Berwick Wildlife Group

Weather

July may prove to be the wettest on record in some parts of England with extraordinary flooding occurring in Yorkshire, The Midlands and Gloucestershire. We must consider ourselves lucky around Berwick, as during a fairly dull, cool month we recorded 128mm (4.1inches), with only two full days of sunshine. Our wettest July day for many years was on the 22nd. when 37mm (1.45inches) fell in 24 hours. We can only hope for a late ‘Indian Summer’ now.

Bird Records

Whether a poor breeding season has occurred or not, there were large numbers of seabirds feeding along our coast this month. The Estuary gull roosts saw c.620 Kittiwakes (1st) with a group of 42 Carrion Crows feeding on Calot Shad. A Common Crane was seen flying west over Hutton, Paxton on the 2nd, where a search for the bird next day, found two Red-legged Partridge and a Common Snipe. A Cuckoo was seen being chased by Meadow Pipits at Little Beach (3rd) with 350 Guillemots, 34 Razorbills, 3 Puffins and 20 Gannets feeding in Meadow Haven. Also seen here was an Arctic Skua. A leucistic Starling was found at Cocklawburn (4th) feeding with a flock of c300 birds. This bird was creamy white all over. Very obvious! It was seen for three weeks in the area. 14 Canada Geese were feeding at Whitesands on the 6th, with 38 Lapwing and 42 Curlew on Yarrow Slake. A Great-crested Grebe and a Common Sandpiper were at West Ord (7th) with c.100 Sand Martins (of which, 60% were juveniles) feeding low over the river. The WeBS Estuary count on the 13th found a Great crested Grebe, 16 Grey Heron 364 Mute Swans, 17 Canada Geese a Barnacle Goose, 36 Goosanders and a Coot with a juvenile at New Water Haugh. The Mute Swan count is lower than usual as many birds (flightless) have been seen on the sea between Dodds Well and Cocklawburn at high tide, probably due to disturbance by boating activities in the estuary. A large Tern roost near Cocklawburn beach (15th), held 60 Sandwich Terns, 32 Arctic Terns and 3 Roseate Terns (rare around our area). Also here were 5 Red-throated Diver (all in summer plumage) a Wheatear and a Cuckoo. An Osprey flew over (17th), and was later seen to plunge into the sea without success off Cheswick. A Treecreeper was seen in Tweedmouth Cemetery (18th) and a flock of 44 Swifts were over East Ord at 8 a.m. (21st) along with two Whimbrel flying south at Spittal. A Green Sandpiper and 110 Lapwing were on Yarrow Slake (22nd) when 7 Greylag Geese flew over East Ord. At Meadow Haven were 6 Shags and 8 Arctic Terns. At Cocklawburn (23rd) were 34 Common Scoter, a Greenshank and a Little Grebe. A Peregrine was hunting around the Royal Border Bridge. A Whitethroat was at Spittal (25th) with 300 Gannets flying south in an hour offshore. A Great spotted Woodpecker with an immature was seen around East Ord House all day (26th) with 17 Greylag Geese at Yarrow Slake and a drake Wigeon at Calot Shad. The estuary gull roost saw 260 Kittiwakes, 114 Sandwich Terns, 12 Arctic Terns and 8 Common Terns (29th). along with 52 Goosanders. Little Beach on the 31st held 18 Ringed Plovers, 8 Dunlin and a fine summer plumaged Turnstone with a male Wheatear. A Buzzard was in the Ord area all month and the Whooper Swan stayed on the estuary until 17th.

Butterflies Records

July is the month of the ‘browns’, with both Ringlet and Meadow Brown occurring in good numbers in our area, although not as prolifically as last year. 44 Ringlets were recorded on our transect in Tommy-the-Miller's field on the 5th (compared to 121 on 7th July last year), and Meadow Browns peaked there on the 28th with 50 (top count last year was 90 on 10th July). The first Dark Green Fritillaries were seen at Cocklawburn(15th) and Cheswick (23rd). As with other species, Small Tortoiseshell numbers are down but seem to be recovering. Peacock and Painted Lady have suffered badly from the cool, damp conditions with no sighting reported all month. Two Red Admirals were seen at Scremerston (5th) and Cocklawburn three days later, and Commas are just starting to appear, with 2 recorded from Tommy-the-Millers on the 30th. We can only hope for better weather and an increase in numbers of the autumn fliers next month.

