The Overton Biodiversity Society

Local sightings

December 2009

4^th: a Kingfisher was seen off the bridge at Southington during the morning.
Right: Kingfisher, Alcedo atthis - Flashetts (Picture Alan Willis)
6^th: a Red Kite lingered over Station Road, Overton mid-afternoon, where a Little Egret was on The Test; the latter having been on the adjacent filtration pools late morning.
8^th: early morning at the filtration pools saw up to three Water Rail, new for the Parish this year, up to four Chiffchaff, one in song, Kingfisher, ten Little Grebe, Buzzard, two Grey Wagtail, two Bullfinch, Reed Bunting and small numbers of both diving and dabbling duck on site, 102+ Canada Geese and 15+ Lesser Black-backed Gull moving westwards prior to 08:00.
9^th: Red Kite, Little Egret, Grey Wagtail and Bullfinch were about Flashetts.
10^th: a Little Egret, Bullfinch and Kingfisher were at Flashetts.
Right: Bullfinch, Pyrrhula pyrrhula - Flashetts (Picture Alan Willis)
19^th: by midday two Raven, four Red Kite and singletons of both Sparrowhawk and Buzzard had passed over Overton, all but the accipiter south-west. An Ash Bud Moth of the form rustica was trapped in a Woodlands garden. A Pheasant visited a Bridge Street garden.
11^th: the Little Egret once again was found at Flashetts.
13^st: early morning saw two Red Kite, Kingfisher, Buzzard, Water Rail, two Chiffchaff, five Shoveler, Reed Bunting and six Little Grebe about the filtration pools, a 'plop' there possibly being a heard-but-not-seen Water Vole. Late in the day both Little Egret and Roe Deer showed well in Flashetts.
24^th: a Red Kite was low over the village late afternoon / early evening.
25^th: Happy Christmas!!!
Single Red Kite moved south at 08:08 and 08:09, a further bird circling low over housing late morning with another out of trees at Frost Hill just prior to noon; a Winter Moth 'playing chicken' there mid-evening. ). c.15 Golden Plover moved high north-east just prior to noon.
26^th: three+ Red Kite were again patrolling gardens mid-morning, where a Little Egret, female Blackcap, Lesser Redpoll, two Golden Plover, two Herring Gull, Skylark, Fieldfare, Redwing, three Magpie, one+ Cormorant and Sparrowhawk were also 'garden birds' by middish morning. A Red Kite was over the skate park early afternoon.
27^th: two+ Red Kite remained as 'garden birds', a Cormorant the next most notable bird of the morning. Further (?) Red Kite and Buzzard were noted from The Harrow Way during the afternoon.
28^rd: Red Kite, three, were again on the southern outskirts of the village early afternoon. A Red Kite moving south mid-morning may have been one of the birds noted later, two Skylark moving south-west a little later. Both Little Egret and Grey Heron were in Flashetts.