A celebration of birding and natural history, generally within a 10 mile radius of Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire, UK. It would be great if you wanted to share your Ely 10 birding news, experiences, photos, art and video through this blog. Please contact hairyfolkster@gmail.com with your post or to join the authorship, I'll get you on the list quicker than a fly over Alpine Swift.
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Certhia less than familiar
Glorious! Treecreepers are breeding at Roswell Pits. I've seen a couple in past winters, but never in the breeding season. Having had two sightings recently down between the railway and the small pit, I thought there must be a good chance of it- or more appropriately, them- nesting nearby. I picked up the needle thin call and turned round just in time to see the tiny thing dart into a line of shrubs. Through my binoculars I could see that it's bill was stuffed with small insects- and the chase was on. It flew across the open space and past a heavily coppiced willow, diving into the ivy clad tangle of leaning trunks that stand at the beginning of the spit at the entrance the pit. Having lost it to view, I had to listen to make sure it was still in the vicinity. It was, and it soon emerged, only to disappear almost immediately. Moving round the tree, I noticed a long fissure, about ten feet up, and everything fell into place.