SWARLAND SNAPSHOTS - MARCH
Historically March and April have been the two most prolific months from the bird ringing point of view over a period of more than 30 years, yielding the first or second highest monthly total of birds ringed in those years, of 48% and 44% respectively. This year's March total is the second lowest recorded and the first ten days of April has continued this pattern of depressed activity. The inhibiting effect of persistent windy and wet weather conditions has contributed to this situation, of course, but the current scarcity of species normally present in numbers at feeding points remains a significant feature. Great Tit, Blue Tit and particularly Coal Tit noticeably down. Greenfinch numbers were variable but nowhere near the numbers seen at this time in recent years, perhaps the report just received of a juvenile, bird ringed here 6th June last summer, caught at Seal Sands in Cleveland on 13th October is a pointer to where our birds go to in the winter, but they don't appear to have returned for the spring yet. Siskins have not been seen here since the beginning of February, although a few have been reported from other feeding points in the village. Chaffinches fluctuated with the weather, in fine conditions few came to the feeders, but during the worst of the wind and rain anything between 10 and 20 birds could be seen. Among those caught one was an 8.5 year old male caught as a juvenile on 19th July 1999.
Sightings of raptors were sporadic, single Kestrels were seen between 14th and 18th March, Sparrowhawk was seen just once on 20th March and a pair of Buzzards circled overhead twice during the last week of March and again in the first of April. A Barn Owl was out hunting early evening on the 9th March. Gatherings of around 100 Black -headed Gulls, along with a few Common Gulls, took place during the last week of March and the first few days of April, with the birds apparently feeding and resting for an hour or so before moving away towards the southwest. Great Spotted Woodpecker has been heard drumming sporadically, whilst both Thistle and Song Thrush were both clearly active in territory and Blackbirds were been seen gathering nest materials, Redwing on migration were recorded only once with about 100 seen on the 5th April. The first Chiffchaff was singing on 30th March, sixteen days later than the first record last year, and has been heard daily since then, Although to date there has been no sign of Swallows arriving here a report has been received of a bird ringed here as a juvenile in August 2005 being caught on 21st September 2007 at Lamesley near Birtley.
The local Rabbit population seems to be recovering from last summer's outbreak of Myxamatosis with a number of juvenile “bunnies" appearing during March. A solitary Brown Hare was seen on 9th March and 3 Roe Deer, presumably a doe with her two almost full-grown juveniles, on the 24th March the latter being seen again on 5th April. Following the disastrous emergence of parapox virus in February, a Red Squirrel found dead on 4th April, with superficially no visible symptoms, has on postmortem examination found by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency at Penrith to have been infected with the disease. Although apparently healthy animals do continue to be seen around the village, clearly the local population continues to be at risk Unhappily there seems nothing we can do other than ensure bird feeders are kept clean and help to monitor the situation by reporting all sightings to the Save Our Squirrels team at Northumberland Wildlife Trust at Gosforth (0845 347 9375 or www.saveoursquirrels.org.uk)
INVERTEBRATES
There were few records of invertebrates during March but amongst the insects seen was a queen Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) with the farmhouse garden at Smeafield visited on the 14th. A lone Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) was observed close to the riverside path at Berwick-upon-Tweed (14th) and Buff-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) were a familiar sight with records including “1 – at entrance to cattle-shed – 5th” and “6 or more in Smeafield farmhouse garden” (14th).
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| Bumblebee Laurie Campbell © |