March 21, 2008
Cherry Hinton revisited
A few years back before I went globetrotting, among my favourite local spots in Cambridge were Cherry Hinton Pits and adjacent Cherry Hinton Hall. The pits themselves are a nightmare to view due to no public access and the difficulties of setting up a scope on a busy cycle path, but nonetheless support half decent numbers of Aythyas and small gulls in the winter (a migrant Arctic Tern was about my best sighting here). In cold weather the brook that runs alongside the bike path can offer phenomenal views of Water Rail, while the diversity of trees along the brook, allotments and particularly in Cherry Hinton Hall has proved attractive to finches including Brambling and Siskin.
Last Friday I returned to the area in warm, sunny weather. I couldn't turn up a Brambling among the handful of Chaffinches in Cherry Hinton Hall, but this singing Chiffchaff was a sign of approaching spring.
This pinioned Shelduck is presumably the same bird that was here 5 years ago.
A showy (Winter) Wren
Oodles of Collared Doves were display-flighting, though a 'singing' Stock Dove stayed out of sight.
Following the brook towards Cherry Hinton pits I saw a displaying Sparrowhawk, a fly-by Kingfisher and surprisingly (to me), a small rookery with a couple of active Rooks nests in an area surrounded by relatively new housing. The pits themselves were very quiet, with my Aythya 'flock' consisting of one drake Tufted Duck! No Water Rails materialised along the ditch, although the bright sunshine brought out the subtle colours of the numerous Moorhen and female Mallard.
Most surprising find of the day was two Lesser Redpolls - my first record of this species within Cambridge city limits - feeding on weeds amongst the birch and alders lining the brook.
Back in town I took advantage of the gorgeous light to photograph the various scavengers on Parker's Piece...
... while a Dunnock and female Blackbird posed outside my flat.
Read on for the answer to the previous post's quizbird...
... an optimistic attempt to snap a fly-by Kingfisher
