Wildlife of St.Ives Estate

Bird Walk 14th May 2011

2011-05-14T20:41:00.001+01:00

Another late start, 7.30 am again, on a much cooler windy day. The blustery wind had a bit of an effect on the bird life but thanks to the sun shining the birds were singing though not as well as they would on a warmer calmer day.

Much the same as last week though no sign of the Crossbill. The Wood Warblers are still singing some distance off the path in the Racecourse Plantation. The Pied Flycatcher is still singing near the Monk's Pond in Cuckoo Nest Wood. These are both good signs that they have attracted mates and will stay to breed. Fingers crossed!

There were plenty of Blackcap, Willow Warblers and Chiffchaffs singing with a supporting cast of Garden Warblers (2) and Whitethroat. Several birds were seen carrying food indicating young in the nest.

The Little Owl was on show sat on the dry stone wall near the pylon field.

On my way home I managed to see a couple of Sand Martin flying over the road from Heather Park towards Harden Moor.

Species List;

Pheasant, Canada Goose, Mallard, Coot , Moorhen, Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Woodpigeon, Stock Pigeon, Swallow, House Martin, Sand Martin, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin, Wren, Hedge Accentor, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Garden Warbler, Wood Warbler, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Goldcrest, Pied Flycatcher, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Jay, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch

Bird Walk 7th May 2011

2011-05-08T20:34:00.000+01:00

Kicking off as late as 7.30am the 1st bird walk of 2011 was well attended. The two of us, both birders, enjoyed one of the better walks due to both the good weather and the amount of birds seen or heard.

In recent weeks both Pied Flycatcher and Wood Warbler have returned to St.Ives and were still present though both took a little finding. It was discovered that there are currently two males of both species singing in Cuckoo Nest and Racecourse Plantation respectively.

Two male Whitethroats were heard with one being seen after a short wait.

A Crossbill was heard flying over Coppice Pond before the walk started.

Species List;
Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Mallard, Moorhen, Coot, Pheasant, Woodpigeon, Stock Pigeon, Skylark, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush, Song Thrush, Robin, Hedge Accentor, Wren, Whitethroat, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler, Goldcrest, Pied Flycatcher, Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Rook, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Crossbill.

M Doveston, J Roberts

Hawfinch update

2011-03-05T21:14:00.000Z

The male Hawfinch is still being seen in the same place near the play area, in the surrounding tree tops.

As a result of extra observers in the Estate a couple of different Buzzards have been seen flying overhead during the past month.

http://bogimages.blogspot.com/2011/03/eureka-hawfinch-coccothraustes.html

Hawfinch update - Tuesday 22nd February 2011

2011-02-23T23:38:00.000Z

The male Hawfinch is still being seen around the play area car park though it has now twice been seen to leave the area heading East. Possibly to Betty's Lodge.

Hawfinch update

2011-02-14T23:19:00.000Z

Two weeks after the Hawfinch was first found it is still being seen by visiting birders in the same place, outside the Mansion House grounds opposite the play area car park.

It appears to be using the trees between the play area car park and the STRi offices as well as the ones to the left of the drive-way into the Mansion grounds.

At the Weekend there was a Little Grebe on Coppice Pond as well as a female Goosander.

Hawfinch update

2011-02-04T18:53:00.000Z

The Hawfinch is still being seen close to the Mansion House from 9am until 11am.

Better images have been posted on the BOG Images blog below;

http://bogimages.blogspot.com/2011/02/hawfinch-st-ives-today.html

January 30th 2011

2011-01-30T17:52:00.000Z

Hawfinch

First seen at approx 09.40 behind the mansion in a tree top with other finches and Redwings.

It flew off with a Redwing to the front of the mansion house where it was re-located on it's own at the very top of another tree. It spent about 10 minutes there before dropping down to feed among the lower branches. As more birders arrived it flew off to the nearest Yew Tree close to the mansion house.

It was seen briefly again close to the Yew Tree from the back of the mansion house.

Please note the mansion house grounds are off limits to the public. However there are footpaths or roads around the mansion house and it's private gardens which should suffice for those wanting to try and see the Hawfinch.

Elsewhere

Brambling, Siskin, Redpoll, numerous GSWdpkrs drumming,

80+Mallard, 18 Canada Geese, Common Gull, 50+BHGull,

Fieldfare, Redwing, Nuthatches

16th May 2010 Bird Walk

2010-05-17T20:50:00.002+01:00

Seven of us gathered at the Coppice Pond entrance, later joined by an eighth, at 7am for the final spring bird walk around the estate.

The highlight of the walk was the relocation of a singing male Pied Flycatcher which may have been the same on heard two weekends before in Cuckoo Nest Wood. This weekend he was singing in the oak woodland above Beckfoot Lane. He was very active flying from tree to tree singing.

A single Siskin was heard flying over Racecourse Plantation which could be either a late staying winter migrant or a potential breeding resident in one of the conifer plantations.

The cool strong breeze did it's best to disuade the birds from singing but with spring in full swing it failed to do so and many species were heard. There do, however, appear to be less Song Thrushes and Chiffchaffs this year, possible casualties of the long cold winter?

With leaves on the trees it is now getting hard to see the heather moorland at Heather Park which looks more like a young woodland every year and we're already losing the bird species which breed in the moorland habitat.

Nest sites for Treecreeper and Nuthatch made both easy to see.

With more to listen to the walk took almost three hours but as we were busy it flew by.

Thanks to all who attended.

Bird Walk - 18th April 2010

2010-04-18T11:01:00.002+01:00

The first bird walk of the spring was well attended, thanks to those who took part.

The usual route clockwise around the estate starting at Coppice Pond was taken.
A pair of Tufted Duck on Coppice Pond were an early highlight.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard throughout and along the trail in Cuckoos Nest Wood the yaffle of a Green Woodpecker briefly broke the dawn chorus.
Chiffchaff and Song Thrush were largely absent though females of both were seen collecting nest material.

Coal Tits were very vocal in the conifer woodlands. Nuthatch were likewise in the oak trees.

Blackcaps have returned in decent numbers to Cuckoos Nest.

A pair of Little Owls were observed in their "usual" haunt.

A female Sparrowhawk was seen circling over the lower woodland edge.

May 2009

2009-05-27T13:23:00.002+01:00

May is the month where most of our summer visiting birds arrive. Sadly once again we haven't seen Pied Flycatcher, Redstart, Wood Warbler or Redstart arrive. This is despite all the nest boxes.

We do have Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and plenty of Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaffs and of course Swallows.

Siskins put in an appearance mid month but have moved on as have any Redpolls that were lingering.

Squirrels and their young are numerous in the woods and at the feeding station. A large brown rat can also be seen feeding on the ground. We may have to stop scattering seed on the ground for a while.

Now the warmer wether is upon us insects are more active with many butterflies being seen around the estate. Dragonflies and Damselflies won't be far behind.....

18th April 2009

2009-04-21T12:14:00.002+01:00

These mallard ducklings were on Coppice Pond. Also on the water were three Tufted Ducks and the usual mix of Coot, Moorhen and Canada Geese.

Elsewhere in the woods were several Chiffchaff, Willow Warblers and Blackcaps, all recent arrivals for the summer. There were also a scattering of Siskin throughout as well as a pair of Redpoll.

Recent sightings from B.Nield

2009-03-10T12:24:00.003Z

Below is an email sent by B.Nield after his first visit into St.Ives Estate.

Hello, I had a trip up to St.Ives Estate yesterday & had a walk around the
coppice pond area & a long sit in the new observation area. There were 30+ Canada Geese, 20+ B.H.Gulls, 15+ Mallards, 6 coot & a Moorhen on the water, unfortunately getting severly harrassed by Dogs jumping into the water after them.

