Wildlife Reports for May 2007

Sue Pertwee saw a Badger on the village green one evening and Dean West had one visiting his garden in Leyside after peanuts.
Ken Turner has had repeated sightings of a pair of Grey Wagtails on the small stream where it passes through the culvert under Shalford Road between the Rectory and the Brunwin Road junction.  There are also Large Red Damselflies at the same site.  Ken has also had a large Grass Snake enjoying his garden pond and any food it has to offer.  Being cold blooded their food requirement is a lot less than that required by warm blooded animals so they do not empty the pond of all its wildlife, unlike the Herons which have been very active in the village this year clearing some ponds of all their fish and Newts.

Reg Wane at 6.45am one morning saw an animal with no tail, pointed ears, a small slim pale coffee coloured body, long legs and a cat-like face cross Shalford Road from Rectory Lane to the driveway of the house opposite.  Reg thinks it was a Lynx and is adamant that it was not a Deer.  I have many friends also convinced that they have seen large cat like animals in Essex though I must admit I will probably not be fully convinced until I see a corpse.
Celia Murton continues to have Magpies and Rooks feeding on her fat balls and a squirrel that not only tries to feed on the peanuts but also raids the wild bird seed feeder.  Celia has had two nesting Great Tit families and a Robin in their hedge with several Starlings nesting nearby.  A Great Spotted woodpecker also joins in the feast.

David Hearn Station Road has had a young Green Woodpecker in his garden. David has not had the Swifts nest in his new communal swift box this year but reports that the developers Knights at Enterprise Court have put 12 Swift boxes in each of the northern and eatern gables of the new houses they are building.  It is a pity all developers are not as sympathetic to the wildlife they are replacing.
Andy Goodey saw a hobby chasing Swifts over Station Road and has a Stock Dove feeding under his bird feeders.  We have had a pair of Stock Doves nesting in an old Oak in our garden for several years but I suspect they did not fledge any young last year because of Squirrel predation.

John Taylor saw a queen Hornet in his garden. John had sightings last year of Hornets and the queen has probably returned to the same site again this year.  John has also had a Banded Damoiselle in his garden despite not being near any running water which is where they breed.  They have greatly increased their range and numbers for many years now, the males being very mobile looking for new territories.
Keith Brunning saw a raptor soaring over Old Hall Farm before it glided down towards Pods Brook, I suggested from the description it might have been a Buzzard, Robert Buchnall then reported seeing a pair of Red Kites over Pudneys Farm near Pods Brook, did Keith see one of these birds?

At Goulds we have had an adult Hare and a leveret on our garden lawn. This was during a period of wet weather and the Hares came into the garden to escape the tall wet agricultural crops in the fields. They are not normally welcome as they have a liking for many garden flowers but this time they worked round the lawn eating the flowers, stalks and leaves of the Dandelions.

Roger Jiggins Tel. 01376 324 311, email r.jiggins@btconnect.com (please put Wildlife as the subject)