Overton Biodiversity Society

February 2004

1^st

a female Blackcap was joined briefly by a male in Copse Road, the former acting aggressively towards all other birds.

3^rd

4 Roe deer and 2 Brown hares were in fields off Court Drove.

5^th

the male Blackcap was back in Copse Road gardens where several bumble-bees were on winter-flowering honeysuckles.

6^th

77 Lesser black-backed gulls were seen loafing in a field immediately north of the village mid-morning, the largest gathering noted locally for some time.

8^th

it was the turn of the female Blackcap to appear in Copse Road again whereas in Station Road a male Chaffinch fed from below the bird-table.

9^th

a male Blackcap was again in Copse Road whilst 4 Long-tailed tits were seen visiting gardens in Station Road.

10^th

a Wood pigeon was singing in Woodlands at 03:30!

11^th

30 Gadwall were seen flighting over the village late afternoon, presumably having been disturbed from either the Station Road filtration pools or Laverstoke Park Lake. A Grey heron was also seen in flight, this time over London Road. The Copse Road female Blackcap returned to feed. Stinking hellebore was in flower in Bridge street.

13^th

2 Brown hares were in fields leading to The Harrow Way. A female Blackcap was amongst the commoner birds noted in Copse Road.

14^th

a Kestrel was seen over fields east of Turrill's Hill. A female Blackcap was again amongst commoner birds noted in Copse Road.

15^th

the feral duck Scaup had returned, for another winter visit, to the pools off Southington Lane.

16^th

a pair of Long-tailed tits was seen in Copse Road.

17^th

a Kingfisher put in an appearance at Flashetts. The pair of Long-tailed tits was still to be seen about Copse Road.

19^th

a Painted lady was feeding on Primroses and Violets in Copse Road; one of many reported in the south as an early over-shooting 'migrant' from even further south.

20^th

a Kestrel was over the field east of "the dog field", at the southern end of the village.

22^th

the Copse Road Blackcap tally today consisted of the returning female.

25^th

Bumble-bees were seen to be feeding from Hellebores. A belated report came in of a Little egret at Flashetts the previous week.

Right: Little egret Egretta garzetta, an increasingly common visitor and certainly an attractive addition to the local avifauna.

27^th

2 Kestrels were over the fields between Station Road and Straight Lane. The wintering female Blackcap appeared again in Copse Road. 3 Blackbirds were in a Station Road garden. A Dotted border was found on a house in Riverside Close.

Right: Dotted border Agriopis marginaria, one of a relatively small number of moths to be found flying this early in the year.

28^th

a Grey heron was on the Test bank by the golf course. Nearby a Grey squirrel was seen tightrope walking telegraph wires by Church Road.

29^th

a Roe deer was in a field off Straight Lane.

Thanks are due to the following for their input to this report: Brian Elkins, Margaret Elkins, Lindy Hatchard, Margaret Rainford.