2016 Wildlife Log10/12/2016
Country Life

December

 
17Thrush in garden
24Collard Dove, wood Pidgeon and Magpie all sitting on the roof of the bird feeder.
26Four Collard Doves sitting on power line
  

November

 
5Pied Wagtail seen vertically flying up the power pole
26Scott applies slurry to First Field
27Two Starlings seen in bird feeder eating fatballs
  

October

 
1Gave Deer and Middle Fields the final harrow of the year
4Planted remains of the Grass seed in Deer and Middle field and patches in Paddock and Wildlife Field.
10See Pied Wagtail on the Garage roof. The only one seen so  far this year.
13Rutting Deer herd in Tip Field
26Tawny Owl heard hooting in the darkness.
27New Polgear Hilton bird feeder goes live
28Great Tit is first bird seen on new bird feeder.
29Pied Wagtails are back. Song Thrush sitting in tree stump in lawn. Robin and sparrows feeding in feeder on drive.
  

September

 
15Scott cuts grass in our fields for the second time.  

Saw a flock of over 20-25 Goldfinches flying off from the wall as I went to work this morning.

16Sand see’s a couple of Greenfinches.
25Robin seen on conservatory step.
  

August

 
1Possible Little Owl outside bedroom window tweeting at 3:30 this morning.
2Log delivery. Butterfly bush at side of garage starting to flower.
5Montbretia  now in full flower.
7Hemp Agrimony  growing and flowering in bank by the Garden and First Field
12Little Owl hunting in Observatory Field
14Sand sees Weasel in Garden
26First Pheasant seen for a while.
27Last swallow if the year seen
29House Martins on wire down lane opposite Eddy Kings and flying over our fields in the afternoon. Little and Tawny Owls hooting at 10pm.
  

July

 
1Meadow Cranes Bill found in driveway bank near garage.
6Common Vetch in First Field has lost its flowers.
7Birds foot Trefoil  have replaced most of the Creeping Buttercup in the Garden, especially in the area where the Bunnies dig. Yarrow  and Selfheal flowering here as well.
Common Knapweed growing in wall by the patio Stinking Hawk’s-beard along most of driveway hedge.
White Clover is now out numbering Daisies in the Garden.
10Cleared Bracken from the walls rounds the Middle and Deer Field.
11Set up mouse feeding station with camera.
12Shrew seen on wildlife camera mounted on the woodpile. Selfheal and Greater Birds foot Trefoil now the dominant flowers in the Garden Field.
163 mice, a Toad and a lizard seen escaping from the wall remains in the Middle Field
17Possible sighting of Coal Tit on tree in garden. Lots of Meadow Brown butterflies in Garden Field.  

Scott cuts the grass in all the fields.

18Scott spins cut grass.  Second red Poppy growing on the Paddock.  More Poppy flower heads popping up too.
19Broad-leaved Willowherb flowering and seeding in bank by garage and garage flower bed. Two hottest days of the year so far 18/19th
20Creeping Cinquefoil identified in garden flowerbed. Dotted Loosestrife found in Garden wall. Tormentil quite prominent in Wildlife Field. Corncockle Seeds planted on Flower bed and Garage bank, just starting to flower.
21Heather flowering in Wildlife Field
23Scott spins cut grass a second time and then spins into rows, followed by bailing.  

Round Bale Yield

Observatory Field = 1

Top Field = 4

Pipe Field = 4

Ivy-Tree field 3

First Field = 7

Total = 19

Deer Field gets its first all over grass and fern cut.
24First application of Low Input Pasture Tolerant Long Term Grass Seed Ley. In Deer and Wildlife Fields
25Cut front of Garden Field to reveal Mole hills.
27Cut grassy mound in garden. Fuchsia bush by drive gateway dropping its flowers
30Yarrow flowers now out in quite  large numbers. Foxgloves almost gone now. Just the seed heads left.
31Baby Goldfinches being fed by the parents on the bird feeders.
  

June

 
2Fox seen wandering in back garden around the bird feeders. Birds foot Trefoil seen in driveway hedge.
3Black bunny in Garden
11Lots of Red Clover now in the First Field.  

In the margin along the edge of the First Field there is lots of Common Vetch.

Buttercup completely cover lawn after. Weeks holiday. Cocksfoot grass seed heads now in garden mound. Foxgloves now in full flower everywhere. All the Azealias have now dropped all their flowers. Sheep Bit seen in the Observatory Field

12Two new Pheasants seen wandering around the Garden.
14Common Birds Foot Trefoil found in Middle Field and Top Field

 First White Clover seen at Stonewall is Middle Field

Sorrel starting to loose its seed pods.need to check species. Both species of Speedwells starting to die off

15Found Pignut in Pipe Field.  

