Tag: kingfisher
Wildwatch February 2020
Headline Early spring blossom brings out the queen bees, while some winter bird visitors depart. Plenty to see under logs, too. Weather February 2020 was officially the UK’s wettest February since records began 160 years ago, but happily every Wildwatch Wednesday at St Nicks in February dawned frosty and sunny. Birds 27 bird […]
Volunteer Insights: Kaye and Cliff
For the fourth installment of our volunteer insights, I spoke to Cliff and Kaye who, along with Ian, lead our Wildwatch sessions, to find out more about their volunteering experience. What is your role at St Nicks and what does that involve? Kaye: Currently three of them: serving as a trustee; a founder member of the […]
Derwenthorpe Wildwatch: August & September 2017
August was a fairly warm month with temperatures varying between 16 and 21 degrees Celsius. Generally the afternoons were rather overcast but on the 16th we had a particular warm and sunny afternoon. September was slightly cooler, the temperature stayed around 15 degrees each week and like August the afternoons were overcast for the most […]
Wildwatch: June 2017
Highlights More breeding bird evidence, including juvenile Blackcaps.. 10 butterfly and 18 hoverfly species.. meadow now carpeted with colourful flowers (and the flower that looks like a bee!) Weather Temperatures stayed below 20C on all the Wildwatch Wednesdays. Sunny intervals and light breezes for the first two Wednesdays. The final Wildwatch of June – the […]
Wildwatch: May 2017
Highlights Record number of hoverflies (including 4 new to St Nicks); scarce summer bird visitor returns (and two stunning juvenile water birds); the magnificent big yellow “L”! Weather Temperatures ranged from 14C to 19C. Some sun (especially on the 3rd and 10th). We stayed dry! Birds On the 3rd, A Whitethroat sang all morning near […]
Wildwatch: March 2017
Highlights The flowers that bloom in the spring (tra-la!).. the year’s first butterflies appear, and the Harlequinade begins.. mewing in the air and creeping in the garden! Weather Temperatures started to creep up during the month, starting with a cool 4C on the 1st and reaching 11C later on subsequent Wildwatch Wednesdays. There were some […]
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: December 2016 Sightings
Highlights Over-wintering summer visitor? .. skulking rail still present.. blank on Shieldbugs..return of Water Vole.. Lemon Disco! Weather Not surprisingly, temperatures fell throughout the month. 12C was recorded on 7th December, falling to 2C on the 28th, the latter day being bright, sunny and “nithering”! Birds The long-staying Water Rail was seen on all four […]
Spotlight on.. Kingfisher
Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is probably the most “want-to-see” bird at St Nicks! For those people lucky enough to see them, the usual view is a brilliant flash of iridescent blue as the bird flies up and down Tang Hall and Osbaldwick Becks. But Kingfishers spend a lot of time perched, looking in the water for […]
Wildwatch: September 2015 Sightings
Highlights Shieldbugs shine while hoverflies put on an autumn show… summer lingers on in the bird world… and autumn turns fruitful Weather Once again, we were blessed with rain-free Wildwatch Wednesdays! We had sun or sunny intervals on most days and temperatures stayed in the mid teens. Invertebrates Butterflies were scarce during September with the […]
