Wildlife Reports for February 2005

Iris Collett, Springfields, Sunlido Gardens took part in the RSPB bird watch survey and had seven species visit her garden in one hour.  The species with the highest recorded number was the House Sparrow with ten individuals.  At present we have none in our garden.  Iris also has visits from Long Tailed Tits, Great Spotted Woodpecker and a Sparrow Hawk.

Paul Fairhurst carrying out building work on a roof at Broadfields Farm, Dunmow Road had a bird of prey kill a Woodpigeon in a tree less than 10m from where they were working.  It then carried on eating its prey under the tree.  This was probably a Sparrow Hawk, the pigeon would have been far too big for it to fly off with.  We had a Sparrow Hawk kill a pigeon in our garden once and when it had finished eating only the feathers, leg bones and head remained.  How does a bird similar in size manage to eat such a large meal?

Ernest Sexton Old Hall Farm had a Hobby round his bird feeders during January.  I have had only few reports over the years of Hobbies in Rayne.  Not only did it frighten away any feeding birds it also fed on them.  It moved on when it had finished its easy pickings.

Robert Buchnall saw four foxes behind Pound Farm House and speculated it was a vixen followed by three dog foxes.  I will not speculate on what the latter had in mind.  He also followed a Sparrow Hawk flying down the white line by the allotments off Shalford Road.  It then veered off into one of the gardens. He did not record whether it was breaking the speed limit like over 50% of the humans driving down this road.  When visiting Pudneys Farm he saw a Gold Crest and Long Tailed Tits on their bird feeders.  He also reports seeing a Firecrest in the conifers on his farm at Saling which is a regular winter visitor.

Continuing the saga of Ray Peake’s (the village groundsman) free range hens.  Egg laying from his flock always decreases in the winter but this year it has not been helped by a severe reduction in the number of laying hens in his flock.  Foxes have killed over 100 birds during the winter months and to rub salt into the wound they often visit during the day in full view of Ray and his wife.  Though most of us would like our eggs come from free range hens one of the big drawbacks are predators such as foxes.  One needs a fence at least 6 ft high and also an electric fence on the outside to keep out most foxes.  My grandfather used to keep free range hens and he like most country dwellers then, had a simple way of dealing with foxes, but we now live in a nanny state that does not allow one to go to the chemists and buy a half litre of strychnine over the counter.