Summer chicks
Plenty of wildlife has been settling down to nest over the last few weeks, and the first youngsters have been spotted around Gate Street Barn. Plenty of familiar birds such as Blue Tits, Robins and Blackbirds already have chicks out the nest and you often first notice them when hearing their incessant calling for food.
In the stork enclosure, a pair of Moorhens have bred and raised two chicks. These small black fluffballs can be seen in the water at the back of the pool, and when they walk on land their implausibly huge feet can be seen. The White Storks haven’t nested this year but, with a pair doing so at Knepp in Sussex, perhaps it won’t be long until Gate Street Barn hosts the first breeding pair in Surrey for hundreds of years.
A few Cuckoos are back too, with the males singing their familiar song daily since mid-April. The female makes a slightly more curious, bubbling sound. When you hear it, you know there’s a chance that a small bird is about to have its eggs replaced by the sneaky female Cuckoo, who of course lays in a host nest with the foster parent raising the sole chick. Around Gate Street, it’s almost exclusively Dunnock nests that will be used.
It’s been a good summer so far for Small Copper butterflies. Unsurprisingly given their name, this butterfly is a warm orangey colour and lots can be seen in the meadows around Gate Street at the moment. Other species enjoying a good year include Orange-tip and Green Hairstreak – all worth keeping your eyes peeled for.
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| Moorhen adult and chick. |
In the stork enclosure, a pair of Moorhens have bred and raised two chicks. These small black fluffballs can be seen in the water at the back of the pool, and when they walk on land their implausibly huge feet can be seen. The White Storks haven’t nested this year but, with a pair doing so at Knepp in Sussex, perhaps it won’t be long until Gate Street Barn hosts the first breeding pair in Surrey for hundreds of years.
A few Cuckoos are back too, with the males singing their familiar song daily since mid-April. The female makes a slightly more curious, bubbling sound. When you hear it, you know there’s a chance that a small bird is about to have its eggs replaced by the sneaky female Cuckoo, who of course lays in a host nest with the foster parent raising the sole chick. Around Gate Street, it’s almost exclusively Dunnock nests that will be used.
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| Small Copper. |
It’s been a good summer so far for Small Copper butterflies. Unsurprisingly given their name, this butterfly is a warm orangey colour and lots can be seen in the meadows around Gate Street at the moment. Other species enjoying a good year include Orange-tip and Green Hairstreak – all worth keeping your eyes peeled for.
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