Birds

30/08/23 80 House Martin were seen over Tescos car park in Area 2 by Michael Hubbard this evening.

29/08/23 Seen by Fraser Cottington over the Carpark field in Area 10 were 5 Swift and a Yellow Wagtail .

28/08/23 A Kestrel and a very confiding Nuthatch were seen around the carpark field in Area 10 by Mark Wright. Photo courtesy of Mark Wright

27/08/23 Seen around the carpark field in Area 10 by Fraser Cottington today were 2 Willow Warbler a pair of Whitethroat , 10 Blackcap , 3+ Chiffchaff and a female type Redstart seen briefly on bottom fence.

26/08/23 During Balsam pulling in Area 7 a Grey Heron was seen to leave the river. 2 Swift and 4 Whitethroat 3 males and a female were seen around Area 10 by Fraser Cottington.

23/08/23 Around Area 1 at lunch time 6 Swallow were swooping over the fields at Grays PYO Farm.

22/08/23 Paul O'Neill was out again in Area 7A and saw a Lesser Black-backed Gull on the building site and then flew onto roof of house. A Little Egret in Ashridge Stream at Toutley Road bridge, and an adult male and female Yellow Wagtail bathing in the balancing pool at junction of Old Forest Road and NWDR.

20/08/23 In Area 10 a Lesser Whitethroat was seen briefly in the Car Park field also see by Steve Clarke was a Mistle Thrush . In Area 7A there were 12 Stock Dove on field behind St Cecilia's school. At Copsewood a small mixed tit flock, which contained 6 Long-tailed Tit, 2 Great Tit and 3 Blue Tit ,2 Chiffchaff and a female Blackcap were feeding beside Ashridge Stream. Also following the Ashridge Stream were 3 Swallow seen by Paul O'Neill.

19/08/23 Clearing out their garden nestbox in Area 5, Fran Sticler , found this very cosy looking Blue Tit nest. Lots of interesting looking fibres in there.

18/08/23 From my Area 4 garden a Green Woodpecker was heard yaffling.

17/08/23 A male Kingfisher was seen again at Copsewood balancing pond, perched beside the storm drain, by Paul O'Neill in Area 7A.

16/08/23 Seen by Fraser Cottington around Area 10 were 4 Blackcap , Whitethroat and a Chiffchaff in the Car Park field.

15/08/23 At the top of the Car Park field in Area 10 was a Male Redstart on the fence found by Tim James. Photo courtesy of Roger Stansfield, who also saw a Lesser Whitethroat . Feeding hgh over Ashridge stream in Area 7A for at least an hour at midday were 3 Hobby seen by Paul O'Neill, along with a Kingfisher and 2 House Martin seen around CopseWood.

13/08/23 Seen by Fraser Cottington on his walk around Area 10 were 7 Swift around the Dinton Activity centre, with a Common Sandpiper on the beach. In the Car Park field 2 Willow Warbler were in the central copse, feeding low around dog rose, calling constantly. 2 Swallow also flew through.

12/08/23 During the Balsam pulling in Area 5 a Sparrowhawk was seen flying along the river by the Weir pool and a Grey Wagtail was on the branches of a tree that had fallen across the river.

10/08/23 On the Beach by the Dinton Activity Centre in Area 10 a Common Sandpiper was seen by Tim James.

09/08/23 A Lesser whitethroat was in the top left corner of the Carpark field in Area 10 seen by Nick Kightley.

08/08/23 In Area 4 Paul Bright- Thomas heard the regular toot calling over the past few days of from a presumed fledged or near-fledged juvenile, Sparrowhawk with a second bird around calling a little deeper, possibly a parent.

06/08/23 6 calling Canada Goose flew over my Area 4 garden at 21:30 , earlier in the day 50+ Sand Martin with House Martin and a few Swallow were seen in Area 10 by Tim James.

04/08/23 During Balsam pulling in Area 3 there were 2 Grey Wagtail seen on the river . In Area 7A, 2 Swift were seen heading SW by Paul O'Neill.

03/08/23 A Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen in Area 7A competing with a couple of crows for discarded food scraps in the building site 'car park' by Paul O'Neill.

02/08/23 In Area 10 a House Martin and 3 Swift were over Black Swan Lake and 2 Common Sandpiper flew up from the Dinton Activity Centre beach and flew over the Emm Brook sightings by Fraser Cottington.

