My Leverton

Leverton Nature Watch with Maureen Humberstone

February and March 2010

In the morning of the first day of November whilst walking down the Dovecote Road, I noticed a large bumble bee asleep underneath a flower head of Cow Parsley. A nice shaded spot for a night's sleep. Two days later whilst walking along the same stretch of road six Whooper Swans flew very low behind me making their trumpet like call, a truly wonderful sight to see. Walking along the Roman Bank on the 4th of the month I saw a Red Admiral Butterfly flitting around due to the mild weather. As I neared Caulk Road early one morning a beautiful Woodcock flew up from out of the pheasant cover; it may have arrived during the moonlight as they often do.

At the end of the first week of November the Winter Jasmine in my garden began to flower, offering Nectar to the odd Bumble Bee that was still around, as well as the odd Ladybird in search of insects. A Muntjac Deer was also spotted in November. It ran across a full field of Calabrese and disappeared into a small spinney.

At 8.30 am on the morning of the 17th November a beautiful Sun Dog appeared in the sky in the colours of the rainbow. This happens when the sun reflects ice crystals in the sky. On arriving down the marsh on the morning of the 20th I counted 20 Little Egrets near the Leverton Pumping Station outlet all hoping to catch a meal of tiny fish or crabs.

As the land was starting to be ploughed to overwinter towards the end of November, large flocks of Gulls, Starling and Lapwing could be seen, along with several Pied Wagtail, Mistle Thrush and the odd Fieldfare, all in search of worms and insects. A truly real winter sight.

The 1st of December saw the first of the winter frosts, a day I remember well as I was out walking and came a cropper while delivering Parish Magazines . After the frost and fog had cleared on the 11th; out came the sun. I took a walk along the roadway at the bottom of the Roman Bank and to my surprise several Ladybirds had come out to enjoy the winter sunshine, sitting on the leaves of various plants. Along the same roadway Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Great Tit, Blackbird, Mistle Thrush and Reed Bunting flitted amongst the mix of sunflower and sweet corn heads, feeding on the seeds and insects.

Mid December I picked up a house brick that I had stacked in the garden and on turning it over found a Queen Wasp asleep in the hollow part of it intending to make its home for the winter, and whilst walking down the Dovecote Road on the morning of the 20th, after the heavy snowfall of the Friday, a big flock of Redwing flew across in front of me, chattering as they went heading towards the Roman Bank in search of the various berries along the hedgerow.

The Mute Swan that was on the Dovecote drain from last winter moved to a pit at Benington, and then onto the pits at Leverton, and the last I heard was now feeding with geese, so hopefully a happy end to a lonely life for it.
We did get a white Christmas at last but it did mean a harsh time for the wildlife, but with our help of food, water and berries in our gardens and along the hedgerows, they seem to cope quite well. Better than us human's at
times I think!

As always; very interesting, Maureen, and many thanks

Alan.