At the feeding station:
Robins:5, Not fighting just all feeding in different areas together.
Dunnocks:3, Same as Robins not fighting.
Pheasants:1M & 1F, very shy but male came out when it was quiet.
Wood Pigeons:6, Mega shy usually came out when no people in hide. Managed
2 when on my own. Great Tits:8+, Blue Tits:3, Coal Tits:6, L.T. Tits : 2's & occasional party of 5. Nuthatch:3 at one time. Chaffinch:1 lonely female. Treecreeper:1, had a good look around the trees at the station on 2 occasions. Sparrowhawk:1, only a fleeting glance against the sun, so no way to sex. Blackbirds:2 pairs, again no fighting all feeding together. I also saw a wood mouse nip out for a few seeds & there were 6
Squirrels at one time.

Blue Tit at the feeders

2008-11-09T12:30:00.000Z

Brambling 09/11/2008

2008-11-09T12:28:00.002Z

A male Brambling was found at the new feeding station. Here it is pictured with a Coal Tit.

Goosander on Coppice Pond

2008-11-02T23:08:00.001Z

Coot on Coppice Pond

2008-11-02T21:04:00.001Z

October News

2008-11-02T00:25:00.004Z

Thanks to a winning bid FoSI were awarded funds via the WREN project. Part of our plan was to have a bird hide over looking a feeding area. On the 21st October the bird hide was officially opened. The hide is along the main path past Coppice Pond. It has already been a success with people and the birds! Below are some images taken from the hide.

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Nuthatch

Blue Tit

Missing migrants

2008-07-01T12:51:00.002+01:00

This year St.Ives appears to have missed out on some birds it used to attract.
Redstarts, Tree Pipit, Wood Warbler, Cuckoo and Pied Flycatcher all used to be annual visitors. Pied Flycatchers were hopefully going to be encouraged back into Cuckoo Nest Wood with the erection of about 200 nest boxes. In 2007 we did get a male singing for about ten days but he didn't return this year. The first four mentioned have been missing for a few years now with only Wood Warbler putting in appearances though these have finally dwindled to zero this year.

On top of that this year St.Ives didn't have any singing Garden Warblers at all to my knowledge. Though we have gained Whitethroat these are only turning up and singing and not holding territory.

Dawn Chorus 2008

2008-05-23T13:01:00.003+01:00

Two guided walks took place on the 3rd and 10th May which were tied into the International Dawn Chorus Day, which was promoted by the BBC.

Both walks were well attended by 9 and 7 people.

Complete novices and birding beginners were introduced to the various bird songs as we made our way around the estate grounds. Though nothing rare was seen or heard, those whom attended marvelled at the songs of Song Thrush and Blackcap. By the end of the walks many were picking out "their own" Chiffchaffs.

The awe factor was provided by the female Goosander and her 11 ducklings all sat out in the sunshine preening.

Sadly, the star summer migrants haven't arrived even now, so we didn't get to listen to Pied Flycatchers, Redstart, Wood Warbler or Garden Warbler

First breeding Goosanders at St.Ives

2008-05-10T00:03:00.002+01:00

Image supplied by I.Hargreaves with thanks

April 2008

2008-05-01T13:38:00.002+01:00

With March being much colder this year than of late, summer migrant species were late to return. April started in a similar vein but eventually migrants started arriving. Chiffchaffs & Blackcaps normally arrive in March but didn't start turning up until mid-April. By the end of April there were at least 9 singing Chiffchaff and 4 singing Blackcaps. Willow Warblers were also back but not in good numbers.

There have been a few sightings of a Common Buzzard over St.Ives and the surrounding area, though nobody has managed to see a pair.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers have been drumming in several locations around the estate.
I have only heard the Green Woodpecker once though.

Coots, Canada Geese and Moorhens are all sat on nests.

When the weather improves we should have an influx of migrants, fingers crossed it'll be soon...............

24th March 2008

2008-03-26T12:09:00.002Z

A full circuit starting from the new car park, clockwise through Cuckoo Nest Wood, past Coppice Pond & bog, past Lady Blantyre's Rock and into Racecourse Plantation via Heather Park.

Cuckoo Nest Wood; Plenty of bird song from Song and Mistle Thrushes. At least two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming. Nuthatches were also in good voice and quite active.

Coppice Pond; A pair of Goosanders graced the pond. 29 Canada Geese made their presence felt but the Mallard numbers appeared to be low. Coot numbers were good with 12 present.

Lady Blantyre's Rock; Both Siskin and Redpoll flew over head.

Racecourse Plantation; Another woodpecker was drumming.

On the whole spring was in the air but not summer as both Chiffchaff and Blackcaps have yet to arrive.

January 2008

2008-02-16T14:08:00.002Z

The Mute Swan has departed and has not returned, and he has not returned to East Riddlesden Hall where he spent his adolescence.

Goosanders have been seen occasionally usually in pairs on Coppice Pond.

The Canada Geese have returned in force with at least 22 present most days.

In the woods Siskins have been found in flocks of 20+ around the Lady Blantyre's Rock area and in Racecourse Plantation. One or two Redpoll have been seen with them.

Many birds have started singing now with good numbers of Robin, Chaffinch joining the Song Thrushes and Blackbirds in the dawn chorus.

Great Spotted Woodpeckers are now drumming in the woods.

Some birds have started pairing off and even nest prospecting though it'll be a while before they start breeding.

On the sunny warmer days one or two Butterflies have been seen.

23rd December 2007

2007-12-23T22:41:00.000Z

A full circuit today produced few birds but at least the weather was nice for a change.

Coppice Pond
The male Mute Swan is still present (no doubt sometime soon he'll be "named")
No sign of any geese or visiting waterfowl. Plenty of Moorhen and Coot among the army of Mallards.

Racecourse Plantation
Siskins were heard overhead. A party of Long-tailed Tits contained Goldcrests and Coal Tits.

Golf Course - fields adjacent to the second tee.
On the dry stone wall a pair of Little Owls sunning themselves were interupted by a Grey Squirrel. One flew off but the other just ignored it by pretending to be a stone.

Cuckoo's Nest Wood
Nuthatches were vocal but difficult to locate. However we saw at least 4 Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

15th December 2007

2007-12-17T12:14:00.000Z

A full wander around the estate grounds this morning produced the following sightings;

Coppice Pond
Although partially frozen it made counting the waterfowl easier. The lone Mute Swan remains but there was no Canada Geese again. There were 42 Mallards, 10 Coot and at least 7 Moorhen.

Racecourse Plantation
Feeding quietly in the pathside trees were 4 Redpoll which I nearly missed as I walked past them. thanks to a flock of Goldcrests I managed to see them.

Blind Lane
A flock of 75+ Redwings were feeding among the leaf litter under two large isolated trees in the fields either side of Blind Lane. they didn't appear to mind me as I got closer and closer and I had excellent views of this winter visiting Thrush.

Cuckoo's Nest Wood
Nuthatches and Treecreepers were very vocal though I didn't see many of either.

More Fungi images

2007-11-17T14:22:00.000Z

17th November 2007

2007-11-17T14:21:00.001Z

Nothing much to report today, the woods were very quiet. I did manage to see or hear some Redpolls at Coppice Pond and at the Racecourse Plantation.

The Mute Swan remains at Coppice Pond, though there was no sign of any Goosander, Tufted Ducks or Little Grebe.

Pictures from the Fungi Foray - November

2007-11-10T09:27:00.001Z

3rd November 2007

2007-11-06T12:10:00.000Z

I spent a couple of hours walking around the estate grounds counting birds for the BTO bird atlas. November isn't usually a great month to bird watch in St.Ives, however, I did find several parties of Siskin and Coppice Pond was very busy.

