Abernyte.org and Abernyte Community Company

Autumn watchers reported the first arrival of pink-footed geese on or around Sunday 28th September where they were seen and heard by many folk in Abernyte –at least one flock of 200 or more passed over.  By then most of the ripe Rowan berries (noted as ripe around the 18th August) had been consumed by blackbirds.  Some of the autumn migrants are still arriving.  Fieldfares have been seen in the last couple of weeks feeding on fallen apples, as they often do, around the village.  No one has mentioned seeing redwings yet, although they sometimes occur with the Fieldfares.  It’s worth listening out for them at night when the high seet-seet call can be heard as they talk to each other.  Like many migrants they travel at night and can hence be heard calling quietly as they pass overhead. 

 Woodcock is a bird which is around local woodlands, but it seems unusual for them to be seen around the village as often as they have been over the last couple of weeks.  Gordon has flushed a few when walking the dog, and we saw one in the garden.  They are by nature secretive birds, and will keep close to the ground until the last minute, when they burst up in front of you.  Their long straight bill and very smart brown flecked plumage makes them fairly unmistakable – looking a bit like a very large snipe. 

 Another bird that we feel lucky to have around is the Barn Owl.  It has been seen fairly regularly over the last few months.  It would be good to have this lovely bird breeding in the area as they have suffered greatly over the UK as a whole in recent years, although numbers may now be starting to recover. 

Stuart from Knapp has sent in some interesting information about the comma butterfly.  This is one of the butterflies, which, like the orange tip, seems to becoming more common in the area, maybe as a result of global warming.  There was one sighted in Knapp this summer, and 4 in the summer of 2007.  It’s a distinctive butterfly and worth looking out for.  It’s easily recognised with the scalloped margin to the wings.  A picture of it is available on the Nature Watch forum. 

 Since August there have been various postings recording wildlife on the Glebe.  A bat watch in October found two species of bats feeding there – both the soprano Pipistrelle and the common Pipistrelle.  Bird sightings included a very large flock of goldfinches, a juvenile sparrow hawk, yellowhammers and linnets amongst others more commonly seen.  At least one Red Squirrel feeding on larch cones was also seen.  Please keep putting your observations of anything seen on the Glebe onto the website.  It is hoped that the future management of the site will be able to increase the diversity of species found there.