Where Peacocks Pace finally published

My book on the Natural History of Warwick should be out within the next few weeks. Where Peacocks Pace - A Natural Historians Guide to Warwick charts the ecological history of the town and its wild places.

There are Chapters on the Castle, Priory Park, Common Land, The River, and the Town Centre.
The book highlights the plants and animals that can be found there and includes hints and tips to watching or finding them.

The book includes a history of these places and what animals used to be present. It is illustrated with full page photographs.

The book is available for pre-order from Authorhouse - http://www.authorhouse.co.uk/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~53353.aspx and is priced £14.99.

Saxon Mill Carr

Well its been quite awhile since I last posted a blog and to be honest I m not sure if anyone reads it. Nevertheless I will persist. I hope to now be able to blog my work on my new nature reserve.

Ever since I was a child I wanted own and manage my own land. Trouble is its so expensive. For the last 5 years I have been trying to get the land where I do most of my wildlife watching designated as a Local Nature Reserve. I spent hours preparing reports and writing to local conservation authorities all to no avail.

Then one day I had whilst surfing the web I found the details of an allotment in Old Milverton it stated that it was owned by Mr Heber-Percy, the landowner. Finally I had access. I wrote to the treasurer and requested Mr Heber-Percys address and wrote to him.

With in weeks I had a very encouraging reply and I sent him all my plans and proposals. We met this summer on site and he agreed to let me manage a section of innudation meadow and wet woodland. Over joyed I set to work lining up insurance and arranging for a fence to be erected on the fence. Once up the site would be secure at the far end and I could start the real conservation work. Sadly the site is not able to be open to the public although I do have permission to take on small parties, something I will do in the summer.

Last week the fence went up and so now I feel ready to start the improvements and I shall chart my successes and failures in this blog.

BADGER CULL AVERTED

For the time being it has been decided to not Cull Badgers to control Bovine Tubercolosis in Cattle. Whilst this will continue to impact on Farming this is in my view the correct decision in terms of nature conservation.

Other efforts should now be more fully investigated to ensure farmers are suitably compensated and that a method of protecting catlle is found.

For once I feel I must congratulate the government on following prevailing scientific advice, though the sceptic in me doubts whether this decision will stand for long. Either way I m sure the Badgers will appreciate this stay of execution.

The Latest Swan familys.

This week a pair nesting on the old bridge near Mill Street hatched 3 cygnets. It is not thought the pair, ALA and AKT, are locally born birds. ALA and AKT were both first recorded in the 2nd Winter plummage at Chase Meadows Pool in September 2006. They subsequently joined flocks at St Nicholas Park where they have raised three cygnets.

One of the cygents of this brood is quite adventurousm trying to be like his Dad and chasing the Ducks and being like his mum trying to up end. On one incident he actually managed to completely submerge like a diver!

At Kingfisher Pool there is still bo sign of ZTG's mate ZOT. She has been AWOL for several weeks now and he seems to have paired with a new female - ARK. She was exhibiting some desire to nest, half heartedly collecting feathers and dead grass about her. I suspect however it is too late in the season.

On the canal VGY and ATZ still have their 6 cygnets and further up near the 'Cape of Good Hope' AJV and her Untagged mate have 7 cygnets.

Young Squirrels

For the past week we have had the delight of watching young Squirrels playing on our garage roof. 'Walnut' has been a regular visitor to our garden for teh past few winters this year however he unusually remained right into the spring. I assumed he and 'Peanut' had mated and gone to build a drey somewhere. I expected them to use the large thick conifer a few doors away but was surprised to see three young squirrels emerging from beneath the eaves of my next door neighbours bungalow.

Over the following few evenings they have played and explored tentativly. They seem quite large and I expect that they are pretty much independant now, which is a good think as my next door neighbour has now sealed the gap under the eaves.

A surprise garden visitor

As I just finished my breakfast a flash of brown swept down from above the conservatory towards the fence. I knew instantly that the blur was a Sparrowhawk after one of the many sparrows in the garden. I quickly leaped to my feet to see where it had gone, I couldnt see it flying off and assumed it had gone to ground next door perhaps with its catch.

I raced upstairs and saw that it was in fact perched on the fence. Turning I ran to the office to fetch my camera, of course it was downstairs with the wrong lens on. Luckily it was still present and I was able to snatch a few shots. It seemed very interested in the next doors garden and dropped down to the floor beneath a bush, perhaps it had knocked a bird down there? It was out of sight for a moment and then flew up and away.

VGY hatches 6 Cygnets

Today VGY and ATZ's cygnets hatched. 6 little bundles of fluff are now resting from the efforts of extracting themselves from their shells on the nest, whilst their proud father jealously patrols the water by them.

VGY is a female Mute Swan who I have known for 6 years. We first met in 2002 when she used to nest at the Saxon Mill. Her mate then was ZNY. Between 2002 and 2005 they raised 11 cygnets to adulthood.

Sadly in the winter of 2005/06 her partner ZNY was killed by a car. She returned to the winter herd in St Nicholas Park. There after a brief flirtation with AFO she paired with an Untagged Male. She took him back to the Saxon Mill where he built a nest for her. Unfortunatly the nest was too low down the mud bank and in heavy rains it was washed away. The following year - 2007 the pair were more successful and hatched 6 cygnets all of whom made it to adulthood. Severe flooding in the summer saw them move from the river to the Canal where VGY remained. In the course of the year the Untagged male disappeared and then on the 1st April 2008 VGY was seen sat on a nest on the canal with a new mate ATZ.

Oakley Woods Saved

Oakley Woods has been saved from development by Warwickshire District Council. The woodland alongside the Crematorium was up for sale. It was possible it would have become a private woodland and use its hunting and shooting rights.

After a campaign by locals and support by local councillors the Council have bought the site for £320,000. They plan to develop the wood as a sustainable public amenity. The ancient woodland includes an Iron Age fort and it is hoped the wood many of the mature native trees that were replaced with conifers after the war will be returned over the next 20 years.

Pigeons and Kingfishers

Whilst out walking this morning around Priory Park I was treated not only to a fleeting glimpse of a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Redwing and the usual Woodland birds but a particular fat pigeon and a very at ease Kingfisher.

The kingfisher was fishing on St Johns Brook and allowed me to get quiet close and take the best photos I have managed to despite many hours sat beside the river at the Saxon Mill.

A tasty treat for a Peregrine

The Peregines continues to frequent St Mary's Tower and as they do more evidence of their feeding habits. Excellent photos have been taken by Steve Valentine this morning of the pair - http://steve-valentine.fotopic.net/



In previous years birders have told me of the various wader and pigeon carcasses found around the roost site, this year further grisly sights have been recorded and reported in the Courier.


Whilst out this morning I found evidence of perhaps last nights meal - the severed head of a Green Woodpecker.

A Peregrine at Last

Each winter a Peregrine Falcon roosts on St Marys Church Tower unfortunatly I have never been able to see it.

Assured that it was showing well I started trying agin this year. After several disappointing trips I went on the spur of the moment on Sunday. I went at 4.30pm. I wandered around the churchyard for awhile and the took up post on a bench. By 5pm I decided to do another loop of the churchyard it was here I met another birder looking for the Falcon. As the light started to fade I began to leave just as a Male flew in.

The bird was magnificent. It had a full crop and looked in great condition. I watched it until it grew too dark. Unfortunatly the light was too poor for a photograph as you can see from this digiscoped image - its a Peregrine...just.

Apparently a female has also been sighted roosting on the tower and I m hoping they stay into the breeding season.