Coppice Pond
The Mute Swan remains, at least 10 Coot were present, as were 7 Moorhen.
The Black-headed Gull count reached over 50. Mallards numbers were high but Canada Geese numbers were low, with only 6 being seen.
A small flock of Siskins were in the Alders around the waters edge. A large flock of Long-tailed Tits contained few other species.

Racecourse Plantation
Another Tit flock contained all the common species, Blue, Coal, Great and Long-tailed.
More Siskins were heard.

Cuckoo Nest Wood
I heard just two Nuthatches throughout.

21st October 2007

2007-10-22T07:33:00.001+01:00

I had a walk around parts of the estate with some other members of the Friends of St.Ives committee looking for some historical features. While we were searching I had one eye open for the wildlife, as you do.

Coppice Pond area;
The Mute Swan is still present. There were many Black-headed Gulls waiting for folk to come along and feed the Mallards and Canada Geese. In the nearby woods a party of Long-tailed Tits were very vocal as was a Fieldfare. Jays were seen foraging in the horse fields.

Friends Wood area;
A Little Owl sat on the dry stone wall was a welcome sight, as it's been a few months since I last saw one in the area.

Racecourse Plantation; Siskins were present.

Siskin flight call

2007-10-20T14:58:00.000+01:00

Dunnock Calls

2007-10-20T14:40:00.000+01:00

22nd September 2007

2007-09-26T12:25:00.000+01:00

An early evening walk from Coppice Pond clockwise past Lady Blantyre's Rock, past the Heather Park and through Racecourse Plantation produced the following;

Coppice Pond
The Mute Swan that has remained all summer still has yet to attract a mate. When he does it'll be interesting to see how the breeding Canada Geese react.

Lady Blantyre's Rock area
Several Siskins were heard flying over.

Racecourse Plantation
Even more Siskins were heard overhead, these I presume are migrants from the north.

Kettlewell Reservoir area
A Kestrel was seen sat on the wires.

9th September 2007

2007-09-10T10:11:00.000+01:00

Some more good observations by a fellow birder;

A Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and three Crossbills were seen bathing in the dis-used Kettlewell Reservoir.

Long-eared Owl

2007-08-22T07:23:00.000+01:00

A birding friend of mine visited St.Ives on 21st August sometime in the afternoon. Not expecting to see a great deal given the time of day and year he didn't take his binoculars. This is always a mistake when a birder as you're bound to need them, and he did. A young Long-eared Owl was calling and flying around near Lady Blantyre's Rock.

Insect images by I Hargreaves

2007-07-29T11:41:00.000+01:00

July so far....

2007-07-17T07:14:00.000+01:00

I've not been around St.Ives for a while, partly due to the weather, partly to do with the breeding season making it harder to see woodland species.

Recently there has been a lone Mute Swan on Coppice Pond, this is a first for me in over twenty years! Also a male Tufted Duck was present early July, that left me wondering if they had stayed to breed but I could find no sign of a female on a nest and so far there hasn't been any sightings of her with young.

I ventured in on Sunday 15th to help set up for the Pageant. Though I didn't see many birds I did notice the following as I was going about my duties:

Sparrowhawk circling over Blind Lane. The Swallows have been successful as there were many of them flying around the stables. A Grey Wagtail kept visiting the Mansion area where I was directing traffic. There were at least three Chiffchaff singing. Jays and Nuthatches were making a lot of noise.

I also had a couple of sightings of a fox.

10th June 2007

2007-06-10T19:52:00.000+01:00

An early morning wander produced many sightings of juveniles fledged from nests of various species. No sightings of either Flycatchers though.

25th May 2007

2007-05-26T08:55:00.000+01:00

Spotted Flycatcher was seen this morning in Cuckoo Nest Wood, between next box 36 and the steps up to the Ferrand's Oak.

Photos by S Ipson

2007-05-20T21:04:00.001+01:00

Song Thrush

Pied Flycatcher

19th May 2007

2007-05-19T12:03:00.000+01:00

Another scheduled bird walk for the Friends of St.Ives, this one being attended by three Bradford Ornithological Group members. This week we dropped down into Cuckoo Nest Wood to try and see the Pied Flycatcher first and then walked up past the reservoir and Racecourse plantation and down to Lady Blantyre and finally Coppice Pond.

Cuckoo Nest Wood
Unfortunately the high winds kept many of the songbirds from singing and those that were singing were harder to hear. However, after what seemed an eternity we found the male Pied Flycatcher as he sang. He'd been very elusive as this week he has moved to the woods up hill from nest box 39 and is no longer right next to the path. We discovered a Blue Tit pair are using box 14. Male Blackcap and Chiffchaff were using the same tree to sing from. Nuthatches were seen throughout and we had one sigting of a Jay.

Betty's Lodge
After entering the woods near Betty's Lodge we saw a family party of Long-tailed Tits

White Cotes Barn
A male Sparrowhawk was viewed for a while as it past us and headed away over the woods around Betty's Lodge.

Crossgates Barn
A male Kestrel was seen hunting toward the golf course. A pair of Swallows were feeding close by.

Racecourse Plantation
Goldcrest and Treecreeper were heard and then seen. A distant song drowned out by the wind may have been a Redstart.

Coppice Pond
3 pairs of Canada Geese had 3, 7 and 2 juveniles in tow. No sign of the Tufted Ducks.

I totalled up later and reckon we had at least 12 singing male Blackcaps and 6 Chiffchaffs.

12th & 13th May 2007

2007-05-13T17:48:00.000+01:00

Pied Flycatcher has arrived in St.Ives!!!!

After two years of hoping we currently have a male singing outside nest box 36. Fingers crossed he'll attract a mate and or more males into the woods as there is plenty of real estate available.
Box 36 is east of the old barn in Cuckoo Nest Wood.

In general there are several singing Blackcaps and Willow Warblers with at least 6 male Chiffchaff. Only one Garden Warbler has returned so far and only one Whitethroat is singing on the southern edge of the estate. Wood Warblers are yet to come back.

I'm still waiting for the Spotted Flycatchers to return as well as Tree Pipit. There is still no sign of Redstarts after a few years of them not returning.

Other boxes currently being used are as follows:

Blue Tits are in boxes 66, 59, 40, 37 and 4
Great Tits are in box 34

These are only my observations, if you know of more please do get in touch.
Thanks!

6th May 2007

2007-05-07T16:55:00.000+01:00

A quick wonder around the circuit today hoping to stop for the likes of Tree Pipit, Redstart, Pied & Spotted Flycatchers as well as Wood Warblers.

None of the above were seen! It appears that we're back to normal after a few weeeks of early arrivals during April, with St.Ives lagging behind everywhere else for migrants of course!

Cuckoo Nest Wood -
typical species such as Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Nuthatch were all seen

Coppice Pond -
The pair of Tufted Duck are still hanging around but no sign of breeding yet

Heather Park -
plenty of Meadow Pipits and Willow Warblers but no Tree Pipit, yet.

Two Barns Area -
no sign of the Garden Warbler heard during my last visit.

Kettlewell Res -
a male Kestrel passed overhead.

28th April 2007

2007-05-02T12:14:00.000+01:00

Another complete circuit was done this weekend, starting in the new car park and heading into Cuckoo Nest Wood.

Cuckoo Nest Wood: Plenty of Blackcaps singing as more had obvisouly arrived recently, I listened to one break into his mimicry song as a female approached. There seems to be bit more activety at the nest boxes with a Blue Tit at box 34 and Great Tit at box 5. There were at least 3 Chiffchaff singing.

