Arlesey Conser vation For Nature

Spring is no w well under way, with leaves and flo wers gro wing and opening all around. Many o f the summer migrant birds have no w arrived and I have heard two Cuckoos at the common this year.

Walking through the village, I have heard numerous young Starlings squawking f rom the safety o f their nests in the roo fs o f houses A walk along the river conf irms there are several Sedge Warbler territories that have been established, and as the weather continues to warm, the male birds are becoming more vocal in their search for an accepting female

The common Whitethroats are doing the same and along with Sedge Warblers, these can be heard calling f rom the scrubby bushes and if you are lucky, you may see them making their “song” flight where they fly up 10-15 feet ou t o f the bush they are sat in and then fall back to wards their perch whilst continually singing

There have been some Yello w Wagtails by the bridge at the Common, where they carefully dar t around the feet o f the horses snapping up any flies and insects that the horses stir up as they mo ve around grazing the grass

As we progress through May, o ften secretive and shy birds will become more brazen whilst ou t in their search for food to feed their young The Barn Owls will o ften be seen hunting around the Old Mill Pits bo th early morning and early evening They are o ften ou t well into the morning if the weather has been wet or windy through the night

Insect numbers are no w increasing as the temperatures continue to rise. Ho ver flies, bees, numerous fly species, Dragonflies and Damselflies are star ting to emerge. Dragonflies and Damselflies can o ften be seen sitting on the reeds and Irises that flank the river, waiting for an insect dinner to come within range before dar ting up and grabbing a snack.

Hobbies can occasionally be seen o ver the Common and Mill Pits, chasing these dragonflies as that is their primar y food source, although they will also chase and catch House Mar tins and Swallo ws, bo th o f which can be seen o ver the Common and Mill Pits catching their o wn insect meals

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Peacock, Speckled Woods, Green-veined Whites, Holly Blue and Orange tip bu tter flies are already flu ttering abou t around the village with species such as Red Admirals and Tor toiseshells still to emerge

Deer, squirrels and Foxes are all no w giving bir th to their young and again, will be less shy due to their never end search for food. If you are lucky, you may see a Fox in the long grass in the Mill Pits, looking for food. If you are really lucky, you may see an Otter in the river, hunting for Chub or Trou t.

May/June brings an insect emergence – the Mayfly. The adults hatch within hours o f each o ther and emerge on the sur face o f the water, having spent up to 2 years gro wing as a nymph before the transition to the adult fly The adults fly abo ve the water and per form a flying ballet where they mate The female then lands on the water and lays her eggs at which point she o ften dies The Bro wn Trou t in the river will be quick to take advantage o f this food source and any flies on the sur face will be quickly eaten in a swirling splash

From mid-May onwards you should star t to see young birds and animals ou t in the open Young Rabbits on the f ield boundaries, keeping close to co ver which they will scoo t into at the f irst sign o f danger Young Squirrels can be seen venturing ou t and learning their way around the trees and hedgero ws If you are lucky, you may catch glimpses o f Muntjac or Chinese Water deer with young, although they will be extremely war y!

During the evening as darkness star ts to fall, there are plenty o f bats ou t flying around catching mo ths and flies They have spent all winter hibernating and have woken f rom their sleep o ver the last 2 months. As with most o ther animals, it is no w breeding season with their young being born and the pressure on the adults to catch enough food to feed them.

This time o f the year is also when people star t to f ind, what look to us to be, abandoned animals and birds The majority o f the time, they are no t abandoned, and the parents are fully aware where they are The best thing to do is to leave them alone and no t touch or mo ve them The only time we should inter vene is if the animal is obviously injured, or in a dangerous place, such as the middle o f a road.

Walk the length o f the village along the river, look at the varied habitats, take the time to stop, stand still, watch, and listen and usually within a few minu tes' nature will come to you.

You can follo w ACORN on Facebook, just search for Arlesey Conser vation for Nature. Here you can see pho tographs posted by residents o f nature seen in and around Arlesey and o ther nature related posts