Birds

25/04/14 In Area 5 this morning at 06:20 a Mute Swan flew N.

24/04/14 In Area 4 this morning at 08:00 Paul Bright Thomas saw 2 Ring-necked Parakeet heading fast N.

21/04/14

An early morning walk around Gorrick Wods (Area 1) produced Buzzard , Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Chiffchaff& Willow Warbler. The highlight however was stumbling across a juvenille Tawny Owl at 08:00. It sat on the branch and didnt move all the time I was taking photos

17/04/14 Over Area 10 this morning, Fraser Cottington saw the first Swift and House Martin flying over the Emm.

14/04/14 A Swallow/ was flying along the Emm at 07:40 this morning to the rear of Morrisons..

13/04/14 Areas 4 & 5 were given a good looking at this morning. A total of 30 spectes of birds were seen and heard. Highlights were Kingfisher to the rear of the balancing pond at SmithsWalk. A male Willow Warbler. was singing nearby with the other summer migrants, Chiffchaff & Blackcap also in good voice. 2 Canada Geese flew over mid morning and a Sparrowhawk was flying back and forth high over Brookside in Area 5 looking for breakfast.

12/04/14 Before the Kick Sampling in Area 7, I had a quick walk along the Emm. Seen were male singing Chiffchaff & Blackcap . A Kingfisher flew upstream from the bridge. In Area 4 Paul Bright Thomas had a Linnet flying low S over his garden at 08:30 .

11/04/14 The first Swallow of the year was sen this morning flying over the Emm near the sailing club at Dinton Pastures this morning. One was also seen heading N over Area 4 later in theday by Paul Bright Thomas. The Lavells Lake car park field held numerous Chiffchaff, Blackcap and several Willow Warbler.. Fraser Cottington also saw 6 Common Buzzard and another 3 Swallow flying through the field during his time spent there.

06/04/14 I visited Area 10 at the Lavells Lake car park field at Sanford Lane this morning . In the top corner was a singing Willow Warbler a first for the year. Aso seen were , 2 Egyptian Geese several Canada Geese going N and the regular Mistle Thrush .

05/04/14 In Area 10 at the Lavells Lake car park field at Sanford Lane was a singing Nuthatch, 2 Raven flying NE, 4 Sand Martin going N and the regular Mistle Thrush with beaks full of food. Obviously nesting with young nearby.All seen by Fraser Cottington and Marek Walford.

04/04/14 A day spent mostly in Area 5. Several male Chiffchaff were calling from at least 06:30, whilst 2 honking Canada Geese flew over S. Green & Great spotted Woodpecker were seen , and later in the day when it warmed up Buzzard and Red Kite were riding the thermals

01/04/14

In Areas 4,5 & 10 singing male Blackcaps seem to be everywhere

Insects & Spiders

14/04/14

At the Family Picnic this afternoon the sun shone again Butterflies in Area 5. Seen were Comma , Peacock Inachis io Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae ,Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, & yet another first for the year Green veined White Pieres napi. Also seen was an Alderfly Sialis lutaria , several Ladybirds and numerous Bumblebees.

13/04/14

With another warm day, out came the Butterflies in Area 5. Seen were Speckled Wood Parage aegeria , Peacock Inachis io Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae ,Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, & another first for the year Small White Pieres rapae. In the afternoon a male Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosama nymphula was in my Area 5 garden. These are usually the first damselflies to appear each year.

08/04/14

An afternoon stroll around Areas 4 & 5 turned into a Butterfly Bonanza. Seen were . Peacock Inachis io and Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae . New for the year were, Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines and Speckled Wood Parage aegeria this brings the Butterfly list to 7 for the year so far.

06/04/14

In Area 8 (Blackberry Gardens) a Queen Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidariusr was seen.

04/04/14

This Bee Fly Bombylius major was seen on the wing today. The furry brown body and long proboscis, together with the dark brown front edge to the wings makes this fly very easy to recognise. Also seen was a Drone Fly Eristalis tenax and a Peacock Inachis io Butterfly.

01/04/14 The 15W Acitinic light was used on the moth trap with some sucess. It lured in 2 Early Grey Xylocampa areola,a Light Brown Apple Moth Epiphyas postvittana , and an, as yet unidentified very worn species of Pug Moth .

Other Wildlife

Mammals

21/04/14 My first Fox of the year was seen this morning in Area 1 Gorrick Woods. It saw me and then quickly ran back into the wood

11/04/14

In Area 10, this morning this Muntjac Deer Muntiacus reevesi was seen on the way to the overflow car park at Dinton Pastures. Muntjac's are small, stocky deer , that are russet brown in summer but grey brown in winter. At approx 20:00 between Ripplestream bridge and Dragonfly brridge in Area 5, to the rear of Morrisons ,2 Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus bats were seen and heard using a bat detector. .

06/04/14

In Area 8 a very confiding, but tatty looking male Roe Deer was seen at Blackberry Gardens. This older male had broken antlers.

Fish

12/04/14

The kick sampling in Area 7 off Old Forest Road produced at least 5 Bullhead Cottus gobio . 3 tiny ones and 2 larger ones.The bullhead (also known as the 'miller's thumb') is a small, strangely shaped fish, it has a very large head, relatively large fins and a tapering body. It lives on the bottom of fast, stony rivers and streams feeding on invertebrates, such as mayfly and caddisfly larvae, and the eggs of other fish.

Amphibians

Fungi

06/04/14

In the Area 10 car park on post and rail fence was this lichen. Believed to be Cladonia fimbriata it is a common lichenwith 'golf-tee' shaped podetia

During a quick walk around Area 8 and Blackberry Gardens this morning , I noticed this fungi . It is a Bog Beacon Mitrula paludosa . It has a whitish stalk with a bright orange cap. It can be found in April and May growing on slowly rotting debris.

01/04/14

Seen on the 30th March in Area 10 but only idetified today was this slime mould Reticularia lcycoperdon . Slime moulds are unrelated to fungi. This example is in a plasmodium stage. The plasmodium stage of a slime mould is able to move .the mass oozinng over the feeding substrate albeit at a snails pace.

Plants/Trees

11/04/14 Whist walking beside the Emm Brook in Area 10 at Dinton Pastures this morning,, the following flowers were seen in bloom: Cowslip Primula veris , Ladys Smock Cardamine pratensis and Bluebell Hhyacinthoides non-scripta

Molluscs

06/04/14

The early morning rain had brought out the Slugs and Snails In Area 8 at Blackberry Gardens several Black Slugs Arion ater were seen,and alsoWhite-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis.

For a review of 2012 sightings click here 2012 Sightings

For a review of 2013 sightings click here 2013 Sightings