Latest Sightings July 2013

Click on the link to send in your sightings info@foteb.org.uk

For previous months sightings see Archive

The "Area Seen" refers to the 10 sections that the Brook has been split into for monitoring purposes (see Wildlife page under Monitoring ). .

All sightings unless stated are from personal observations by Eddie Napper

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Birds

16/07/13 An adult Common Tern was seen in Area 4 flying E following the Emm Brook at 21:10 by Paul Bright Thomas.

14/07/13 In Area 8, Old Forest Road during the Balsam pulling a male Whitethroatwas calling from the hedgerow . Singing male Chiffchaff were also heard in the riverside bushes.

13/07/13 A really good day today with a report of the Kingfisher seen in Area 4 downstream of Kingfisher Bridge. A solitary Grey Wagtail was seen upstream of Kingfisher Bridge . Singing male Blackcap & Chiffchaff were still belting out their song and a family party of Green Woodpecker , 2 adults and 2 juvenilles were on the grass near the Acorn Centre. In my Area 5 garden this morning a Wood Pigeon appeared on the bird table with the remains of an egg shell still stuck to it. I can only imagine that it was coming to gather food for recently fledged young.

10/07/13 Over Area 4 today at 08:15 an adult female Kestrel with some moult circling and hovering to the SW was seen by Paul Bright Thomas. Also in Area 4 a pair of Grey Wagtail and a solitary Moorhen were seen on the Emm. ad f. Large-looking female . Over Area 4 today a House Martin flew E and a Swallow flew N both seen by Paul Bright Thomas.

06/07/13 A very warm and sunny day produced at total of 25 species of Birds seen. Highlights were in Area 5 a juvenille Green Woodpecker , the Coal Tit was making its now daily visits to the garden feeders. In Area 4 , singing male Blackcap & Chiffchaff were heard near Ripplestream Bridge and Paul Bright Thomas had 3 Linnet heading NW over his garden.

03/07/13 At 0530 this morning a Common Tern was seen heading S over Area 5. A Grey Heron was showing an unhealthy interest in rear garden ponds. Swift numbers are still low and peaked today at 4. House Sparrows and Starlings both seem to have had a good breeding season so far with plenty of juvenilles seen and heard.

01/07/13 Blackcap In Area 5 to the rear of Morrisons, a family party of Blackcap were feeding young by the Emm. Other Wildlife

Reptiles & Amphibians

Mammals

28/07/13 With the warm weather continuing around Brookside in Area 5 Pipistrelle Bats Pipistrellus pipistrellus can be seen most nights . .

Fungi

 Insects & Spiders

27/07/13 Beautiful DemoiselleSouthern Hawker Seen along the Emm in Area 5 today to the rear of Morrisons were the DamselflyBeautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo, and the Dragonfly Southern Hawker Aeshna cyaneairgo

20/07/13 Rhagonycha fulva A very common species seen along the Emm is, Rhagonycha fulva often commonly referred to by schoolboys as Bloodsucker. It belongs to the Cantharidae group which are known as Soldier Beetles. There are about 40 UK species and they are frequent visitors to thistles and umbelliferous flowers. Another new addition to the FOTEB list was a Marbled White Melanargia galathea butterfly seen in Area 8 off Old Forest Road.

19/07/13 With the very high temperatures continuing a total of 8 species of Butterflies were seen on the wing in Area 4 & 5 in an hours walk this morning. These were Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus , Small TortoiseshellAglais urticae , Meadow BrownManiola jurtina Large WhitePieris brassicae , Speckled WoodParage aegeria Comma Polygonia c-album , GatekeeperPyronia tithanus and Small SkipperThymelicus sylvestris .

06/07/13 Large Red DamselflySeen in Area 6 by Paul Goulborn from the bottom of his garden was a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula

13/07/13 Nettle Tap Moth At this time of the year its allways worth checking the vegetation along the Emm for insects sunning themselves. Area 4 nettles near Ripplestream Bridge had several Nettle Tap MothAnthophila fabriciana . This common moth flies in the daytime from May throughout the summer and can be found in large numbers around clumps of Common Nettle its larval foodplant. Also seen were adult and larval Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis .

01/07/13 Cinnabar A walk through Area 8 today from the bridge on Old Forest Road to the motorway produced the following, male and female damsleflies Banded DemoiselleLucanus cervus and a solitary Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula . Several day flying moths were on the wing, including CinnabarTyria jacobaeae and Narrow-bordered Five-spot BurnetZygaena lonicerae latomarginata . Meadow Brown In the warm sun Butterflies were also out and about in the form of Small SkipperThymelicus sylvestris , Small TortoiseshellAglais urticae and Meadow BrownManiola jurtina . .

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Plants/Trees

01/07/13 Hedge Woundwort Along the Emm Hedge WoundwortStachys sylvatica can be seen. In the wildflower meadow at least 1 of last years planted Oxeye DaisyLeucanthemum vulgare can be seen in amongst the Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acrisOxeye Daisy.

 

 

Fish

13/07/13 RoachSeen in Area 6 in the Emm by Paul Goulborn from the bottom of his garden were feeding Roach Rutilus rulitus . Also seen were Pike Esox luscius, Perch Perca fluviatilis and Common Bream Abramis brama.

01/07/13 Underneath Ripplestream Bridge in Area 5 were the fry of an, as yet unidentified species of fish. Whilst in Area 8 the fish were a lot bigger with what I believe were Roach Rutilus rulitus .

03/07/13 During the Balsam pulling today,suprisingly 2 Koi Carp were seen swimming in the Emm . These fish, one orange and the other yellow were approx 18 inches long. I can only assume that they have outgrown a garden pond somewhere and have been releasecd into the Emm.

Molluscs

For a review of 2012 sightings click here 2012 Sightings