Coppice Pond: The Canada Geese have bred with at least one family of goslings hatched. The Tufted Ducks were not seen but hopefully they are still present. Coot and Moorhen have both nested.

Coppice Bog: Chiffchaff and Willow Warbler singing.

Heather Park: several Willow Warblers singing

Two Barns area: Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Willow Warblers were all in full song, and a Garden Warbler has thankfully returned.

I'm hopeful that in the coming weeks I'll be seeing other summer migrants such as Tree Pipits, Redstarts, Wood Warblers, Spotted Flycatchers and (fingers crossed) Pied Flycatchers. It'll be interesting this year to see how many Spotted Flycatchers turn up as at one point last year there were 6 singing males, which was extraordinary.

12th April 2007

2007-04-12T11:15:00.000+01:00

I managed a complete circuit today while having a break from work. Starting frm the new car park I walked clockwise around the Estate.

Cuckoo Nest Wood:
plenty of Nuthatches and Great Spotted Woodpeckers. Three Chiffchaff were in song.

Coppice Pond:
We appear to be down to just the birds that are staying to breed as numbers have dropped. Coot and Moorhen are nesting as are abou three pairs of Canada Geese.

Coppice Bog: Chiffchaff singing

Heather Park: several Meadow Pipits singing

Druid's Altar:
At least 4 Willow Warblers were singing, the latest arrivals for the summer.

Crossgates Barn Area:
Both Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing.

Ewe Hills Plantation:
I counted 14 Jay together in a very vocal group.

Not a bad walk that took 2 hours to complete. I counted 7 Chiffchaff in total and 4 Blackcaps. The group of Jays I found very interesting watching as they appeared to be pairing off and dispersing. Song Thrushes were singing all over the Estate grounds.

24th & 25th March 2007

2007-03-28T21:40:00.000+01:00

Saturday 24th March:

As I was on official business around Coppice Pond a friend of mine wandered the Estate birding. Unfortunately for me he managed to see a Red Kite heading north up the Aire Valley away from St.Ives. I have yet to see a Red Kite on "my patch"! He also managed to see a male Blackcap, the first to return this spring, singing to itself near the Druid's Altar exit. On Coppice Pond there were a pair of Tufted Duck. Together we saw a Chiffchaff in Cuckoo Nest Wood.

Sunday 25th March:

I wandered around the Estate hoping to repeat the luck my former friend had as noted above. Sadly I didn't. I did manage to see and hear a singing Chiffchaff which was my first singing one in the Estate this year at Coppice Bog. I also bumped into a flock of 12+Redpoll as well as a couple of Siskin. Generally the woods are alive with bird song in the mornings at the moment and this should slowly get evn better as move through April and into May.

10th March 2007

2007-03-10T23:04:00.000Z

Quite a late start for me this morning, as late as 9.30am! Thankfully the birds were still on show and in song. I managed a complete circuit starting from the new car park clockwise around the Estate.

Cuckoo Nest Wood
Nuthatches and Woodpeckers were announcing themselves often. The whole wood seemed to be alive with bird song. No sign of any Chiffchaff yet but it is still early for them. Jays were visible and noisy and a female Sparrowhawk was spotted on her rounds. A dead Grey Squirrel was found at the path side, completely unmarked.

Coppice Pond - A pair of Tufted Ducks were looking a bit nervous as the dog walker numbers were rising. Still good numbers of Canada Geese but no sign of the Grebe or Goosanders. Spawn of either frog or toad was seen in the shallow areas.

Coppice Bog - Bullfinch were heard.

Lady Blantyre's Rock area - Two Bullfinches were calling with the male breaking out into what could be called a song but it's very basic. 3 Coal Tits were very vocal.

Racecourse Plantation - A Skylark was heard singing in the fields to the north. A flock of Redwings appeared near the pylon.

Blind Lane - 3 Redpoll were chasing each other near the dis-used reservoir. Pied Wagtails have returned to the Estate and were feeding on the lawns of the Turf Research grounds.

A pleasant walk during a mild morning which wasn't very sunny. Plenty of bird life activity.

24th February 2007

2007-02-24T13:09:00.000Z

Though quite mild, this morning was miserable with drizzle and mist. I limited my birding to Cuckoo Nest Wood and Coppice Pond.

Cuckoo Nest Wood:
Great Spotted Woodpeckers weren't put off by the weather and were drumming in at least three locations. I also saw two pairs of Jays. Nuthatches were present but for a change were hard to find. Song Thrushes were belting out their songs throughout the woods.

Coppice Pond:
3 Tufted Ducks were a mild surprise, two males and a female. The Little Grebe from last weeks visit wasn't there but 36 Canada Geese were as well as the resident crowd of Mallards, Moorhens and Coots.

At the bog end of the pond I had a close encounter with a Treecreeper which was a couple of metres away minding its own business.

Play ground area:
A flock of 40 Chaffinches included just one Brambling.

17th February 2007

2007-02-18T15:02:00.000Z

This morning was a much nicer day than of late, being quite sunny and mild. With this hint of spring in the air the bird life in St.Ives performed well with many species singing.

Cuckoo Nest Wood - Several Nuthatches were very vocal and Jays were present all over. A female Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by a couple of Jays and several crows. Great Spotted Woodepckers were drumming at various places.

Coppice Pond - a Little Grebe was present and being quite adventurous as it wasn't tucked away in a corner of the lake. A female Goosander also surprisd me as she didn't fly away when harrassed by a swimming dog. The owner of which seemed oblivious to the signs asking for dogs to kept out of the water. There are currently at least 36 Canada Geese on the lake with a couple defending territory on the island already. Coots and Moorhens alongside the Mallards are still around in good numbers.

Coppice Bog - a male Bullfinch stopped off briefly in the tree tops but not long enough forme to get good views. Two Song Thrushes were seriously belting out their song either side of the bog.

Heather Park - A pair of Goldcrests showed well in the path side trees. I heard at leats three Skylarks calling overhead, no doubt returning to their breeding grounds somewhere.

Racecourse Plantation - At least one Skylark was heard singing in the fields north of St.Ives from the plantation. Chaffinches were singing in the woods as well as a couple more Song Thrushes. A flck of Redwing were in the Beech trees over looking Altar Lane and were singing among themselves. In these same trees there were plenty of Tits and a few Nuthatches.

Blind Lane - A pair of Siskins were flying around chasing each other. A Dunnock was singing a duet with another across the fields.

Todays list: Little Grebe, Grey Heron, Canada Goose, Mallard, Goosander, Sparrowhawk, Moorhen, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Woodpigeon, Stock Pigeon, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Skylark, Wren, Dunnock, Robin, Blackbird, Redwing, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Starling, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Siskin, Greenfinch, Bullfinch.

4th February 2007

2007-02-05T10:07:00.001Z

Today was my first walk around the estate in some time. I have visited to check one or two areas but not done the full circuit. I parked in the new car park and walked clockwise through Cuckoo's Nest Wood, past Coppice Pond, past Lady Blantyre's etc.....

Cuckoo's Nest Wood - a least two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were drumming. I saw a pair together on a dead tree limb. Sadly the storms we had have blown a couple of trees down, one of which has totalled one of the nest boxes off another tree! nuthatches were in good voice as were the Song Thrushes who were really belting out their songs. Jays were not so shy today.

Coppice Pond - At least 38 Canada Geese were on the pond, more than recent weeks.

Ewe Hills - A large flock of Redwing were singing among themselves as they do on the warmer winter days.

Blind Lane - more Redwings in the fields. A small flock of Redpoll were joined by Siskins nearer Kettlewell Res.

