Nature Notes July 2022
Date Published: 31-07-2022
July delivered record breaking temperatures, drying out many areas on site, creating potential fire hazards. The extreme weather brought out many noticeable insects but birds sought to reside in the shade as much as possible.
SIGHTINGS
Birds (seen or heard) : Carrion Crows, Magpies, Jays, Buzzards, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Tawny Owls, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Collared Doves, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Siskins, Stonechats, Tree Pipits, Nightjar, Coal/Blue/ Great/ Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals: Grey Squirrels, Foxes, Roe Deer Pipistrelle Bats, Wood Mice, Common Shrew, Hedgehogs.
Insects/Spiders: Wood Lice, Midges, Flies, Hover Flies, Buff-tailed Bees, Bumble Bees, Wasps, Ants, Orb-web Spiders, Sheet web Spiders, Funnel Spiders, Common Field Grasshopper, Crickets.
Reptiles/Amphibians: Common Lizards, Grass Snake, Adder, Slow Worm, Common Frog.
Butterflies/Moths: Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Large White, Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Orange Tip. Brimstone. Silver-studded Blue, Small Heath, Species of day flying Moths.
Plants in flower/Berry: Foxglove, Blackberry, Cotton Grass, Honeysuckle, Holly, Rowan, Arum Lily, Bog Asphodel, Cranesbill, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Ling, Dandelions.
Pond Life: Whirlygig Beetles, Pond Skaters, Backswimmers, Water Scorpion.
Dragonflies/Damselflies: Small Red, Common Blue, Four Spot Chaser, Broad Bodied Chaser, Emperor, Keeled Orthetrum Darter.
Silver-studded Blue Butterflies were still to be seen.
Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were heard occasionally.
The eerie sound of the Nightjar was heard each night.
The Heather was beginning to colour-up over the central heathland.
Large numbers of Common Field Grasshoppers and Crickets were seen among the Heather.
NATURE FACT
The Keeled Orthetrum Darter. The male’s entire abdomen is blue, the female being yellow brown, with yellow-tinged wings. The Darter Dragonflies are less restless movers and habitually spend time clinging to reeds and other water vegetation. They make occasional sallies and darts at prey or potential partners and at intruders into their territory.
Recorders: C. Wilcox K. Wilcox
cleared encroaching vegetation from the eastern fence line and replaced four weakened straining posts.
