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- Dunnock. All images by Amanda Hepburn.
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- Bumblebee
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- Robin
Overton Photographic Society’s Amanda Hepburn writes on the birds and the bees the keen eye can see in local wildlife spots.
In the meadows and fields of Overton – it’s all about the birds and the bees…
There’s nothing that I enjoy more than getting out in nature. While the winter weather often makes that unappealing, there’s always something interesting to find to make up for having a cold nose! I’ve been out, camera in hand, seeing what’s around, while all my favourite insect subjects are hiding underground.
So, imagine my surprise back in mid-February when I was greeted by the hugest bumblebee, fooled out of its slumber by the unusual warmth of the day.
The local conservation team, of which I am part, has been particularly mindful of species like these, confused by unseasonal changes in the weather. In late November, we planted hundreds of crocus bulbs, which you can already see adding splashes of purple and gold around our newly planted trees. We hope these will help our insect friends with some much-needed energy.
Other winter tasks have included plenty of coppicing. Thinning out dense patches of bushes and trees gives healthier specimens more space to grow and is already making a difference.
When early birds’ nests began to appear, the group swapped tools to take care of the orchard. Fruit trees were pruned, bases of trunks were cleared and mulch mats were put down. We even pulled the back of a monitor from high up in a tree, but we won’t dwell on that…
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- Stonechat
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- Long-tailed Tit
Aside from the early bees, the variety of birds this winter has been notable. In a farmer’s field I spotted a group of fieldfare, darting between the hedges and the ground crop. Sadly, this species is on the British Birds of Concern red list (BBOC5) as are house sparrows, which are in great numbers around here.
Other interesting sightings have included tiny goldcrests high up on the trunk of tree, and a lonesome stonechat, which I manage to capture taking off to snag a big, juicy grub.
The friendliest bird has been the unassuming dunnock, which happily sits on its lonesome having a chirp. But the stars of the season had to be the stunning flocks of goldfinches and long-tailed tits, which I understand many have seen in their gardens.
Go outside and see what you can see! I highly recommend it.
If you’d like to get involved in conservation work in Overton, check out www.sustainableoverton.org.uk/overton-hill-conservation-group.