01/08/23 Paul O'Neill was out in Area 7A and saw a Cormorrant , a Sparrowhawk over Toutley Road and a Kingfisher where the Ashridge Stream meets the Emm Brook . 2 House Martin were seen visiting nests under the house eaves. In Area 8, 2 Swift were high over Old Forest Road Meadows

Insects

28/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 27/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , not a spectacular night with 68 moths of 21 species caught . Highlights were a Old Lady Mormo maura . It hides by day in old buildings and sheds, and frequents damp localities as well as waste ground and gardens and the micro moth Pyrausta purpuralis , . All new for the year. Best of the rest was a Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria . Only my second of the year. With 2 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 216 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

24/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 23/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , another reasonable night with 116 moths of 36 species caught . Highlights were a Centre-barred Sallow Atethmia centrago the micro moth's Argyresthia goedartella , and Ypsolopha scabrella . All new for the year. Best of the rest was a worn looking Light Emerald Campaea margaritata . An attractive pale-green species, which has a blood-red tip to the forewing, sometimes extending as a line along the outer edge of both fore and hindwings. With 5 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 214 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

21/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 20/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , another reasonable night with 56 moths of 25 species caught . Highlights were a Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana , Straw Underwing Thalpophila matura , Vines Rustic Hoplodrina ambigua . All new for the year. Best of the rest was Grey Dagger Acronicta psi . The grey background is well-marked by black lines, one of which is 'dagger' shaped. With 3 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 209 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

16/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 15/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , with the warm weather another good night with 96 moths of 33 species caught . Highlights were a Sharp-angled Peacock Macaria alternata , Sallow Kitten Furcula furcula Yellow-barred Brindle Acasis viretata and the micro moth Agriphilia tristella . All new for the year. Best of the rest was Lime speck Pug Eupithecia centaureata . With 4 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 206 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

14/08/23 Late news from yesterday in Area 10 a Wasp Spider Argiope bruennichi was seen in the grass, waiting for lunch. Found by Rebecca Rees. Part of the by- product of Moth trapping is that you often attract other night-time fliers. In yesterdays trap was a male Oak Bush Cricket Meconema thalassinum During the mating season, males use their hind legs to drum on leaves to attract females. This sound is almost imperceptible to humans and a Forest Bug Pentatoma rufipes .

13/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 12/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , another good night with 88 moths of 28 species caught . Highlights were a Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria I've finally caught one, the micro moth Cydia amplana . This moth is a suspected immigrant, being first found in Devon in 1990. and 2 Orange Swift Triodia sylvina . All new for the year. Best of the rest was Angle Shades Phlogophora meticulosa . With 5 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 202 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

10/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 09/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning , numbers were up with 93 moths of 30 species caught . Highlights were a Rosy Rustic Hydraecia micacea , the micro moth Ypsolopha sequella sometimes referred to as "Bunny Ears" for obvious reasons, anoyher micro moth Ash-bud Moth Prays froximela . All new for the year. Best of the rest was Blood Vein Timandra comae . This attractive moth rests with the wings held in such a position that the reddish cross-lines of the fore and hind wings form a continuous band. With 4 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 197 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

07/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 06/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning and it was another steady night with 54 moths of 21 species caught . Highlights were a Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma , Pebble Prominent Notodonta ziczac , Dusky Thorn Ennomos fuscantaria and Square-spot Rustic Xestia xanthographa . All new for the year. Best of the rest was Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar dispar . With 5 new moths added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 193 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Later through the day in my Area 4 garden was a Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus Butterfly

05/08/23 The Large White Pieris brassicae caterpillars have made short work of one of my Cabbage plants. Through my Area 4 garden in a brief bit of sunshine were Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta and Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus butterflies.

04/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 03/08/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning and it was another quiet night with 38 moths of 23 species caught .Highlight was a Garden Pebble Evergestis forficalis . New for the year. Best of the rest was Poplar Hawk Moth Laothoe populi and Elephant Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor With 1 new moth added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is 188 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Also in the trap was the Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata and 52 Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris .

01/08/23 The moth trap was out at dusk on 31/07/23 in my Area 4 garden.The trap was emptied this morning and it was an unispiring night with 36 moths of 17 species caught . No real highlights, but the pick of the bunch was 2 Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta With no new moth's added to the FOTEB Moth list for the year , the total for 2023 is still 187 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Also in the trap was the largest of the British Craneflies Tipula maxima unfortunately deceased. In Area 7 this afternoon 2 Male Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum Dragonflies were seen along with the Hoverfly Volucella inanis Late news from yesterday a Jersey Tiger Euplagia quadripunctaria moth was unfortunately found dead in a Bird bath in an Area 5 garden.

Plants/ Trees

17/08/23 A walk around Area 8 at Old Forest Road Meadows this morning and seen were Common bird's-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus , Great reedmace Typha latifoli often called Bulrush, Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica and on one of the ponds Waterlily Nymphaea Alba

05/08/23 In the Community Orchard in Area 5 the Apple tree is holding fruit.

Fungi On an Oak tree in Area 4 was a Oak Bracket Pseudoinonotus dryadeus its a thick, lumpy cushion-like bracket fungus. Do not eat any fungi that have not been properly identified , some are DEADLY when ingested .

Amphibians and Reptiles

Mammals

26/08/23 In Area 6 an American Mink Neovison vison was seen swimming up the Emmbrook to the rear of the shops on Clifton Road.

22/08/23 At 21:00 a young looking Red Fox Vulpes vulpes was seen in my car headlights in Area 4.

Molluscs