4th February 2007

2007-02-05T10:07:00.000Z

27th December 2006

2006-12-27T12:04:00.000Z

After over a week of murky misty overcast skies, today was glorious! Blue sky and sunshine and the birds responded. Everywhere I wondered there were plenty of birds calling and singing and even more foraging about the woods. My walk started at the Bingley entrance and went clockwise around the Estate.

Betty's Lodge - the woods here were very lively with birds. A feding party of Long-tailed Tits were joined by Blue, Coal and Great Tits, Nuthatches and two Treecreepers. A Great Spotted Woodpecker called deeper in the woods and at least two Jays were flying around screeching.

Cuckoo's Nest Wood
A male Great Spotted Woodpecker was at an old nest hole practicing (?) his wood work skills. The woods had plenty of activety and Nuthatches were very vocal.

Coppice Pond - Three pairs of Goosander were still here as well as a Grey Heron. The 23 Canada Geese also remained, but the were no sing of the Little Grebe, Tufted Duck or Kingfisher I have seen recently.

Coppice Bog - 6 Siskins were feeding on an Alder, Bullfinches were calling in the bushes.

Racecourse Plantation - Several Goldcrests were heard but few were seen.

Blind Lane - A small party of Redwing, about ten, were still feeding on the berries alongside Blackbirds and Mistle Thrushes.

In general a very pleasant walk with plenty to see, although it was all common species. Mistle and Song Thrushes are now starting to sing and today's weather encouraged them to do so.

24th December 2006

2006-12-24T10:44:00.000Z

Today I attempted to empty some of the nest boxes that were put up two years ago by the council woodland officers. For this I have acquired a apir of telescopic ladders as they'll fit nicely into a car boot. Sadly even at 3.2 metres tall they aren't tall enough for me to be able to reach most of the boxes. I managed to reach two boxes, both of which had nests needing removal.
After searching for nest boxes which were low enough for me to reach I aborted my efforts and went a watched a few birds......

Coppice Pond; had a pair of Goosanders and the 23 Canada Geese were still present. There was no sign of yesterdays Kingfisher.

Bingley entrance; I had parked my car close to the Bingly entrance. When I got back to my car I noticed there were several birds about so I stood and watched. There are a few large Beech trees which were attracting at least 10 Chaffinches, several Blue Tits, a few Coal Tits and about 20 Great Tits. Also in the area were Nuthatch, Treecreeper, and Great Spotted Woodpecker.

23rd December 2006

2006-12-23T20:56:00.000Z

Coppice Pond:
Female Kingfisher, 23 Canada Geese, 16 Coot and the usual Moorhens and Mallards.

Didn't have a lot of time on my hands today so I just visited to see what was on the pond. The geese have returned and it was great to see a Kingfisher again. I presume these are doing well somewhere locally as I seem to be seeing a lot more nowadays in St.Ives.

16th December 2006

2006-12-16T20:58:00.000Z

Quite a late start for me today as I ventured into the Estate grounds just before 11am. I started in the new car park at the eastern entrance and went anti-clockwise around the outer paths.

Woods adjacent to Betty's Lodge: Several Coal Tits and Goldcrest were heard as were a couple of Treecreepers. There were also a few Jays screaching in the back ground.

Ewe Hills: A feeding party containing the following: Long-tailed Tits, Bullfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Hedge Accentor, Robin, Blackbird and Goldcrests.

Beech Wood near Druids Altar: There were many Chaffinches here but no sign of Brambling.

Racecourse Plantation: Another feeding party with similar species. A Tawny Owl was flushed by two Jays who continued to persue it through the woods.

Lady Blantyre's Rock area: more Bullfinches heard.

Coppice Pond: A lone female Goosander was all that was left of the roost flock. Sadly there was no sign of the Little Grebe and still no geese.

Cuckoo's Nest Wood: contained the usual mix of resident woodland species.

Overall there were plenty of birds actively feeding but no sign of any winter visitors.

Coppice Pond area - 9th December 2006

2006-12-09T11:16:00.000Z

After visiting a few sites before arriving at St.Ives, I decided to just have a slow wander around the Coppice Pond & Bog area. I did a loop from the Harden entrance, up the driveway to the pond and then past the bog and back down to the entrance.

Driveway: I heard my first singing Mistle Thrush of this winter period not long after getting out of my car. It was singing somewhere over towards Cuckoo's Nest Cottages. In the woods adjacent to the drive a feeding party containing Long-tailed, Coal, Blue and Great Tits, Goldcrest, Nuthatch, as well as Treecreeper worked it's way through the trees.

Coppice Pond: My first Little Grebe of this winter period was on the pond in the eastern corner. No doubt it has been pushed off the River Aire by the large amounts of rainfall. A lone female Goosander was all that was left of the potential roost last night. Once again there was no sign of the Canada Geese. The Little Grebe was again present on the 10th as I had a quick look when passing in the morning.

Coppice Bog: another feeding party was present in the trees between the pond and the bog. at the western edge of the bog there were several Jays making a right racket.

Blind spot - 2nd December 2006

2006-12-02T13:19:00.000Z

This morning felt very mild, about 10 degrees C, and the birds seemed to be quite active. I did my usual route, clockwise, around the Estate starting at Coppice Pond.....

Coppice Pond:
There were 14 Goosanders, 5 of which were adult males, but no sing of Tufted Ducks or Grebes.
The usual flock of Geese were also absent. A lone Grey Heron stood at the eastern end of the Pond, no doubt briefly as dog walkers were heading his way.

Coppice Bog:
Several Finches flew over, mostly Chaffinch and Greenfinch, which was pleasing as I thought this might have been a thing of the past now the Bog is clear of trees.

Racecourse Plantation:
Three Bullfinches arrived and fed in a Rowan. A single Redpoll flew over. There was a feeding party with several Goldcrests among the various Tit species.

Blind Lane:
Finally! A party of 70+ Redwing were feeding on berries down Blind Lane. I also heard a Fieldfare but couldn't find it among the Redwing. I did manage to find a single Brambling though.
At the base of the tree which had the bulk of the Redwing in, I spotted a Great Spotted Woodpecker feding about half a metre off the ground. Also present was a flock of 75+ Black-headed Gulls trying to settle on the golf course driving range or the Turf research centre lawns. There were plenty of common residents here also. Jays also came and went. So I had a very pleasant time standing and watching several species.

Cuckoo Nest Wood:
Jays were on show and quite noisy in places, as were Nuthatches and Woodpeckers. A very high flying Sparrowhawk was being mobbed by a Crow.

An extremely pleasing walk around the Estate this morning with many species on show.

19th November 2006

2006-11-19T13:14:00.000Z

Coppice Pond:
3 Goosander (Imm male & 2 Females), 21 Canada Geese,
Mallards, Coot and Moorhens.

Cuckoo Nest Wood:
A flock of Pink-footed Geese flew over but were hidden by the trees, so I couldn't count them or get a definite direction. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jays and Nuthatches present.

Generally very quiet today despite the decent weather. No Sign of any winter passerines and it was quite frustrating to have only heard the Pink-footed Geese going overhead.

12th November 2006

2006-11-12T11:28:00.000Z

Today I parked in the new car park near the Bingley entrance and walked anit-clockwise around the Estate, which is the opposite way round to my usual route.

Conifer plantation near Car park and Betty's Lodge:
A party of about 30, Goldfinch were feeding in the Larch trees along the edge of the wood. A Grat Spotted Woodpecker flew across the car park. There were several Jays in the woods. A male Kestrel was sat on the pylon wires at the reservoir side of the wood.

Crossgates Barn area:
Treecreepers were heard in the woods opposite the barn.

Racecourse Plantation:
No sign of Redpoll or Siskin, but a feeding party of Tits and 'Crests were heard.

