Birds

22/04/25 The first returning migrant Common Tern was seen in Area 10 by Tim James.

16/04/25 Michael Hubbard was at the Skinner Drive balancing pond in Area 7A and saw 2 Goldfinch, a Chiffchaff, 2 Blackcap, a singing Skylark, a Reed Bunting and a Mallard with 7 ducklings.

13/04/25 The first singing male Whitethroat of the year was seen by Paul O'Neill at the Skinner Drive balancing pond in Area 7A .

11/04/25 Paul O'Neill was at the Skinner Drive balancing pond in Area 7A and saw 2 Mute Swan , 2 Kingfisher and a pair of Mallard with 8 ducklings. Enjoying the lunchtime thermals over Area 5 were 2 Common Buzzard.

10/04/25 2 Grey Heron were seen over Area 5 heading North. A Common Buzzard was perched in a tree alongside the Ashridge Stream in Area 7A and a Great spotted Woodpecker , Mistle Thrush and several Jay were on the Old Golf Course in Area 10.

09/04/25 Paul Bright-Thomas was out in his Area 4 garden and saw/heard 2 Cormorrant going high East, a Goldcrest singing in a neighbours garden and a Rook heading North.

07/04/25 A Little Egret was seen to fly from the Emm Brook in Area 10 by the Dinton Activity Centre. Heard and seen was the first Cuckoo of the year by Fraser Cottington.

06/04/25 In Area 7A around Ashridge Meadows a Moorhen was on the Ashridge Stream.A Little Egret was also seen flying over it , having been flushed by a dog walker.

05/04/25 Seen on the Emm this morning, during the litter pick was a pair of Mallard .In Area 10 a Little Egret was sunning itself early morning.

03/04/25 A visit to the Skinner Drive Balancing pond in Area 7A today. The pair of Mute Swan are back.Also seen were 2 Coot , 3 Mallard , a solitary Cormorrant , Grey Heron and a Wren . Paul O'Neill was at Old Forest Road Meadows, in Area 8 and saw 3 Swallow flying low over the Meadows, heading North East.

02/04/25 Another spring migrant the Blackcap is also in full song at the moment. Male Blackcaps are known as the 'nightingale of the north' because of their delightful fluting song . A walk through Gorrick Woods in Area 1 this morning produced a Raven arguing with a Red kite , at least 4 singing male Chiffchaff , 2 Goldcrest , Blue Tit , Long tailed Tit and Coal Tit , Song Thrush , Blackbird and Robin .

01/04/25 All along the Emm Brook at the moment, the spring migrant Chiffchaff is in full song. In early spring, listen out for its distinctive 'chiff chaff chiff chaff' song ofthe male being sung from every availiable perch.

Insects

21/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 20/04/25 and emptied this morning. Reasonable numbers with a catch of 21 moth's of 13 species.Highlights were Chocolate Tip Clostera curtula , Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda and 2 male Muslin Moth Xanthorhoe fluctuata . With 5 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 42 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

19/04/25 On a small Oak tree adjacent to the Emm in Area 10 are at least 20 Oak Apples, caused by the Oak Apple Gall Moth Biorhiza pallida . These galls resemble small, round fruit, but they are not the tree's actual fruit. They are caused by a chemical reaction when a gall wasp lays its eggs in a leaf bud, and the developing larva triggers the plant to form the gall around it.

17/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 16/04/25 and emptied this morning. I'm not sure why, but a disappointing catch of 2 moth's of 2 species.Highlight and new for the year was a Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2025 is now 37 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

16/04/25 During a sunny lunch time walk around Area 10 plenty of Butterflies were on the wing with 6 species seen. Highlight was my first Green-veined white Pieris napi of the year. Also seen was Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula .

13/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 12/04/25 and emptied this morning. Finally reasonable numbers with a catch of 15 moth's of 11 species.Highlights and new for the year were Lunar Marbled Brown Drymonia ruficornis , Twin spotted Quaker Perigrapha munda , Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata , Oak tree Pug Eupithecia dodoneata and Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata . With 5 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 36 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

11/04/25 In Area 5 a male Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus butterfly was seen flying through a residents garden. In Area 10 butterflies seen included at least 3 Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni , Large White Pieris brassicae , male Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines , Peacock Aglais io and a Comma Polygonia c-album .

