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While field trips are suspended do share any sightings of interest within the BathNats area. Use the contact form and if you have any photos to share ask on the form for a direct email link to submit them.
Lucy Starling reports on 24 May: I discovered a Sand Martin nest site in central Bath when I noted two Sand Martin feeding over the river around Parade Gardens, along with House Martins. I wandered further to Churchill Bridge and was lucky to see two Sand Martin going in and out of a hole in wall above the loop of rope to the right of the bridge. Nest hole is the left hand one – look at lamppost, go down the wall from that point and hole is to the left.
Site of sand martin nest by Churchill Bridge © Lucy Starling
Bee swarm in garden 29 April 2020 © David Goode
Bee swarm in garden 29 April 2020 © David Goode
Re-homing the bees 29 April 2020 © David Goode
Sicilian honey garlic draws hordes of bees © David Goode
David Goode writes: 29 April in my garden. April is the time for bees to find a new place to live, so swarms are quite a common occurrence. These bees landed on my wall by the front gate. Probably about five thousand of them. Can provide high res if needed.
24th May. My patch of sicilian honey garlic in the garden attracts a large number of honey bees. I estimate there can be 400 or more on the patch at any one time
Female wheatear near Upper Langridge 7 May 2020 © David Hall
Male wheatear near Upper Langridge 7 May 2020 © David Hall
Male Orange Tip, Lansdown Golf Course, 7 May 2020 © David Hall
Raven near Lansdown Golf Course, 7 May 2020 © David Hall
Red Kite above Lansdown, 3 miles north of Bath, 7 May 2020 ©David Hall
Swifts sighted over Bath Saturday 2 May 2020
President David Goode reported his first sighting of the species this year.
He also took a recorder out for International Dawn Chorus Day. Listen here.
Alice Nissen writes on 19 May:
At 8am this morning I spotted a crow flying across the garden with something very large and white like a lump of bread in its beak. It landed on the edge of our stone bird bath and dropped it into the water. Binoculars showed it was indeed a hunk of white bread with some crust. It shuffled on the edge for a minute or so (apparently avoiding getting its feet wet) and then began pecking at the bread. Except for a brief visit to a nearby eucalyptus, perhaps to swallow a rather large bite, it consumed the whole thing, crumbs and all. It knew all about soaking and softening!
Lucy Starling has some notable sightings:
- Sedge Warbler males x 2 singing vigorously close to River Avon Batheaston Explorer Map 155 GR 782673 on 12 May
- Swallow x 16, House Martins x 6, Swifts x12 over Bathampton Farm fields, just west of Bathford approx. 9am on 12 May
- Willow Warbler, my garden in Forester Road 6 April
- Common Redstart male Bathampton Down golf course 6 April
- Northern Wheatear single males Bathampton Down 8, 12, and 24 April
- Sedge Warbler male 10 April, wet ditch with bramble and sedge OS Map 155 GR 767663, field beyond Grosvenor Bridge , still present on 3 May and singing well. Play the video to hear it singing, competing with a distant siren!
- Common Whitethroat, max of 4 singing males Bathampton Down 24 April
- Lesser Whitethroat singing male hedgerow near Newleaf Farm off Mill Lane Batheaston on 22 April
- Sand Martins x 2 Tollbridge,Batheaston 21 April
- Lesser Whitethroat singing male hedgerow near Newleaf Farm off Mill Lane Batheaston on 22 April
- Sand Martins x 2 Tollbridge,Batheaston 21 April
- X 4 Swift and x 1 House Martin Batheaston 23 April first sigting
- Red Kite over Solsbury Hill 10 April
- On 20 May sightings of two singing Spotted Flycatcher. First about 9.40 from woodland path through woods on my way to the “quarry” part of the Bath Golf Course Bathampton Down. EXP 155 GR 776654. Another singing male in ash trees close to metal gate entrance to Bushy Norwood , north end nearest golf course, GR 779650 about 10.30. I heard Spotted Flycatcher singing again on 26 May.
Early Purple Orchid Bathampton Down 19 April 2020 © Lucy Starling
First butterflies
- Holly Blue 24 March my garden Forester Road
- Orange Tip male along canal towpath near Beckford Road 9 April
- Speckled Wood, my garden Forester Road, 15 April
Early Purple Orchids in flower, Bathampton Down above golf club house 19 April
Banded Demoiselle x 4 male and Large Red Damselfly x 1 in nettles on banks of the River Avon east of Grosvenor Bridge 13 May. My first of 2020.
Female Beautiful Demoiselle, 20 May, in my garden.
Female Beautiful Demoiselle © Lucy Starling
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