This morning the scent of an Otter was distinct and musty along the river bank. At first we thought it was the smell of a fox but it was, I anything, more pungent and concentrated in an area of long grass within three yards of the river itself. I have no proof – there were no discernible foot prints or spraint – but it seems a reasonable conjecture.
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Scent of Otter
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Bure in late summer
The late summer river seems to be in transition into it’s autumn guise. Kingfishers are more regularly encountered all along the river and further afield as the summer’s progeny spread out. This morning’s encounter on the meander below the Cradle Bridge was typical; a heighted pitched call, a whirr of orange and blue as the bird banked away from the river
in order to give us a wide berth. River levels have risen again after the sluices have been closed after yesterday’s low. Weed clearance from two weeks ago has done some good. Large piles of dragged weed lie at intervals along the bank. Silt levels look to be quite
high. An autumnal smell of rotting vegetation sets the scene. -
Hunting Hobby
Saturday afternoon and with clear predatory intent a Hobby is circling the lower end of the village. Swallows call in alarm and seem to dash about in panic. The falcon circles effortlessly in a wide arc and, when it seems to be satisfied that there are no potential targets, it drifts southwards towards Dudwick. The Swallows seem to take some time to calm down. There was a collective holding of breath.
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Variety in the village
One of those mornings in Brampton. Two sightings of birds which were distinctly out of place. The unmistakeable, whirring shape and arrow like flight of a Kingfisher. It caught me out somewhat – we were walking along the railway line and at least 400 yards away from the river as the bird flew towards Dudwick. A flash of turquoise blue confirmed it’s identity.
A little further round and the scything wings of the Hobby shot between the Church and Brampton Hall. Travelling at speed at roof height – as when I last saw one in the village back in June – this small falcon almost seems to leave an electrical charge in the air in its
wake. Such speed leaves you wondering whether you had actually seen it or not.Then, as we sat over a cup of coffee upon our return, there was a rush of wings and a cloud of feathers in the garden as a female Sparrowhawk struck a Collared Dove. Both disappeared towards Street Farm at such speed that we were unable to see how this ended.
Later on, the Roe Doe accompanied by two fauns grazed quietly on the margins of the wheat field. All watched us carefully from what they felt to be a safe distance.
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Swift departure
Departure of Swifts is a signing of summer slipping away.
Since our return from the Lakeland Fells, there is a noticeable absence of Swifts in the village. At the end of July the enlarged family groups were racing around the roof tops. But at or around the 10th August they had gone. If this followed the usual pattern the screaming parties would have followed the insect clouds higher into the sky before making the judgement to head south. Presumably this would happen by chance as the followed the southward drift of their food species or, perhaps, they made some instinctive judgement that the weather was set in an advantageous pattern for southerly migration. Now if we see Swifts I assume that they are late brood migrants or perhaps travellers from further north.
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Swift’s flight
Swifts speed around the village rooftops on the warmer evenings. Their numbers have been increased by this year’s young.
Their stay is relatively short – this year I recorded their arrival on 6th May. Last year most had gone by mid-August, although a straggler passed through the village on 24th September. To me they are the birds of high summer and when they go Autumn is not far away – but for the time being we need to watch the joyfully acrobatic flight whilst it lasts.
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Otters
The Bure is high after all of the recent ain. It is still running clear and looks a picture of health. This morning we tumbled across what appeared to be a conversation between a family group of tters. No confirmed sighting but the strength and quality of the call left me in ittle doubt. They sensibly remained hidden within a reedbed as we fruitlessly scanned the area.
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Herons
The apparent end of the Heron breeding season has been heralded by the arrival of more birds onto the marsh. Groups of three or sometimes four are not unusual at the moment – I assume parent birds and youngsters or perhaps a group of young birds in toto.
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Colour of Owls
Barn Owls vary in size between males and females. They also show great variation in colouration.
The most common sighting on the meadows is a large white Barn Owl. I have mentioned this on a number of times over the past two years. Before this one appeared, the residents appeared to me to have been a smaller type, often with a contrasting caramel coloured wing and a creamy or duskier breast. These were not just a smaller single male – there were often a pair about at the same time. It makes me wonder whether the larger white bird comes from a different population, or perhaps was released in the area.
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Deer in July
The Roe Deer have been going through an elusive period. This is in doubt partly due to the expected secrecy associated with the birth of new fauns, but it may also be due to the relatively poor feed value of the grass on the more open fallow land during July. The other morning a single doe was to be seen in the middle of the beet field, well away from Keeper’s Wood, but this has been the sole sighting which I have had for some time. No
sign of a faun on this occasion.
