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If you would like to contribute to records of the wildlife in and around Purton please download the Wildlife in Purton Observation Form and return to
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FROM Neil Etheridge (including photographs) I read your article in the May issue (Going Wild in Purton). After six years in village, I'm turning into a bit of a twitcher myself! I've obviously caught it from my neighbour (Jane!).  I've been putting niger seed feeders out and have been inundated with finch visitors over the winter. Goldfinches LOVE niger seed. I counted 10 at one time on my apple tree. I also saw a pair of siskin (also on the niger seed feeders) and this year was the first time I've seen them in the garden. I also spotted a goldcrest this year. I don't think they're particularly rare but they are very tiny and difficult to spot - but very pretty. We also see quite a few wren in the hedgerows (if you keep you eyes peeled!). There is a barn owl around Hoggs Lane which I sometimes glimpse if I'm coming home late from Riffs Bar* and I've also seen deer in Hoggs Lane and Vasterne Hill (between Jane Smith's house and the stables - also late at night). Here's an interesting one for you. I've put out sunflower hearts (on the ground) for the birds at night and they've been gone by 7am. This confused me for a while until I looked out one evening at about 11pm and saw three badgers nibbling away at them - with a fox standing about 6 feet behind looking on! I've since been putting out stale bread and I've seen foxes and badgers tucking into that too! I put it down next to a garden light so they're in clear view from my living room. The sparrowhawk is a delight for me and the local cats are certainly taking more birds than the sparrowhawk and kestrel. It swoops down from over Jane's garden and rests on our apple tree for a few moments before flying over to the field behind; often resting on the electricity cables. I even saw one in Hoggs Lane on my way to work (about 7.30am) which, and I kid you not, looked at me for about 20 seconds before grabbing the pigeon it had just caught and flying off with it - from a standing start on the road! It must have weighed three times its own body weight. I'd never have believed it was possible. I so wish I had it on video! We often get blackcaps in the garden. They like the fat balls and we have had a male and female (browncap!). I can hear two woodpeckers but I haven't seen them in the garden (unlike previous years) and I'm sure everyone in the area can hear the pair of cuckoos (2 May). They also often rest on the electricity cables in the field behind.  Other than that, lots of chaffinches, blackbirds, wood pigeons, sparrows, tree sparrows, three robins, collared doves, blue tits, a few great tits (not as many as previous years) dunnocks, starlings are all regular visitors. It's costing a fortune in bird seed!! * Neil plays guitar with the "Listening Device" group at Riff's Bar, Greatfield What do you see in your garden? This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
