June is the time of year I want to hold onto, wishing time would start to slow down just a little.
Flowers are blooming everywhere you look and the nostalgic smell of freshly cut grass takes me back to end of school term and sports day playing fields. The light mornings, the dawn chorus and long evenings add to the enjoyment, all culminating at summer solstice on 21 June.
However, there is a sense that this time feels fleeting, knowing that before long, mid-summer will soon take its place with the flowers turning to seed and the grass browning and drying out.
This is the month when many of our local birds will be either sitting on their clutches of eggs, or busy feeding their chicks who have recently hatched. Last month South Leeds Life was contacted by a friendly couple who live in Crescent Grange, located just behind the Spinning Wheel pub off Dewsbury Road. They had been observing a kestrel nest at the top of a conifer tree from their 8th floor flat. We took up their invite to come round to view the nest and capture some photos. It was a great view of the nest from the kitchen window and rare to get a different sight of the birds from above rather than observing from the ground.
The male was busy flying back and forth whilst the female remained in the nest, presumably incubating her eggs.
Typically, kestrels use disused tree-top nests built by other birds such as crows or rooks and lay once a year between 3-6 eggs per brood. Kestrels are a bird of prey that has been experiencing long term population decline (50% decline since 1970) so it is amazing to come across a pair making their home right next to the M621 on the fringes of Beeston and the city centre.
I expect the chicks will hatch sometime this month and will remain in the nest for 30-35 days before fledging, during which time, the male kestrel will be under pressure to find enough food which typically comprises of small mammals (voles and mice) small birds and large insects. If you see one hovering over some open grass in and around Beeston in the coming weeks, it could be the Crescent Grange male kestrel hunting for its young family.
Another mammal that is active at this time of year, and also reliant on insects as a food source, are our resident bats. The best time to see bats is around 30 minutes before sunset on a calm and mild evening, even better if you are near some open water.
I had a great view of one flying back and forth over the pond one evening at the White Rose centre recently. Another good spot is along the river Aire near Knowsthorpe. I am a beginner when it comes to bats and they are difficult to identify without a bat detector but you are most likely to see common pipistrelle bats in South Leeds, which is the smallest and most common bat and has a jerky flight pattern.
Despite their size, these small bats can consume up to 3,000 insects (midges, mosquitos and small moths) in one night so they serve as excellent natural pest control! There are a total of 17 native species of bat in the UK and they can live up to 30 years. After a period of massive population decline in the last century due to habitat loss and use of insecticides, things are starting to turn around for the UK’s bat numbers following efforts from conservation groups and protection from the law, and as a result, several species are now on the increase. I appreciate bats are not everyone’s cup of tea, but if you do want to help contribute to their recovery then you might want to consider putting up a bat box at home and plant some night scented flowers such as honeysuckle and evening primrose in your garden to attract insects that are active in the dark.
So, this month, as we reach the longest day of the year and the brief high point of summer, perhaps this is a reminder for us all to appreciate and make the most of this time of the year, as it soon will pass. Yes, I know it can get a little too hot and sticky too, but 6 months ago, in the depths of winter I was longing for brighter days and warm evenings and now they are here. Savour the colour and scents in parks and gardens in our neighbourhood and take a moment to notice the precious new life emerging all around us, even in unexpected places close to home, both day and night.
This post was written by Duncan Wells who lives in Beeston with his family. He has a keen interest in wildlife and volunteers for the RSPB.
Main photo: The male kestrel approaching the nest. Credit: Kenny Fleming
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