Coppice Bog area:
A party of Goldcrests were "pished" down from the tree tops and came very close.

Coppice Pond:
2 adult male and 4 female Goosanders were present today, as well as a male Tufted Duck. The usual flock of Canada Geese and Mallards were keeping a watchful eye out for bread. The 30+ strong flock of Black-headed Gulls didn't include any other type of Gull species.

Cuckoo Nest Wood:
Very quiet except for the occasional calls of Nuthatches and Jays.

A pleasant walk but no sign of any winter visitors at all and no passage over head of anything was noted.

4th November 2006

2006-11-04T14:48:00.000Z

Today was my first walk around St.Ives for quite a few weeks.

After a couple of days with frosty starts today was actually quite mild. I was hoping the birds would be taking advantage of the slightly warmer conditions and be very active. If they were they weren't active around me!

Coppice Pond: had the usual Mallards and Coot, with a collection of Black-headed Gulls. No sign of any Grebes but 5 Goosander were present. An adult male, 1st winter male, 2 adult females and a 1st winter female.

Coppice Bog: A small flock of finches flew overhead including Chaffinch and at least one Brambling (the first of this winter period).

Heather Park: A lone Redpoll flew over.

Racecourse Plantation: Another single Redpoll flew over

Cuckoo's Nest Wood: Very quiet except for the Wrens and Robins singing. I did manage a glimpse of a Nuthatch, but I saw very little else. I heard several Treecreepers and Jays as well as a Great Spotted Woodpecker.

All in all, a nice morning for a walk but sadly very little wildlife on show. Amazingly there was no sign of any Redwing or Fieldfare despite the recent influx into the country.

October

2006-11-02T12:14:00.000Z

With the passing of October, just about all our summer migrant birds will have departed. There might still be the odd sighting of Chiffchaff into November.

Winter visitors, such as Fieldfare & Redwing, have arrived into the Bradford area in general. Bramblings have also been seen and Siskin and Redpoll numbers have swelled.

September

2006-09-14T18:38:00.000+01:00

As I am not spending much time in St.Ives ,due to the migration of birds elsewhere, there isn't and won't be a great deal of news from the wildlife of St.Ives. I hope to have a wander around very soon. October will be even worse for sightings as I will be out of the country for most of the month.

6th August 2006

2006-08-06T12:11:00.000+01:00

Coppice Pond: Had well over 20 Common Blue Damselfy, some of which were laying eggs in the water. The Coot numbers have been swelled by several successful broods this year, but this has been detrimental to the Moorhen as only one pair appear to have bred. A female Mallard had some more downy youngsters.

Lady Blantyre's Rock area: Plenty of common woodland bird species about with young.

Racecourse Plantation: I heard at least one young Sparrowhawk calling here, though I doubt they have bred at this location. Once again plenty of common woodland species were present including family parties of Coal Tit. A Bullfinch was heard calling here.

Kettlewell Reservoir: A female Whitethroat was spotted in the bushes on the edge of the dis-used reservoir as well as young Chiffchaff and Swallows perched up for a rest. The pond life here was great, with several Common Blue Damselflies about as well as Pond Skaters and Water Boatmen.

2nd July 2006

2006-07-02T22:50:00.000+01:00

Coppice Pond and Cuckoo's Nest:

I only found time to have a short walk in St.Ives today, starting off by visaiting Coppice Pond. Here I found 2 broods of well grown Coot juveniles and 2 broods of small downy young still in the next. I spotted a Moorhen with fledged downy young on the edge of the island. The multitude of Canada Geese and their young were all fast asleep on the island itself.

In the woods, very few birds were singing despite the sunny day. 2 Chiffchaff and only one Blackcap could be bothered enough to sing, while very few resident species followed suit. This is undoubtedly due to them all having fledged young to feed. I did manage to see Spotted Flycatcher catch a butterfly, but didn't see any youngsters with it.

On the insect front I saw 2 Speckled Wood butterflies in Cuckoo's Nest. There were also several blue Damselflies on the lillies on Coppice Pond, I presume they were Common Blue Damselfly.

24th June 2006

2006-06-24T09:29:00.000+01:00

Today's sightings included a couple of interesting birds. The first was a Siskin flying overhead from Lady Blantyre's Rock heading North East. This birds presence at this time of year suggests that there marbe a pair breeding locally if not in St.Ives. Hopefully a familt party will be seen in the next couple of weeks.......

A male Tree Pipit at Heather Park was the second decent sighting of this mornings walk. This is also intriguing as it's been about a month since I last saw one in the same spot singing. Have they managed to stay and breed or is it a failed breeder from elsewhere trying his luck ?

The rest of my walk went true to form, all the usual woodland species and most of them now have fledged young. Three pairs of Coots were at three different stages in their breeding cycle. One pair had independant young, another had downy young, while the third were doing some home improvements preparing for the next clutch! Also on Coppice Pond 13 well grown Canada Geese goslings were in a creche while 16 adults were keeping their distance.

In the woods, Great Spotted Woodpeckers were everywhere with young not far behind. Jays were also very vocal all around the Estate grounds. Swallows were seen zooming low over the STRI grounds with young sat on the fences eagerly waiting to be fed. A feeding party of c30 Swifts were found over Racecourse Plantation.

Three Chiffchaff and several Blackcap are still singing alongside the omnipresent Wrens.

Summer sightings to watch for

2006-06-22T12:11:00.000+01:00

As we're now, alledgedly, in summer time most of the bird life in St.Ives will have youngster in tow. There should be many large parties moving through the tree tops. You're probably more likely to hear them rather than see them because of the foliage on the trees. If you do encounter parties crossing the path in front of you during a walk, it's worth just standing quietly and counting how many birds you see. Birds such as Long-tailed Tits can have upto 14 young following them around.

On the sunnier days it's also worth watching for Butterflies and Dragonflies. There are several species of both in St.Ives.

Nest boxes 2006

2006-06-15T12:16:00.000+01:00

Earlier this year the woodland officers from the council kindly put up another 100 nest boxes. This time they went up largely in the wood above Beckfoot Lane with a few in Cuckoo's nest and near Betty's Lodge.

Sadly due to work commitments I haven't been able to check the boxes for inhabitants sufficiently well. I have managed to find that 35 Blue Tits and 2 Great Tit pairs have used the boxes. There could easily have been a lot more during May which I have missed.

June 3rd Bird Walk

2006-06-03T11:18:00.000+01:00

After the previous two walks being complete wash outs, this weeks warm and sunny one was most welcome. Five people joined me for a three hour stroll around the estate grounds which proved to be the best of this springs walks.

Coppice Pond; Canada Geese and Coot have fledged young, the Moorhens won't be far behind.

Coppice Bog; Blackcap and Chiffchaff stil in full song, as well as Blackbird. Whitethroat can be heard outside of St.Ives at the other side of the road.

Lady Bolantyre's Rock; Chiffchaff was singing as we approached the plantation belwo the rock.

Heather Park; 3 Meadow Pipits were seen, which are the first seen for a few weeks now. I was getting worried that the cold wet weather had scared them away. The first 3 Willow Warblers were heard singing.

RaceCourse Plantation; No sign of the Spotted Flycatcher here this week.

Druid's Altar; at least 3 Willow Warblers singing.

Two Barns area; No sign of the Little Owl but 2 Garden Warblers were heard in the woods. Another Chiffchaff sang here as well as a few Blackcaps. A male Kestrel was using the pylon cables as a hunting post.

Cuckoo's Nest Wood; 2 Spotted Flycatchers were seen. Several Blackcap heard. 2 Chiffchaff were heard singing, another was heard calling. Only one Nuthatch was heard.

