Nature Notes August 2018

Date Published: 09-09-2018

The fine, warm weather continued through to mid-month, but then became very mixed,
with a few days of heavy rain and strong winds.
SIGHTINGS
Birds: Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, Buzzards, Black-headed Gulls,
Common Gulls, Heron, Tawny Owls, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers,
Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Collared Doves, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Wrens,
Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Dunnocks, Goldcrest, Greenfinches, Chaffinches,
Goldfinches, Bullfinches, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Siskins, Stonechat,
Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals: Grey Squirrels, Fox, Roe Deer, Pipistrelle Bats, Moles, Wood Mice, Shrew,
Hedgehog, Badger.
Insects/Spiders: Wood Lice, Midges, Horse Flies, Hover Flies, Bumble Bees, Solitary
Bees, Miner Bees, Raft Spider.
Reptiles/Amphibians: Slow Worm, Common Lizard, Frog.
Butterflies/Moths: Species of day flying Moths, Speckled Wood, Holly Blue, Large
White, Small White, Green Veined White, Comma, Brimstone, Peacock, Red Admiral,
Gatekeeper, Grayling, Silver-studded Blue, Meadow Brown.
Plants in flower: Crocosmia, Beloperone (Shrimp Plant Shrub), Rowan Berries, Holly
Berries, Blackberry Fruits.
Pond Life: Whirlygig Beetles, Pond Skaters, Backswimmers, Water Lily.
Dragonfly/Damselfly: Small Red, Small Blue, Broad Bodied.
No more reported sightings of Tree Pipits or Nightjars during August.
Bullfinches observed feeding on the Rowan berries.
A Badger image caught on the night vision trail camera.
Signs of Mole activity coincided with the wetter weather.
NATURE FACT
The streaking and brown colour of the Dunnock give it a rather Sparrow-like
appearance, which is why it is often wrongly named as a Hedge Sparrow – no such
specie exists. Note the thin insect-picking bill, (Sparrows have thicker seed eating
beaks) grey throat and face, and reddish-brown legs.
Recorder:  C Wilcox
SITE MANAGEMENT
A start was made on Willow coppicing and scrub clearance adjacent to the boardwalk. A vandalised direction sign was resited.