Bare patch around Marsh Grass in Pipe Field

20Smooth Sow-thistle see in wall in First Field  

Slender St John’s -wort  near rocks on driveway

Lesser Trefoil seen in First Field

Pencilled Cranes-bill in Garden under the trees.

21Cuckoo still around
26With the reduction in the number of Sparrows roosting in the hedge, the Chaffinches and Greenfinch numbers have increased back up to their two year ago levels.
28False Oat Grass found in First Field
  

May

 
3First sighting of Cuckoo in signature trees. Slender and Germander Speedwell appearing in the Garden Field.
7Garden Field gets its first cut of the year.
10Cleavers (Sticky weed) and Kidney Saxifrage in Garden Field  

Ivy leafed Toadwax on the  driveway in the Garden Field.

12Orange tipped butterfly seen at Stonewalls for the first time.
17First Greenfinch male seen for a while.
22Garden lawn starting to flower up nicely with Daisies, Speedwell and Creeping Buttercup starting to cover well.  

Meadow Cranesbill growing near gate to the First Field.

Red Clover growing in First Field and Top Field

 Foxgloves coming along nicely.
24Lesser Stitchwort at bottom of Ivy tree Field. Removed stones and filled in holes with manure in Wildlife Field. Final small stone walk before second cut with flail mower.
27First Linnets (2) and Starling (4)
28Female Chaffinch on bird feeder. Male and female Linnet again today. First Skylarks heard in Andrew Hoskin’s fields. Weed killer on JK Weed in Wildlife Field and on weeds in Paddock
29Linnets still around. A couple of male Chaffinches . Fist foxgloves starting to come out in flower.
  

April

 
  
4Three cornered garlic starting to flower on driveway in Garden Field. Variegated Nettles starting to flower. Dogs Violet now in flower.Azalea Japonica , Orange Beauty, Geisha Purple and Hebe purchased
5First Bumble Bee seen.
11First Swallow of the year..
13Scott Chain Harrows all fields except Observatory field.
14 Identify a Shrew night  feeding under the bird feeder and see a mouse climbing up into the bushes in order to get to the bird feeders.
16Chain harrow  used to clear most of the scrub in the Moorland field. A couple of Wrens seen and heard singing in the right hand garden wall.
17We both sight four Swallows today. I chain harrowed the Observatory Field. Azalea Japonica now in flower.
19First full mow of the Paddock field.
23Mrs Pheasant trying to fly/jump up to the bird feeders. Two Percys’ fighting in the front garden. Flail Mowed Wildlife Field and part of Deer Field. Spanish Bluebells becoming prominent in driveway hedge
24Chain harrowing continues in Middle and Wildlife fields. Spiky Cactus in conservatory is sprouting a flower stem. Fern in Deer field are starting to sprout, but not yet unwinding. Added more logs to the Wildlife Log pile.
26English Bluebells flowing by the Japanese Knott Weed patch in the Wildlife Field. Two Blue Tits in the Scrub  Pile in Wildlife Field.
27Sand see’s Great Tits using the nest box.
28Sand hears the first Cuckoo of the year.
  

March

 
1Scott muck spreads our fields except the Observatory field.
6Forget Me Not, Lesser Celandine,  

Primrose and Red Campion starting to flower. Just noticed the Spear Thistle crowns now growing in Paddock

10First Bee of the year seen. Three Cornered Garlic leaves sprouting by the driveway.
12First Daffodil flowering on the mound
19Axel and all the toys arrive except the chain harrow.
20Axel digs his first rocks out of the middle field and Paddock. Identified the Blue Tit song.
258 Magpies in trees at end of garden. ,
29First signs of Square Stalked Willowherb in Middle Field and Fern in Wildlife Field.
  

February

 
  
12About 20  Goldfinches seen on power cable lines in garden.
13Rabbits eat Crocus head that was sprouting from the mound. First Dunnock seen singing on Dunnock perch. Daffodils that are flowing are more prominent
26A pair of Collared Doves seen under main bird feeders.
27Magpies collection twigs to build a nest. Unlike last year, they appear to be heading up into the observatory field from the garden.
28Bob’s first leaves starting to sprout.
  

January

 
  
7First Daffodil shoots seen in Wildlife Field
10Kingfisher, Curlew, small waders on walk at St Clements.
19First Daffodil shoots seen in Mound.
31The first crocus sprouting in the mound.