foteb.org.uk | Friends of the Emm Brook

Latest Sightings September 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

Click on any picture to see a larger image

Birds

30/09/13 Seen flying high SE over his Area 4 garden by Paul Bright Thomas this morning were 2 Pintail .
29/09/13 With 25 birds seen this morning in Area 5 to the rear of Morrisons. The highlights were a Kingfisher flying downstream to Dragonfly Bridge. 20 Swallow heading S and a Sparrowhawk ssen hunting in the afternoon.
28/09/13 In Area 4 this morning 5 Lesser Black-backed Gull , 31 Swallow and 7 Meadow Pipit were seen heading S by Paul Bright Thomas .
27/09/13 2 ,noisy Egyptian Geese flew over the Sandford Lane Car park field this morning with a couple of Swallow . Also heard were several calling Chiffchaff . Paul Bright Thomas was out in Area 4 this morning and saw 20 Swallow over S in a flock , 9 Meadow Pipit,3 Pied and 1 Grey Wagtail.
22/09/13 A massive passage of Hirundines, probably in four figures flying high and heading S , mostly Swallow with House Martins were observed over Area 5 to the rear of Morrisons all day. A total of approx 34,000 were seen flying over Christchurch in Dorset this morning. The last week of September and first week of October is one of the most exciting periods of the whole autumn with plenty of visible migration.Visible migration is perhaps best defined as the 'observation of bird migration during daylight hours' and was pioneered by Dutch ornithologists in the 1940's.
19/09/13 Paul Bright Thomas was out in Area 4 near Meadow Rd and had 25 House Martin over S in a flock , 22 Meadow Pipit over S in small groups and a solitary Bullfinch heard calling.
18/09/13 Area 10 and the car park field were visited today by Fraser Cottington. This produced Whitethroat, Blackcap , Chiffchaff Mistle Thrush 3 Meadow Pipit over S and 12,Yellow Wagtail over in 2 groups.
15/09/13 A reasonable day over Area 5 with Raptors in good supply. A Sparrowhawk was seen early morning, 4 Common Buzzard were drifting West calling and 2 Red Kite were riding the thermals. A Cormorrant was heading W. Returning migrants included 25 Hirundines mostly House Martin drifting S and several Chiffchaff calling from river side trees.
12/09/13 No sign of the Redstart today in Area 10, it looks as if its 13 day stay has finally ended. Seen however where 5+ Blackcap, 3+ Chiffchaff and 3 flyover Yellow Wagtails seen by Marek Walford.
11/09/13 Paul Bright Thomas was out in Area 4 this morning and reports, 1Cormorrant moving E, a Meadow Pipit over S calling and an adult Hobby flying SE.
08/09/13 It was a day for wandering today with Area's 10,5,6,7 and 8 all visited. Sightings were fairly consistent with Blackap seen in 8,10 and 7. Chiffchaff inArea's 10,5,6,7 and 8. A solitary Whitethroat in Area 8. In Area 10 the male Redstart remains for its 11th day, 2 Hobby , several Swallowand 10House Martin over in small groups.
07/09/13 In Area 5 this morning a Cormorrant heading N . Returning migrants were a female Blackcap and several Chiffchaff , feeding off insects in the early morning sun. In Area 10 the Lavells Lake car park field it was raptormania in an hours skywatching by Fraser Cottington with 5 Buzzard ,4 Red Kite ,2 Sparrowhawk and a solitary Hobby .Also seen were 10Swallow , 10 House Martin and the male Redstart for its 10th day.
06/09/13 In Area 5 this morning 2 Rook and 2 Canada Geese were seen heading N. In Area 10 and the Lavells Lake car park field however it was all heading in the opposite direction, with 3Yellow Wagtail , 50Swallow , heading S. At lunchtime a further 60 Swallow, 1 Sand Martin and 20-30 House Martin were flying S. Other migrants included 3 Blackcap ,Chiffchaff and the now resident male Redstart .
04/09/13 Today in Area 10 and the Lavells Lake car park field were Lesser Whitethroat, Blackcap ,Chiffchaff and the male Redstart .
01/09/13 Lured in by all last months good birds, I ventured to Area 10 and the Lavells Lake car park field,this morning. Despite the autumnal feel there was singing Chiffchaff and an alarm calling Blackap . Flying over calling noisly were 6 Egyptian Geese and 4 Canada Geese . What were probably 4Raven were seen but very distant . A Redstart was also seen after I had left.
Insects & Spiders
27/09/13 In Area 1, crossing a path in Gorrick Woods was this Fox Moth Macrothylacia rubi catterpillar. Several Large White Pieris brassicae butterflies were also seen. In Area 8 off Old Forest Road, Grasshoppers and Crickets were still very much in evidence, seen were Meadow GrasshopperChorthippus parrallelus , male and female Roesel's Bush Cricket Metrioptera roeselii and male and female Long-winged Conehead Conocephalus discolor .
01/09/13 In Area 5, a Common Swift Miltochrista miniata moth was on the front door in the morning. The afternoon sunshine brought out the Butterflies with Large White Pieris brassicae, Holly BlueCelastrina argiolus and Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria all seen . Also seen along the river were Southern Hawker Aeshna cyaneairgo and Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum dragonflies.
Mammals

03/09/13In Area 5 by Dragonfly Bridge a Muntjac Deer was found dead on the riverbank. The cause of its death is unknown.
01/09/13In Area 10 this morning off Sandford Lane a Roe Deer was seen grazing on the lawns of a nearby property.
Fungi

27/09/13 On a Fungi Friday , I took a trip to Area 1 and Gorrick Woods. At this time of the year you can see lots of Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria under the Silver Birch trees. Also seen were Yellow Stagshorn Calocera viscosa and the Slime mould Tubulifera arachnoidea these granular masses superficially resemble fish roe..
09/09/13Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus was seen in Area 7 at the end of Toutley Road. Chicken-of-the-woods is a bracket fungus and as its name suggests, chicken-of-the-woods has the texture and flavour of chicken. It is one of the few edible bracket fungi and is eagerly looked for on mushroom forays.

Plants/Trees
08/09/13 In Area 8 off Old Forest Road were several examples of Common ToadflaxLinaria vulgaris and the Blackthorn Prunis spinosiabushes are now heavy with Sloe the fruits of the Blackthorn .
Why do leaves change colour in the Autumn?
Find out here Autumn Leaves
Other Wildlife
Reptiles & Amphibians
.
Fish
Molluscs

For a review of 2012 sightings click here 2012 Sightings
For a review of 2013 sightings click here 2013 Sightings