DryDrayton.net natural history

Dry Drayton Nature Notes - May

Here we will build a collection of monthly nature notes for Dry Drayton. You can find here information about regular and more unusual sightings of Parish flora and fauna. Please send us your sightings to add to these pages or send your local wildlife queries to us.

John Clare, The Shepherd's Calendar 1827	Come queen of months in company Wi all thy merry minstrelsy The restless cuckoo absent long And twittering swallows chimney song
Flora	Splendid display of blossom on the red Hawthorns beside the Park and Almond blossom on the trees along Oakington Road.
Insects and Spiders	Plenty of Butterflies on the wing, including: Large White, Small White, Green Veined White, Orange Tip, Clouded Yellow, Brimstone, Peacock, Comma, Red Admira,l Painted Lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, The Wall, Small Heath, Common Blue, Holly Blue, Brown Argus, Small Copper
Amphibians and Reptiles	Smooth Newts and Great Crested Newts can be found in ponds and boggy places.
Birds	First of the Swifts will be in evidence early this month, and listen out for the first Cuckoo. Swallows, Martins and Turtle Doves return to us. Most birds are feeding their young at the nest or in the nesting box. Blackbird, Robin, Songthrush, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Starling, Greenfinch, Chaffinch, House Sparrow, Wood Pigeon, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Pheasant, Red legged partridge, are all to be seen. Hobbies can be a rare migrant at this point in the year. Reported in the July 2010 Newsletter by Dr and Mrs David V Alford 23 May single Red Kite gliding west to east, high in the sky, 12.00-15.00
Mammals	Muntjac deer can often be seen on the road verge between Madingley and Dry Drayton. Foxes are more often smelt than seen, but there have been past sightings of young cubs in the village gardens this month. Badgers are here, but a rarer sight. Squirrels are much in evidence.