Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2006-2007
Date Species
10th Jan 2 Swans
3 Cygnets
12th Jan Buzzard circling
15th Jan 2 Swans
3 Cyngets
28th Jan 2 Hares on Greenside
6th Feb 2 Mallards
1 Heron
16th Feb 12 Mallards
24th Feb 2 Mallards
1st March Barn Owl
3rd March 2 Hares in Greenside
22nd March Fox crossing fields
28th March 1 Moorhen
3rd April 1 Heron
4th April 1 Moorhen
6th April 1 Heron
Buzzard circling
7th April 1 Mallard
1 Heron
8th April 2 Mallards
1 Heron
14th April 1 Moorhen
28th April Red Admiral Butterflies
1st May 2 Mallards
2nd May 1 Yellowhammer
6th May 1 Grasshopper Warbler (06.40am)
8th May Cuckoo on Eildon calling
(first cowslips flowering)
9th May 1 Female Mallard
10th May Deer on Flattiegate
10th May Early purple orchid, yet to flower
2nd June 1 Reed Warbler
Orange Tip Butterfly
1 Sparrowhawk
4th June Moorhen chicks
12th June 3 Moorhen chicks
1 Female Mallard
2 Mallard chicks
13th June 1 Yellowhammer
Moorhen and chicks
Mallards and chicks
30th June 1 Moorhen and 6 chicks
7th July Butterflies
8th July Common spotted orchid flowering
13th July 1 Willow Warbler
Damsel Flies
2 Moorhens
20th July Deer in Greenside field
9th August 4 Moorhen chicks
5 Hares in stubble field
10th August 1 Sedge Warbler on reeds
30th August Damsel flies on pond
30th Sept Flock of geese overhead (approx 40)
14th Oct 3 Swans flying south
16th Oct 2 Swans flying east
21st Oct 4 Swans flying south/east
Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2007-2008
5th Jan Frog Spawn on pond
Jays
Buzzards
10th Jan Flock of Field Fares
25th Jan Moorhens
Owl and Kestrel Boxes erected
5th Feb Fox on Greenside
6th Feb Swan on pons
6th Feb Owl flying around 7am
8th Feb Covering of snow
14th Feb 2 Mallards, male and female
15th Feb heron on top pond
Lark singing
2 Moorhens
2 Mallards
1st March 2 Buzzards
4th March 5 deer on Greenside
11th March Heron on small pond
17th March sparrows
27th March masses of frog spawn
2 Mallards
12th April 2 Skylarks
Yellowhammers
Hare in Greenside
Red Admiral Butterflies
15th April 2 Mallards
19th April 2 Mallards, female and male
30th April 2 Mallards, female and male
1st May Reed Warbler
Reed Buntings
3rd May White Butterflies, yellow tipped wings
17th May Wild Orchid foliage, no flowers
20th May Moorhen on pond
Yellow Iris blooming
8th June 2 Moorhens on pond
No chicks seen
9th June Grey Squirrel, Straiton
Moorhen with 5 chicks
Orange tipped butterfly
14th June Long tailed tits, Flattiegate
17th June Wild Orchids flowering
18th June Moorhen with 2 chicks
Moorhen with 5 chicks
21st June as above, doing well
26th June Young fox cub on Red Road
7th July Young Deer jumping over Red Road
17th July Sedge Warblers around Pond
17th July Flock of Linnets
1st August Deer on Eildon slopes
6th August Merlin working the slopes of Eildon
Sedge Warblers
Chaffinches and Linnets galore
8th August Yellowhammer
2nd September Badger in the Playpark, Bowden
13th September Three deer in Greenside
Heron on the Pond
20th September Heron on small Pond
Buzzard exploring the Owl Box
Deer grazing next to birdhide, ran toward Longleefoot
8th October Heron on small pond
20th November Yellow Broom flowering
4th December 2007 Buzzard around Owl box
11th December Deer in field behind pond.
Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2008-2009
4th March 11 Mallards on pond
1 Heron on pond
5th March 6 Hares on Greenside
10th March 2 Swans on pond
16th March Frog spawn on pond
17th March 3 frogs climbing out of cattle grid
18th March 3 male Mallards
20th March 2 mallards
Frog spawn
29th March tadpoles hatched
Easter weekend 2 swans on pond
3rd April lots of frogs in pond
6th April 2 Moorhens
Larks singing
20th April 4 Hares in Greenside
26th April 2 Mallard
Yellowhammers
Willow Warblers
28th April Grasshopper Warbler
White pheasant seen at Whiterigg
21st May Wren
Yellowhammer
Sedge Warblers
Willow Warbler
Whitethroat
Dunnock
Song Thrush
Carrion Crow
Pheasant
Swallows
Red legged partridge
2 Hares on Greenside
29th May White butterflies round pond
Yellow Flag Iris flowering
31st May Deer fawn in wood off Greenside
Heatwave at beginning of June
4th June 2 Herons
10th June Wild Orchids now flowering
Yellow Flag Iris in full bloom
11th June Roe deer and fawn
Magpie’s in wood towards Chesterhall
18th June Buzzard at Longleefoot
Yellowhammer
24th June dozens of small frogs on the move
5th July Moorhen
12th July Bullfinches
16th July Deer on Greenside
Dragonflies on pond
9th August Moorhen
Curling Pond cut early September, comments re state of ponds ie cannot see ponds from hide due to vegetation at side of ponds.
11th November Heron on pond
2 ducks, Mallards
28th November Heron
11th December Mole popped out of hole in front of hide
21st December, first snow fall
28th December Coal tits
Blue tits
Crows
31st December Bullfinches feeding on seed heads
Fieldfares
2 Mallards on top pond
At least 3-4 inches of snow remains after ten days of snow…..
Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2010-11
1st January 3” snow been lying for ten days
Pond iced over
3rd Jan Heron on small pond
Duck on large pond
6th Jan Duck and drake on pond
10th Jan snow now lain for 3 weeks
12-14 snow on main Common
11th Jan 11 ducks on main pond
14th Jan 5 Greylag geese in surrounding fields
Deer visible on lower ground
Badgers activity very visible
Longtailed tits on hedgerows leading to pond
15th Jan Buzzards in wood
Fieldfares still feeding
16th Jan slow thaw started
12th Feb Ice still on pond
Heron on top pond
1 Drake on pond
18th Feb Pond still iced over
Longtailed tits in willow trees
Yellowhammer spotted
19th Feb Large flock of longtailed tits around hedges
Ducks on pond
24th Feb More snow
2nd March Pond frozen
Yellowhammers in abundance
7th March 35+ swans flying overhead
8th March Woodpecker in woods nearby
Heron on pond
Pair of mallards
20th March 2 owls
Small deer
Heron
24th March Larks
Snow has gone
Ducks beginning to nest on small pond
30th March 2-3 inches of snow
Buzzards visible
2nd April small deer grazing on Greenside
14th April Frogs on far side of pond, mating
15th April Male and female mallard
1 Moorhen
Another two pairs of ducks in area
17th April lots of large bumblebees around
29th April Pairs of ducks still present
Blackthorn blossom out
Wood sorrel carpet in Straiton woods
4 swallows
1 owl
1st May Yellow marsh marigold out
2 Mallards
4th May 2 pairs of ducks on pond
8th May Cuckoo heard
Very cold
20th May Hot and humid
Hares in surrounding fields
Ducks still on ponds
21st May Heatwave!
Eildons on fire, burning three days
31st May Still very hot
1st June butterflies seen
27th June wild orchids in full bloom
20th July Very little summer weather to date
Wet, windy and cold
2nd August Hazels in full crop on Flattiegate
Weather is damp and dull
17th August Deer and two fawns in fields surrounding Pond
19th August Buzzard feeding
21st August Moorhen on pond
24th August Deer in fields near pond
30th Sept Duck and drake on pond
6th Oct 7 ducks and 3 drakes on pond
10th Oct large number of bats on Flattiegate
15th Oct heron in field
23rd Oct Workparty removed lots of willow
1st Dec heavy snow, 2-3ft
Nothing around!
