Birds and Bats on the Northmoor Trust Estate
Northmoor Trust's ornithologist, Mike Rogers, brings us up to date with bird and bat activity on the estate.
August 2007
Bad weather has curtailed ringing and bat surveys however, a large maternity roost of pipiestrelles is present in the courtyard at the Manor. 163 were counted emerging at the beginning of July and 207 counted on the 1st August.
Three short notes on the swallow and the problems face by them in this country.
The brood of 5 swallows in the manor tower doorway has sadly died. A possible cause is the infestation of the old nest, mites can make life unbearable.
A clutch of 5 eggs in the Education buildling porch ended up with 1 fledge bird but a rat is suspected of stealing eggs and young.
Finally, a new nest on a building in the Manor courtyard with 5 young fell down. The 5 chicks were huddled up in the remains of the nest on the ground.
I put up a woodcrete nest, placing a bit of the old nest in and then replaced the chicks (after ringing them) and they all fledged successfully.
The normal nests - one with 5 chicks and one with 6 chicks (all ringed) also fledged successfully.
This year the number of swallows nesting at Hill Farm and The Manor’s down a lot from previous years. It will be interesting to find out whether it's a national trend or just confined to Little Wittenham.
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