Nature Notes July 2023
Date Published: 31-07-2023
A mainly a wet and windy month with only a few bright days.
SIGHTINGS
Birds (seen or heard): Carrion Crows, Magpies, Jays, Buzzards, heron, Sparrowhawk, Tawny Owls, Grren/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Stonechats, Nightjar, Tree Pipits, Siskins, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Goldcrests, Dunnocks, Greenfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs.
Mammals: Grey Squirrels, Fox, Hedgehogs, Wood Mice, Pipistrelle Bats, Saprano Pipistrelle Bats.
Plants (in flower/berry): Rowan, Blackberry, Celandine, Dandelion, Cotton Grass, Bog Asphodel, Large White Pond Lily, Common Vetch, Cross-leaved Heath, Ling Heather, Bell Heather, Arum Lily, Cut-leaved Geranium, Honeysuckle, Cranesbill, Holly, Herb Robert.
Insects: Wood Lice, Black Ants, Midges, Buff-tailed Bees, Common Green Grasshopper, Field Cricket, Orb-web Spiders, Sheet-web Spiders, Funnel Spiders, Stag Beetle.
Reptiles: Slow Worm, Grass Snake.
Butterflies/Moths: Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Large/Small White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Orange Tip, Brimstone, Silver Studded Blue, Small Heath, Grayling, Species of day flying Moths.
Pond Life: Whirlygig Beetles, Pond Skaters.
Damselflies/Dragonflies: Small Red, Broad Bodied Chaser, Beautiful Demoiselle.
Nightjar continued churring throughout the month.
Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs were seen and heard.
Bats were detected on only a few nights.
A female Stag Beetle was found.
NATURE FACT
A Stag Beetles head and thorax are shiny black and their wing cases are chestnut brown. An adult male varies in size between 35mm and 75mm in length and tend to be seen flying at dusk in the Summer looking for a mate. The female is smaller at between 30mm to 50mm long with smaller mandibles. They are often seen on the ground looking for somewhere to lay their eggs.
Female Stag Beetle Image by K Wilcox
