Tag: Bullfinch
Derwenthorpe Wildwatch: March 2017
March saw not only the arrival of spring but the beginning of our regular Wildwatch sessions at Derwenthorpe. Although the sessions will be led by myself for the most part, I would like to say a huge thank you to our Nature Reserve Manager, Jonathan Dent, who has done all the hard work to get […]
Wildwatch: February 2017
Highlights Winter birds still with us, but signs of Spring.. First hoverfly of the year enjoys the snowdrops, while beetle is one-in-a-thousand Weather Cool (4 – 9C) but with some sunny intervals. The Wildwatch team stayed dry! Birds Winter visitors are, not surprisingly, still with us! Two Redwings flew over on the 8th and there […]
Wildwatch: February 2016 Sightings
Highlights St Nicks bird records broken – twice! 24 months of Shieldbug records. Spring flowers start to emerge. Weather Mainly sunny and calm on Wildwatch Wednesdays, apart from the 17th, with temperatures between 2C and 8C Birds Who says that February is a boring month? This month, the St Nicks Wildwatch bird species record was […]
Wildwatch: July 2015 Sightings
Highlights More breeding bird evidence, and a bad hair day for a scarce bird by Tang Hall Beck.. Warmer July weather brings out more butterflies and dragonflies, plus two more new hoverflies for the reserve.. “Butterfly bush” now in full bloom, and there’s Bindweed everywhere! Weather July started off hot and sunny, with temperatures reaching […]
Wildwatch: February 2014 Sightings
Weather: in a wet and relatively mild month, Wednesday mornings were mainly cold and dry, though very muddy. Water in the becks was high early in the month, but kept below flood level. Observers: numbers have remained high, sometimes running to three groups. Birds: the previous month’s high bird counts continued, with a maximum […]
February 2014: Spotlight on… Bullfinch
Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula So good that the ornithologists named it twice! Bullfinch is possibly the most iconic St Nicks bird. Seen throughout the year, this colourful finch is easily identified by call, in flight and perched. Their call is a quiet, but distinctive single note: listen […]
Wildwatch: 10 April 2013 – At Last.. Signs Of Spring!
Weather: Cloudy at first, then sunny. Little wind. 5C to 11C Observers: Eithne, Ian, Kaye, Kaj, Linda Last week, our blog headline was “Has Spring Been Cancelled?”. What a change this week! It felt pleasantly warm, especially when the sun was shining. And there were signs of Spring everywhere. This resulted in several “firsts” for […]
Wildwatch: 6th March 2013 – Mist and Mysteries
Weather: damp, misty, increasingly chilly Observers: Kaj, Doug, Kaye Another dramatic change from the previous week. It was poor weather for plant-spotting and photography, but the birds didn’t seem to mind. Kaj and Kaye started with a tour of Osbaldwick Beck then followed the traditional path along the western edge and over the Bund. After […]
Wildwatch: 6 February 2013 – Is Spring “just around the corner”?
Weather: Early snow shower cleared to lead to sunny intervals. Cold, Northerly breeze. 2 to 3C. Observers: Ian, Kaye, Kaj Ian went for his usual pre-Wildwatch stroll round Osbaldwick Beck, but was soon driven back to the Environment Centre by a short, heavy snow shower. Then he and Kaye set off early, and covered the North-Eastern […]
Wildwatch: 30 January 2013 – Water Vole steals the show!
Weather: Sunny intervals, short blustery showers, fresh to strong N wind, 8C (felt colder in wind) Observers: Doug, Ian, Janetta, Jim, Kaye, Kaj, Steve, Tim A good turn-out of eight people today, with Doug and Jim coming along for the first time. The recently-melted snow had swollen the two becks, with Tang Hall Beck being particularly full. […]
