weather in the last week of January and the first few days of February has brought winter thrushes – Fieldfares and especially Redwings – into the city to feed on berries. On the 1^st February, there was a flock of 150+ over the Elizabeth Way roundabout at the junction with Newmarket and East Roads – I could not work out where they had been feeding. Large numbers of Redwings were also“casing” Orchard Park for berry bearing street trees and bushes on Saturday 2^ndFebruary. Signs of a Hedgehog around my garden were good but also bad because it should have been hibernating.

A male Blackcap was in Tenison Road on 1^stFebruary (Martin Walters), 60+ Skylarks on part of the Darwin Green development that is still mown pasture and waiting for the JCB’s, and a Red Fox behind the gardens in Tavistock Road.

Bob Jarman 4th February 2019 bobjarman99@btinternet.com