Newsletters

Winter News Letter

Dear All,

It has been an interesting winter so far with very rare visitors like a Common Crane dropping in. Cranes have not been seen in this part of the world for decades. There are growing populations in Norfolk and Somerset. We think this male might have gone off piste. However, he appears very happy as he has now been in residence for at least 3 weeks. We can only hope that a mate might also take a wrong turn and hear him calling!

I have investigated reintroducing them. The common consensus is that we don’t have a big enough habitat. I would question this as the Wansbeck valley is a pretty large quiet place that offers ideal conditions for cranes. We will see.

Winter Survey

We have been privileged to have the Alnwick Wildlife Group back to conduct a winter survey. I took them to our established old growth habitats as well as to the large areas we currently have as stubble.

As expected, the old habitats were full of bird life including several species on the red list. The stubbles were sadly very quiet apart from a few Sky Larks and a Yellow Hammer. Harvesters these days leave very little waste.

The good news is that from the spring the stubble will go and herbal rich leys and hedges will replace them. Hopefully increasing the diversity of all wildlife.

Red List Birds;

Skylarks 2

Common crane 1 adult (riverside)

Song Thrush

Mistle Thrush

Starling

House Sparrow

Tree Sparrow

Yellow Hammer

Other species spotted;

Pheasant 4

Common buzzard 4

Black-headed gull

Common gull

Herring gull 3

Woodpigeon

Carrion crow

Rook

Jackdaw 2

Jay 1  – in a small conifer plantation

Blue tit 20+ – large numbers along the railway line.  20+ is an under-estimate.

Coal tit 5+  (see above)

Great tit 3+  (see above)

Goldcrest 2 – in Hawthorn along the railway line

Dunnock

Robin

Nuthatch 1  – in mature trees close to the village

Blackbird

Fieldfare 30+ – a mixed flock with Starlings and Redwings

Redwing 4+ – (see above)

Pied wagtail 1

Chaffinch 5+

Goldfinch 6+

Greenfinch 1

Reed bunting 1

It should be noted that Herring gull and Fieldfare are listed red for their declining breeding populations.

In addition to these birds we saw a large herd of roe deer and numerous hares.