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John Parish tells us

… attached are 2 photos of the male Marsh Harrier taken last week. This is the least welcome of the large raptors that we have here as it actively hunts small birds over farmland while the Red Kite and Buzzard are predominately carrion feeders. This birds mate is probably nesting at Wicken Fen. The shots are a bit distant but it is a difficult bird to get close to.

Also attached, photos of a newly fledged Little Owl. Only one seen so far which is a little disappointing.

regards, John

Male Marsh Harrier Photo: John Parish	Marsh Harrier Photo: John Parish
Little Owl Photo: John Parish	Little Owl Photo: John Parish

See also these Little Thetford articles

• Short eared owls in Little Thetford
• Rare Red Kites seen in the village
• Marsh Harrier
• The Wheatears are back

Comments …

John Parish tells us of a Marsh Harrier visiting Little Thetford for the past week. The Marsh Harrier, ours is probably a Western Marsh Harrier (Circus aeruginosus), is seen almost worldwide and is not a threatened bird. It migrates to Africa and hunts small mammals, insects and birds.

Comment from here

The zander (Sander lucioperca) is an eastern European fish introduced into the UK during the 20th century, it is thought, by Francis Russell, 9th Duke of Bedford. In 1878. he reportedly released 23 German zander into the Woburn Abbey lakes. These fish remained local until, in 1963, biologists of the Great Ouse River Authority controversially released 97 small zander into the Great Ouse relief channel. Since then they have spread all over Cambridgeshire and indeed as far as the Severn. The slow moving Cambridgeshire rivers seem to suit these aggressive fish. See Giles, Nick (1993) Fresh Water Fish of the British Isles for more information.

We understand that the zander is favoured by our eastern European population who can sometimes be seen fishing for this delicacy.

John McCullough

Comments …

John Parish sends us this recent report:

The Wheatears [Oenanthe oenanthe] are back. They pass through in Spring and Autumn and stop for up to two weeks. They are two weeks earlier this year than last, and [recent] night temperatures of minus 4°C might have caused them to regret their early arrival. A member of the Thrush and Chat family, they will head to the upland areas of northern Britain to breed. This is a male and is much more colourful than the [female].

Wheatear in Little Thetford Photo: John Parish

Wheatear in Little Thetford Photo: John Parish

Comments …

There are more and more sightings of this near threatened falcon species of Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in the village. This photo, from Wikimedia Commons by Thomas Kraft, shows a Red Kite in flight. We would be delighted if one of our readers could furnish us with a photo of this bird taken within the village.


Comments …

Villagers are excited about the short-eared owls now resident. These two images were taken recently by John Parish. See also Dave Fletcher’s recent short-eared owl images.

Short-eared owl Photo: John Parish

Short-eared owl Photo: John Parish

Comments …

21 March 2012: Dave Fletcher tells us that he saw three short-eared owls today in the fields beside the railway line. He admits his images of two of them (below) are not brilliant as the owls were really far away. Nevertheless, it is good news that these owls are in our village.

Short-eared owl

Short-eared owl

See also the sightings we mentioned earlier by Gill Norman and John Parish

Comments …

There have been various sightings of a Short-eared Owl in the village by Gill and Paul Norman and John Parish. We now have three owls in the village: Little Owl, Barn Owl and Short-eared Owl.

Brian Marston of Little Thetford tells us he recently saw a five–six foot (1.5–2 m) grass snake (Natrix natrix) swimming in the catch-water drain at the back of his house.

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A pleasant walk around Bob Youngs garden this afternoon revealed a natural history delight. Examining the recently excavated woodpecker hole high up in the tree we saw an eye looking sheepishly at us down below. A few seconds later, a head poked out. It was not a woodpecker at all! It was a squirrel. As we said in another post, what comes out of a woodpecker hole may not be a woodpecker. We never imagined a squirrel!

Read more …