Nature Notes July 2024
Date Published: 03-08-2024
After a wet and windy start, the last week in the month was dry with hot sunny days.
SIGHTINGS
Birds (seen of heard): Carrion Crows, Magpies, Jays, Buzzards, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Tawny Owls, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Nuthatches, Treecreepers, Siskins, Tree Pipits, Wrens, Robins, Blackbirds, Dunnocks, Song Thrush, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Stonechats, Dartford Warbler.
Mammals: Roe Deer, Grey Squirrels, Fox, Pipistrelle Bats, Soprano Pipistrelle, Wood Mice, Hedgehogs.
Insects/Spiders: Wood Lice, Flies, Midges, Hover Flies, Wasps, Bumble Bees, Buff tailed Bee, Honey Bees, Crickets, Common Field Grasshopper Ants, Sheet Web Spiders, Orb Web Spiders, Funnel Web Spiders, 7 Spot Ladybird, Tiger Beetle.
Reptile/Amphibians: Grass Snake.
Butterflies/Moths: Large White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Holly Blue,Small Heath, Grayling, Gatekeeper, Brimstone, Silver Studded Blue.
Dragonfly/Damselfly: Broad Bodied Chaser, Common Darter.
Pond Life: Pond Skaters, Whirlygig Beetles, Backswimmers, Raft Spider.
Plants in Flower/Berry: Celandine, Bog Asphodel, Rowan, Cotton,Grass, Common Vetch, Cut-leaved Geranium, Blackberries,Dandelion, Holly, Arum Lily, Honeysuckle, Sundews, Crocosmia, Common Ragwort, Large White Water Lily, Bell Heather, Ling, Cross-leaved Heath.
Silver Studded Blue Butterflies were seen throughout the month.
It has been noticed that there is a reduction in bird young.
Several Bullfinch have been seen with Mites of the genus Knemidocoptes which causes scaly looking legs.
NATURE FACT
Sundews are a very unusual plant with carnivorous tastes. The round leaved sundew traps and digests insects – an adaptation to its nutrient poor habitat. They favour damper heathland areas and are small plants, so sometimes take a while to spot. Carefully search along the edges of damp paths for them.
Recorders: C. Wilcox K. Wilcox
SITE MANAGEMENT
The July work party has been rescheduled to early August.
