February 2022
YCV Post
Friday 4th February 2022
Rain Stopped Play
We were going to fetch all the old tree guards from the tree belt to recycle them, but as it was raining, 7 of us huddled in the garage instead.
Reg said:
“We did a little useful work. Mounted the year planner, tidied and cleaned the garage and I took the mower to Tony Chard for service. We had a really useful meeting and found out more about our new website from Matt”.
Friday 11 February 2022
A Day Off !
…because Reg and a Birder friend Kevan Wolstencroft, carried out a survey for the Big Farmland Bird Count 2022 on a local farm for Farmer Tom Martin, whom you can meet in the video link below! Farmer Tom has a regular feature in The Yaxley Gazette.
Saturday 12 February 2022
Spring Cleaning For Wild Birds
The Chirpy Climbing Crew!
Armed with a big ladder, carabiners, rope, drill and a total lack of fear, the very friendly Chirpy Climbing Crew - Matt, May & Reg regularly venture out on a Saturday in the bitter wind, rain and snow to . . .
Put up new bird boxes (skilfully made by Reg from old pallet wood. Reg has some for sale).
Map all Yaxley bird boxes (using the “what 3 words” App.)
Record activity in and around the bird boxes.
Spingg clean the bird boxes.
And have a FUN TIME!
So The Chirpy Climbing Crew went to Reg’s house, Shaun’s house, Dave’s house and my house to do some spring cleaning of bird boxes. It was great fun!
All 3 are very CHIRPY!
Natural Moments
See if you can guess??
(see bottom of page for answer!)
For more information on Tree Bumblebees and Wax Moths, click links below.
https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/tree-bumblebee-bombus-hypnorum/
https://www.dragonfli.co.uk/collections/wax-moth
Life Cycle of A Bird Nest
It was fascinating looking inside all of the birds’ nests. My Sparrow bird box was initially empty for 2 years. Then the Sparrows started house hunting and one pair took up residence. The following year, all 3 were occupied and each pair had two or three clutches!
Then last year, a Queen Tree Bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) took up residence in the section on the right, reducing the space for Sparrows, who carried on nesting next door! Tree Bumblebees love using old birds’ nests as their own nests. Here’s a photo, courtesy of Google. There can be up to 200 Bumblebees in one nest. I loved watching them. They caused no harm at all.
On opening the nest, it was clear that the Wax Moth had then taken up residence inside the Bumblebee’s nests. Why? Because Wax Moth larvae EAT bees wax!
Isn’t nature wonderful! So there is always a dilemma with regards to cleaning out bird boxes every year! There are arguments for and against.
Wax Moth
The Chirpy Climbing Crew
Reg has been making and fitting bird boxes in the village with The Chirpy Climbing Crew. Here is the list of types deployed . . .
Seasonal Musings
For most of history, humans have had to fight nature to survive; in this century, we are beginning to realize that, in order to survive, we must protect it.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau
A pair of Kingfishers at Holme Fen snapped from a bird hide, by our very own fantastic resident photographer Colin Bradshaw
Spring Has Sprung
Snowdrops, Celandines and young Foxgloves nestling in the moss, snapped joyously at Caius College Cambridge by our very own keen and budding photographer
John Bufton.
Snowdrops at Orton Wood snapped by Wildlife Enthusiasts Matt & May
It’s A Mystery
Josie took this amazing photo of unusual markings on the bark of a tree at Coney Meadow, Ferry Meadows.
Any ideas anyone??
Answer to:- Guess What’s In The Bird Box?
At Shaun’s house . . . inside the bird nesting box, apart from 3 House Flies that are over wintering in there, there are 12 Large Tortoiseshell Butterflies that have taken refuge for the winter! What amazes me is that they are mostly in one long row!