21st Dec Eclipse and winter solstice witnessed 0645am
-11C
26th Dec Heron and ducks still around pond area.
Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2011-12
23rd Jan 2011 6 ducks
27th Jan 2 male, 1 female mallard
10th Feb Herons flying around
14th Feb Two swans on pond
6th March 1 male, 1 female mallard
11th March 2inches snow for 2 days
27th March heron feeding on pond
Buzzard in trees
Frog spawn
28th March 2 herons in flight round pond
1st April lots of yellowhammers calling
8th April ducks on pond
10th April buzzards being hounded by crows
Butterflies out
11th April skylarks singing
1 swallow sighted
Fire on Eildon (East)
14th April magpie in field above Brunton Park
15th April Deer in Greenside above pond
Water hen on pond
1st May Cuckoo heard on Eildons
6th May Tadpoles hatched
9th May Newts spotted in pond
Moorhens on pond
20th May Red squirrel at top of common
22nd May Pair of whitethroats
Kestrel
Buzzard
Mistle Thrush
6th June Cuckoo still singing
Moorhen on pond
3 buzzards
7th June Chaffinches
Coot on pond
Burnet Rose in full bloom – white
1st July 3 female, 1 male mallard
2 buzzards
Orchids in bloom
5th July Moorhen chicks
Single deer on Greenside
9th July Woodpecker in woods
Heron
Moorhen and six chicks
15th July 2 ducks on pond
24th July mass of blue damselflies
8th August Woodpecker on Eildons
16th August Deer on Greenside
30th August 2 moorhens and 3 chicks
Badger activity on steps leading up to Eildons
September very very very wet!
10th October 10 pheasants arose from small pond
28th October sparrowhawk seen on Common
16th Nov Snowdrops starting at bottom of Flattiegate
Very very mild
20th Dec Snowdrops blooming
Gorse blooming at pond
Dead heron at pond
Sitings at Bowden Curling Pond 2012/13
5/1/12 Severe gales, trees uprooted, 80mph winds
8/1/12 lovely calm day, yellow broom flowering at pond
30/1/12 hound hunting on the hill, sunny frosty day
1/2/12 freezing night, many mallards, mainly drakes
1/3/12 Skylarks heard
11/4/12 beautiful April day, partridge heard in field behind pond
Very wet April
Fox in Greenside this morning
Yellow broom out
01/5/12 cuckoo heard on hill
Six hares in Greenside
A few swallows gathering
5/5/12 fantastic weather
Heron on pond
Woodpecker heard
16/5/12 Chaffinch, song thrush, blackbird, chiffchaff, yellowhammer, whitethroat, sedge warbler
8 degrees
Wee note from our contact in the BTO, Melvyn Kirby
10/5/12 grasshopper warbler
24/5/12 Reed bunting
No moorhen yet
24/7/12 Black kind of duck with white bum!
27/7/12 thistles and broom in bloom
Orchids in full bloom
4/8/12 swallows
Sound of young chicks from owl box
Faughill farm harvesting
4/9/12 sparrowhawk overhead
Oct-Dec 2012 Wet, wet, wet
Rain day after day
Water running down Flattiegate
Dec 2012 Ice on pond thick
01/02/13 Eider ducks on pond
27/2/13 ice on the pond
3/3/13 Snow
6/4/13 ice and snow but very sunny
2 male ducks on the pond
6/5/13 Heard the cuckoo on the Eildon Hills
1 male duck on pond
24/4/13 First swallows spotted
Cowslips really nice this year
30/4/13 Frog spawn on pond
7/5/13 Pair of red polls sighted in Brunton Park
Larks singing in the fields
1/6/13 Yellowhammer
Starling flocking on Common
4/6/13 Pond awash with tadpoles
1 Moorhen
20/6/13 No sign of heron this year
25/6/13 Moorhen with five chicks
Roe deer and fawn on Greenside
27/6/13 Hare on Flattiegate
28/6/13 Orchids poor this year
Irises very good on pond this year
7/7/13 small brown butterflies
Wild roses flowering
September 2013 Bird Hide refurbished
10/11/13 First heavy frost
12 ducks on pond
Updated 14th April 2012