Other Birds seen: Long-tailed tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Sparrowhawk, Jay. Several nest boxes are being used by Blue Tits and Great Tits.

It doesn't look like we'll be seeing Pied Flycatcher, Redstart or breeding Wood Warblers again this year. The Wood Warbler heard a week ago wasn't there again. However, Spotted Flycatcher numbers must be at a record high!

Thanks to all those who have joined me on the walks this year. I hope to do one or two evening walks but that'll depend upon my work place calming down a great deal.

May Bird Walks

2006-04-30T13:27:00.000+01:00

There are two more birds walks organised in May, 13th and 20th, and another on June 3rd. If you are interested in joining me please get in touch by email (see my profile), by posting a comment on this blogger or by phoning and leaving a message on 01535 274525.

cheers
MD

29th April 2006 - Bird Walk

2006-04-29T12:01:00.000+01:00

Two people joined me on today's bird walk starting at 7am from Coppice pond as usual. As we waited for more folk to join us we watched several pairs of Canada Geese having territorial disputes as their population increases leads to breeding season tension. Also noted was a Coots nest on the edge of the island.

Sadly despite it being two weeks since the last walk there doesn't appear to be many new arrivals. Willow Warblers are back in force as they were last weekend but Blackcap and Chiffchaff numbers remain low. I have had reports of Chiffchaff numbers being in double figures again but today there were only about 4 singing. 8 males Blackcaps were heard and just one female seen.

The best bird of the walk was heard at the Racecourse Plantation, where the "buzzing" of Redpoll was heard briefly. Swallows were noted over the woods. a small number of nest boxes are being used but I have yet to go in and check to see how many and by whom.

We did see a Nuthatch taking nesting material into a natural hole in a tree known to me as a nesting site for them a few years ago. The entrance hole has been tidied up by the new home owners. Jays were far more prominant than of late with at least 6 being seen or heard all around the estate grounds. Great Spotted Woodpeckers were everywhere.

8th April 2006 - Bird Walk

2006-04-08T15:13:00.000+01:00

The spell of warm weather with southerly winds disappeared in time for this weekends bird walk and the cold wet northly weather returned. This meant any of the summer migrants that may have returned in that small window of decent weather didn't make thier presence known by singing. I was very lucky to see the one Chiffchaff that I did as it flew across the path in front of me. This time last year there were nine singing male Chiffchaffs around the estate grounds.

Though the weather was actually quite kind to me as I made my way around the birds were not performing as they usually are and not many were singing. The main highlight was my first ever Great Crested Grebe on Coppice Pond, not only that it is the only one in Bradford Ornithological Group's records as well. It's be nice to see a pair of them stay and breed, but it'll have to attract a mate first! Also on Coppice Pond one pair of Canada Geese are nesting on the island but all the others appear to be just contnent with pairing up and squabbling if they get too close to another's intended. Both Coot and Moorhen are well underway with nest building.

It was a good day to find Woodpeckers with both Great Spotted and Green very vocal and or drumming. Siskin's were also present but in small numbers and they were hard to find, thankfully they were vocal. The nest box numbers have swollen to 200 in recent weeks but there appeared to be very little interest in any of the new or old boxes, but it is early days yet.

Bird Walks in April

2006-04-02T16:01:00.000+01:00

There are to be two Friends of St.Ives bird walks in April 2006.
Both take place on Saturdays on the 8th and 29th.

They start at Coppice Pond at 7am near the gateway.

If you are interested then please get in touch by posting a comment.

A cold March

2006-04-02T15:54:00.000+01:00

March:

I didn't get chance to do much watching in St.Ives this March due to the poor weather and work commitments. With prolonged wintery weather coming from the North the usual late March influx of spring migrants didn't happen. For the first time in years I didn't see or hear a Chiffchaff singing, by 30th March 2005 there were nine singing males present.

The resident species have started to nest but even their dawn chorus isn't as welcoming as usual. April hasn't started much better than March ended and there is the promise of more cold weather to come.

I hope that the winds swing southerly and the air gets warmer in time for the first Friends of St.Ives bird walk on Saturday April 8th.

5th March 2006

2006-03-05T16:01:00.000Z

Coppice Pond was frozen this morning but not totally. In the little bit of water that wasn't frozen a male Wigeon was swimming around with the Mallards. I presume this is the male from a nearby collection and is the same bird that arrived last winter for a short while.

The woods close to Coppice Pond were alive with the sound of Siskins singing and plenty of the usual suspects, Nuthatches, woodpeckers drumming, Robins and Wrens singing alongside Hedge Accentors and Thrushes. A few Redpoll were spotted by a friend of mine.

Very little signs of other wildlife about except for the occasional Grey Squirrel.

It was a gorgeous morning despite the lingering snow from Friday 3rd.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker

2006-03-05T00:46:00.000Z

A male Lesser Spotted Woodpecker was seen at Baxter's Pond high up in the tree tops. It's call was heard first, though briefly, which alerted me to it's presence. It's been about 14 years since I last saw one in St.Ives. Needless to say but I was absolutely choughed to see it. IT fed among the highest branches before flying to the back of the opening where it sat for about ten minutes doing nothing. After a short spell of feeding it then flew of at quite a height before being lost in the sky.

Spring is in the air....

2006-01-21T10:43:00.000Z

21st January 2006

There has been a distant weather warning about a cold spell possibly approaching as Moscow is suffering it's coldest snap for a long, long time. This morning in St.Ives it was very spring like, the sun was shining, the air was warmer and the birds were singing their heads off!

Coppice Pond
1 pair of Goosander were present as numbers remain low.

Woodlands
Mistle Thrushes are in full voice at the moment. One was sing in a treetop where a Redwing flock, of about 60 birds, were joining in singing among themselves. This is something that we don't get to hear often in the UK. I saw a couple of male Blue Tits grapping as they floated down to terra firma, another sign of spring. The woodland birds were very active in general. I even heard a Bullfinch doing his best to sing. A Great Spotted Woodpecker was drumming in Cuckoo's Nest Wood.

A Little Owl was sat out in the sunshine on the roof of White Cotes Barn

14th January 2006

2006-01-14T20:36:00.000Z

Coppice Pond
27 Canada Geese appear to be resident. Goosander numbers have dropped with few being seen at the moment.

Woodlands
With today being a mild and sunny day for a time the woodlandbirds were very vocal. At least three mistle Thrushes were in full song mode, many Great Tits were calling. A pair of Treecreepers were keeping close together.

Winter visitors seem to be very hard to come by. No flocks of winter finches have materialised at all this winter. The Thrush numbers are typically sparodic.

Sightings in December 2005

2006-01-02T00:20:00.000Z

Coppice Pond
Goosander numbers fluctuated greatly with a maximum of 29 being seen late one afternoon mid month. Coot numbers are maintained at about 16 birds present. The Canada Goose flock comes and goes with their maximum being 27.

Two Barns Fields / Blind Lane area
The Redwings disappeared but were replenished when the cold snap brought 159 to the fields adjacent to Blind Lane. Most departed but 60 or so have remained.

Woodlands
Tit flocks containing the usuall 4 species, Coal, Blue, Great and Long-tailed, also attract Treecreepers and Nuthatches. The Crossbill, Siskin and Redpoll flocks just haven't materialised as yet. Hopefully they will between now and March.

Goosanders & Goldcrests

2005-11-26T11:41:00.000Z

26th November 0830-1000am
Coppice Pond:
11 Goosander were on Coppice Pond this morning, suggesting that they may have roosted over night or arrived from a roost in the very early hours this morning.There were at least three adult males with another very scruffy looking male, possibly a younger bird. 2 Common Gulls were among the 25 plus Black-headed Gulls. Good numbers of Coot remain.