With many thanks to the contributors of these records. To submit a wildlife record please either - phone Malcolm on 01289 309046 or use the record form on our website Sightings , or e-mail Fiona . Sightings here cover the core of our "Wildlife Group" area – from the Scottish Border to Scremerston on the East side of the A1. Records on the website cover a wider area (including Eyemouth and Wooler) – we just don't have room for them all here. So send in your records by your chosen method.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Please note there have been some changes to the previous lists, new surveys or altered dates or times – don't just assume everything is the same – this is, I hope, the definitive version! !!NEW!! Monday 6th (or if wet Wed 8th) August. Amenity Tree Survey for the Forestry Commission, with Ross Weddle. 10.00 am, Rotary Way and Parish Churchyard. Please contact us for details (and in view of dire weather forecast). Time change. Thursday 9th (or if wet Fri 10th) August. Bat Survey at Ord House Country Park. To determine which species of bats are present and where they are located, we shall follow the 'dog-walk' pathway around the perimeter of the caravan parking area. Meet at entrance to Park at 21.30 (not 20.45 as previously stated). Saturday 11th August. Visit to Ford Moss , a lowland raised peat bog which is a Northumberland Wildlife Trust Reserve and of international importance, with Duncan Hutt, NWT Estates Manager. Parking limited so car-sharing advised. Meet at entrance to Ford Moss (NT 962 377, on unclassified road between Ford Common and Kimmerston) at 11.00 a.m. Time change. Thursday 23nd (or if wet Friday 24rd) August. Bat Survey on riverside, Old Whaling House to Chateau Pedro, checking for bat activity along Wellington Terrace, Quayside to Rowing Club boathouse and New Road, including checking for Daubentons on river. Meet at Palace Green, 21.00 (not 20.15 as previously stated). Time change. Thursday 30th (or if wet Friday 31st) August. Bat Survey at New Mills (Canty's Bridge), to confirm reported sightings of bats flying over the river. Wear strong shoes or boots. Meet at 20.30 at Castle Drive for car sharing. Saturday 1st September. Butterfly Survey at Cocklawburn. Meet at car park by pill box. 10.00 am. Thursday 6th (or if wet Fri 7th) September. Bat Survey. Ravensdowne/Parade/Barracks, checking perimeter of Barracks adjacent to Upper Ravensdowne for possible bat emergence/roosts. Meet at Parade Car Park at 19.30 Saturday 8th September. Fungus Foray with mycology specialist Dr Philip Mason, Grange Wood, Coldingham. Meet at the wood at 2.00 pm. (NT 872 652. From Reston junction of A1 drive north on B6438 towards Coldingham, then take first left at Cairncross, Grange Wood is about 1 ˝ miles on left). Car sharing advised as limited parking. Change of date and time. Saturday 15th September. Beach Litter Survey, (brought forward from Friday 28th) meet at car park by Little (Pier) Beach, Berwick (by Lowrie Shelter) at 10.00 am (not 2.00pm). Thursday 20th (or if wet Fri 21st) September. Bat Survey – follow-up where required from results of previous work, details to be announced. An exciting programme of winter talks and summer walks has now been organised, taking us up to November 2008! Details will be given in the quarterly Newsletter at beginning of October. Wildlife Surveys. These outings are more difficult to plan ahead as they are very dependent on weather or the previous results, and for this or perhaps some other reason are often far less well attended. They are of huge value to the Group, to other organisations and especially to the wildlife. Above all they are great fun to carry out and satisfying to complete. Why not come along to one or two (free to members) and see how you get on? There is so much to study (Bats, Butterflies, Beach Litter, Squirrels, Town Trees, and Bumblebees this year) that we could really do with more volunteers. No previous knowledge of survey techniques is required. Or maybe you have other interests or expertise – let us know and perhaps together we can organise a useful project? Just come along, or contact us for details first. Contact us. Phone 01289 330591, e-mail mail3@berwickwildlifegroup.org.uk or just come to an event (non-members very welcome).