The pandemic and its restrictions has had a huge impact on the lives of us all but spending more time at home has gifted us the opportunity to rediscover the beauty of our local area. Local resident and Senior Technical Officer in Conservation Science at the RSPB, Nigel Butcher, shares his observations on the thriving wildlife right here on our doorstep.
Even in such a difficult year, there are always little things to cheer us. The great outdoors and open green spaces of our villages have been enjoyed by so many, and this has provided me with renewed optimism. Whether cycling, jogging, walking with your dog or the family, the tracks around the villages have never been so well trod. I even ventured to places that I had never been before; armed with my binoculars and a camera in case there was anything exciting to photograph.
Since childhood, I have always had an interest in birds and wildlife and in my 20s this passion was reawakened following many wonderful days out in Norfolk and Suffolk with my wife Claire’s family. I was very fortunate to spot what was, to me, the perfect job opportunity within the RSPB and have worked in the Science department there now for more than 20 years.
Many people have probably been surprised at how many species of wildlife you can find within Histon & Impington. Starting with the largest, there are many mammals around with muntjac and roe deer (below) being the most likely to be seen.
Add badgers, foxes, squirrels, rabbits and hares to the list then it shows just how much is about if you want to search. Hedgehog, seen by many across the village, was one mammal I didn’t see myself. With a little effort you may also find some reptiles like grass snakes or common lizards plus amphibians such as frogs, toads and newts. I have enjoyed the insects, plants and trees too but my primary focus is birds. I love the fact that they travel so far and their migration fascinates me.
Record keeping is so important and, however trivial it may seem at the time, it can often highlight some amazing consistencies in nature. Our first garden grey wagtail was seen on 20th October 2018 and, remarkably, the next visit happened on exactly the same day in 2019. Last year it arrived just a day earlier on 19th Oct, so the question is was it the same bird with immaculate timekeeping? Who knows, but look out locally for this species.
Having lived in the village since 1995 it has been very evident that some species have declined or have disappeared completely but there have been new arrivals too. It is amazing that buzzards, red kites and little egrets (pictured right) have become species that you can easily observe around the villages.
It was also superb to find that cuckoo were back too in 2020. Having not heard one from my garden for more than 10 years it was lovely to hear 3 individuals singing in the Spring.
Our local bird ringing was clearly impacted by the pandemic last year and none was undertaken between March and June. However, even excluding this period, 300 birds were processed and this is indeed a record. What did we learn? Firstly some of the early resident breeders didn’t fare so well. Early dry weather meant many tit clutches failed partially or completely, with many fewer juveniles fledged and this appeared to be the case nationally.
Our Spring/Summer migrant visitors had a bumper season though and 190 of our total were those born in 2020. The first village ringing of garden and reed warblers was a nice surprise, in addition to the regularly encountered blackcap, chiffchaff, lesser whitethroat, whitethroat and willow warblers. Finches also were numerous with bullfinch, chaffinch, goldfinch, greenfinch and linnet plus plenty of yellowhammers too. This year many of our migrating visitors have been held up somewhat by the not so seasonal Spring weather we have been having. It will be interesting to find out how many of our juveniles have survived and made it back to breed themselves this year.
Many of you will have noticed the returning swallows/swifts and may be lucky enough to have seen the turtle dove too. A fantastic spot, given their catastrophic declines throughout Europe over the last few decades, and I recently recorded 3 on a camera trap (left) in the village where I am providing supplementary food which is amazing. Hopefully 2021 will prove to be as productive for our local wildlife as last year.
If you are passionate about nature and want to become more involved with local wildlife, please take a look at local Facebook group – Histon and Impington Wildlife where you can share photos, ask questions or comment on sightings. The group now has 270 members and new members are always welcome.
With the latest Government COVID roadmap announcement this week, it is looking unlikely that the Feast week RSPB supported bird ringing breakfast at the Histon & Impington Community Orchard, scheduled for 3 July, will be able to take place. There are, however, plans for a later Summer edition and also some talks over the Autumn/Winter too, so look out for news of these events here on HI HUB and local community Facebook groups.