Racecourse Plantation:
A large flock of Goldcrests were alongside the path just north from Heather Park. They were showing very well and it was good to see some interaction between them, the flaring of their crests and fanning of tails, as they resolved pecking order issues. In the flock were the usual Tit species and a Redpoll. I also heard another Crossbill fly over. Still no sign of any flocks of Crossbill, just singletons being seen or heard.

Crossgates Barn Area:
40 plus Redwing were feeding in the fields here. A Blackbird was alarm calling due to the presence of a Little Owl in a Hawthorn.

19th November 2005

2005-11-19T14:03:00.000Z

Birds:
Not much to report as it is traditionally a quiet time for the birdlife of St.Ives. There was a small flock of Redwing and I could hear Fieldfare calling somewhere. There was no sign of any winter finches such as Redpoll, Siskin or Brambling and once again no sign of the Crossbills.

Coppice Pond was frozen this morning, except for a small area at either end on the water. About 30 Mallards were in a group at the Eastern end of the pond, the males were displaying to the females among them. The 12+ Coots had an uneasy truce at the West end due to the reduced area of water.

Insects:
I found a pale brown moth on the path in Cuckoo's Nest Wood, but I have no idea which type it was and had no camera to take a photo to enable ID later.

5th November 2005

2005-11-06T01:05:00.000Z

Water Rail at Coppice Pond.
I heard a Water Rail squealing at Coppice Pond this morning but sadly couldn't find it.
There was very little else to be sen despite it being a mild pleasant November morning.
There was no sign of any winter Thrushes or finches.

Winter arrivals

2005-10-29T12:09:00.000+01:00

29th October 2005

Winter visitors have arrived in St.Ives and the summer migrants have departed. There may still be a chance to see Chiffchaff though I didn't manage one today, which being a mild sunny day was probably one of the better days to get one.

I did see Brambling and Redwing which will hopefully hang around for a while. Bramblings are winter visiting finches which like to feast on Beech mast along with Chaffinches and Tits. The best spot for these is between the exit to Druid's Altar and the Racecourse plantation as there is a mature Beech wood and it is usually full of birds all winter long.

Redwings and their cousins Fieldfare are Thrushes and will be in St.Ives as long as there are berries on the trees. These can be seen anywhere with berry trees and they are usually in sizeable flocks. The resident Thrushes can also be seen in flocks joining the winter Thrushes so you may se 5 species in the same tree.

A Kingfisher was at Coppice Pond today. This is a welcome sight and a more fequent one in recent autumn / winters, possibly due to local breeding succes along Harden Beck.

There haven't been any Siskin or Redpoll numbers to speak of, just small numbers seen occasionally but this should change in the new year. No Crossbills were seen.

Feeding parties have formed and several are roaming the estate grounds. These usually consist of Goldcrests, Long-tailed, Coal, Blue and Great Tits along with Treecreepers and Nuthatches. Occasionally Woodpeckers join in.

Other sightings today included:
4 Great-spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, 2 Jay & many Goldcrests.

8th October 2005

2005-10-09T00:12:00.000+01:00

A short and rather wet walk around Coppice Pond and down into Cuckoo's Nest Wood produced few birds. Coppice Pond had at least 11 Coot and the usual gang of Mallards. A Jay was seen near the mansion buildings and a Treecreeper was doing it's thing, creeping up a tree, near the Pond car parking area.

Crossbill at last!

2005-09-25T22:28:00.000+01:00

24/9/05
Bird sightings:
The long awaited sight of Crossbill occurred on Saturday 24th September when a flock consisting of one Crossbill flew from the Blantyre's Rock are heading towards Racecourse Plantation.
(See the link below to find out more about the Crossbill)
http://www.rspb.org.uk/birds/guide/c/crossbill/index.asp

At least 2 Chiffchaff are still present as were 8 House Martins though these may have been passing through. I had three sightings of Grey Wagtail but they may have been of the same bird. A pair of Treecreepers were spotted belwo Lady Blantyre's Rock.

Insects:
Red Admiral were seen passing through

28th August 2005

2005-08-29T09:57:00.000+01:00

Birds:
still plenty of Chiffchaff calling "sveet" around the estate.
Both Blackcap and Willow Warbler are still present
Swallows and House Martins can be seen feeding over woods
Nuthatch, Treecreeper, & Great Spotted Woodpecker in woods
Bullfinches were seen feeding on Rowan berries at Coppice Bog
Small feeding parties of birds are now being formed
But still no sign of the Crossbills invasion in St.Ives.

Insects : Butterflies
Meadow Browns are still about but weather conditions weren't good for finding butterflies and dragonflies this weekend.

11th August 2005

2005-08-11T23:43:00.000+01:00

18.10-19.00hrs Coppice pond area
several Chiffchaffs calling, Goldcrest family party
Immature Coot of various ages on Coppice Pond

6th August 2005 0900-1045

2005-08-06T16:52:00.000+01:00

Birds:
Canada Geese with well grown young, Mallard
Sparrowhawk young heard calling again
Moorhen and Coot with young on Coppice Pond
Swallow, Great Spotted Woodpecker
Several Chiffchaff calling around the estate
Goldcrest with young in Racecourse Plantation
Nuthatch, Jay, Goldfinch etc

No sign of any Crossbills in St.Ives as yet

Butterflies:
Meadow Brown, Large White

Dragonflies:
Common Hawker

Crossbills are coming (?)

2005-08-03T19:22:00.000+01:00

In recent weeks their have been reports of what could be an invasion by the Common Crossbill into Britain from the continent. This usually means that at some point during August St.Ives will have a varying population. In the past we have had flocks of over 100 Crossbills but we often get smaller flocks.

Crossbills are large finches with the tips of their mandibles crossed, hence the name. They prefer conifer plantations and Larch trees as they feed almost exclusively on the cones.

I will obviously post any sightings as soon as I see or hear some

30th July 2005 - 0730-0900

2005-07-30T09:50:00.000+01:00

Birdlife:
Spotted fLycatcher feeding fledged young in trees near
the Harden entrance car park.
Sparrowhawk young heard calling near Lady Blantyre's Rock
Garden Warbler seen near Crossgates Barn
Little Owl seen in Whitecotes Barn wall facing bridlepath
Several Great Spotted Woodpeckers seen and heard throughout
listen for the explosive "Tchick!"call of the Woodpecker
Several Chiffchaff seen and heard throughout, listen for the
nasal "Sveet" call as well as young males trying to sing the
distinctive "chiff chaff chiff chaff"
Nuthatch and Treecreeper were also about with young

Butterflies:
Meadow Brown seen in the horse paddock off Blind Lane

Crayfish in Coppice Pond

2005-07-26T23:43:00.000+01:00

The Crayfish in Coppice Pond have recently been identified as the native species, White-clawed Crayfish. More information can be found at http://www.english-nature.org.uk/default.asp

16th July 2005 - 0800-1030 hrs

2005-07-19T22:48:00.000+01:00

Birds sightings all with fledged young:
Spotted Flycatcher in the memorial wood,
Little Owl, Nuthatch-lots down Blind Lane, Treecreeper
Great Spotted Woodpecker near the Druid sculpture,
Green Woodpecker, Song Thrush, Jackdaw, Jay
Bullfinch, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Chaffinch,
Coal Tit, Blue tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit,
Coot on Coppice Pond, Robin, Blackbird,
Pied Wagtail-several on the Turf research lawns,
Swallow, Chiffchaff.

Garden Warbler was behind Betty's Lodge up Blind Lane

Insects
Plenty of Meadow Browns about at the moment

Pond Life in the disused reservoir
hundreds of tadpoles, a few Water Beetles, Cadisfly larvae
Leeches,