10/04/25 The weather over the last week has been following the same pattern with warmish days and low temperatures overnight. This has not been good for the moths with catches of zero and ones on previous trapping nights. However, not downhearted the moth trap, was out again in my Area 4 garden overnight on 09/04/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of zero.I will try again another night.

05/04/25 Seen during the litter pick this morning in Area 5 were 2 Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria butterfly, first seen this year.A Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni butterfly was seen in Caroline Drive.

04/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 03/04/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of 20 moth's of 11 species.Highlights were a Great Prominent Peridea anceps and a Red -green Carpet Chloroclysta siterata both first's for the year. With 2 new moths added ,the total for 2025 is now 31 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

03/04/25 The afternoon sun is bringing out the sunbathing Drone- Fly Eristalis tenax in Area 10. With brown-and-orange markings, the Drone-fly looks like a male Honeybee, but is harmless to us. This mimicry helps to protect it from predators while it searches for nectar. Also on the wing and enjoying the sun is the Peacock Aglais io butterfly.Big, Bold and Beautiful, this stunning showstopper is instantly recognisable, with its captivating azure ‘eyes’ and orange-brown wings.

02/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 01/04/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of 20 moth's of 5 species , all usual for the season with unfortunately no real highlights. With no new moths added ,the total for 2025 is still 29 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Looking at the current forecast it would seem that we're stuck in a rut for the next week or two. Reasonable daytime temperatures with plenty of sunshine but clear and chilly nights down to freezing or below in an easterly or north-easterly airflow and unfortunately that isn't so good for moths.

01/04/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 31/03/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of 7 moth's of 4 species.Highlight was a Frosted Green Polyploca ridens a first for the year. With 1 new moths added ,the total for 2025 is now 29 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. In the Car park to the rear of the Activity centre in Area 10 a Tawny mining Bee Andrena fulva was enjoying the sunshine. A common , furry, gingery bee that can often be seen in parks and gardens during the springtime. Look for a volcano-like mound of earth in the lawn that marks the entrance to its burrow.

Plants/ Trees

Every year the leaves on the trees and hedgerows change colour from green to a yellow/gold before falling , find out why at Why do leaves change colour .

07/04/25 Newly emerged and in flower in Area 10 are Greater Stichwort Stellaria holostea . Greater stitchwort is beneficial to many flying insects, including bees and butterflies , which are in search of nectar during the spring. It is also the food plant of several moths.

03/04/25 Near Kingfisher Bridge in Area 4 are Wood Anemone Anemonoides nemorosa in flower . Wood anemone is one of the first spring blooms, arriving to take in the light through the leafless canopy in broadleaf woodland. They are a sign of old and ancient woodland that suits their slow growth. In the Car Park field in Area 10 a small patch of Wood Forget me not Myosotis sylvatica are in flower. These pretty, azure-blue flowers are another indicator of ancient and wet woodlands. Varieties of this flower for the garden are very popular.

02/04/25 A walk through Gorrick Woods in Area 1, and lots of Hard Fern Blechnum spicant can be seen.An evergreen beauty with not one, but two types of frond. Its medicinal qualities have helped treat ailments for centuries, while its leaves have been used to subdue hunger and thirst . The fronds are single pinnate. They grow directly opposite each other on the stem which gives them a herringbone appearance. They taper in at both the tip and the bottom of the stem.

01/04/25 In the car park field in Area 10 a sure sign that spring has arrived , Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis is in bloom. Look out for its delicate, pale pink flowers.

Fungi/ Lichen

Fish

Mammals

10/04/25 In a field adjacent to the motorway in Area 7A , a young male Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus was seen . In the same field a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes was also seen. It walked to within 20ft of me, before running into the hedgerow.

09/04/25 In Area 10, a pair of American Mink Neogale vision were seen swimming up the Loddon near the Green Bridge . Photo courtesy of Dave Rimes.

Molluscs