Birds

24/02/24 In Carol Woodman's Area 7 garden a Great spotted Woodpecker has become a regular visitor to her garden feeders and a Goldcrest has been seen in her garden Conifers. In Area 1 today at Chapel Green I saw Ring necked Parakeet , Egyptian Goose , Gommon Gull , Grey Heron and a Little Owl sat in the normal tree.

18/02/24 Ralph Watts was out and about in Area 1 at Chapel Green and saw /heard a Raven , 3 Long -tailed Tit a Nuthatch and 2 Little Owl seen in the normal tree.

17/02/24 In Area 5 a Common Buzzard was seen in the skies over Brookside.

14/02/24 2 Oystercatcher were on the jetty in front of the Activity Centre seen by Alan Jackman.

12/02/24 Over the Car Park Field in Area 10 a Kestrel , Sparrowhawk , Red Kite and Common Buzzard were seen by Andy Dearing in 10 minutes.

10/02/24 2 Cormorrant were seen flying over the Woosehill Spine Road in Area 5 at 08:00 .

09/02/24 Rick Dawson was in Chapel Green, Area 1 today and saw 2 Little Egret , 400 Common Gull Approx count, 300 in cattle field and maybe another 100 in flight over Ludgrove sports field and a Little Owl at hole entrance in a tree near the cattle feeding area .

07/02/24 2 Oystercatcher were seen on the pontoon by the Activity Centre in Area 10 by Don Broadbridge.

06/02/24 A Goldcrest was seen on the path to the Car Park field in Area 10 by Steve Clarke.

04/02/24 In Area 10 a solitary Oystercatcher has returned and was sitting on the pontoon at the Dinton Activity Centre beach.

03/02/24 2 Little Egret were seen flying upstream over the Emmbrook at Toutley Road bridge in Area 7 by Paul O'Neill.

01/02/24 In Area 10 a Kestrel was seen on the old Golf Course and a Chiffchaff was by the Green Bridge both sightings by John McGovan. In Area 4 early morning there were 2 Herring Gull calling from a neighbours roof.

Insects

29/02/24 Making best use of an extra day and a mild night the moth trap was out again at dusk on 28/02/24 in my Area 4 garden and was emptied this morning. It produced 12 moths of 7 species . Hignlights were , Pine Beauty Panolis flammea and Twin-spotted Quaker Anorthoa munda both new for the year. With 2 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 19 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

25/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 24/02/24 in my Area 4 garden and bought in just after midnight as temperatures were hovering on 0°C. It produced 0 moths .

22/02/24 Despite my best intentions,the weather has made it difficult to put out the moth trap in my Area 4 garden. with very few moths and nothing new the FOTEB Moth total for the year is still 17 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

18/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 17/02/24 in my Area 4 garden and turned into a bit of a disaster with steady overnight rain it was emptied this morning. It produced 12 moths of 8 species . Hignlight was a Light Brown Apple Moth Nycteola revayana new for the year With 1 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 17 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

16/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 15/02/24 in my Area 4 garden as the mild weather continues and was emptied this morning. It produced 12 moths of 8 species . Hignlights were , Oak Nycteoline Nycteola revayana and the micro moths Acleris ferrugana , Emmelina monodactyla and Agonopterix heracliana all new for the year . With 4 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 16 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

15/02/24 On a mild and sunny afternoon in Area 10 the first Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni and Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Butterflies were on the wing.

14/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 13/02/24 in my Area 4 garden and was emptied this morning. It produced 7 moths of 6 species . Hignlight was a Small Brindled Beauty Nycteola revayana new for the year. With 1 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 12 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

11/02/24 On a Heather in my Area 4 garden that was bathed in sunlight was a Buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris . Buff-tailed bumblebees are the biggest of the bumblebees and emerge in early spring.

06/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 05/02/24 in my Area 4 garden before a couple of wet days and was emptied this morning it produced 16 moths of 7 species . Hignlight was a Dotted Border Agriopis marginaria a first for the year . Best of the rest was 3 Spring UsherAgriopis leucophaearia . With 1 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 11 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

04/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 03/02/24 in my Area 4 garden and was emptied this morning on 04/02/24 it produced 15 moths of 8 species . Hignlights were Tawny Pinion Lithophane semibrunnea , Early Moth Theria primaria and Hebrew Character Orthosia gothica all firsts for the year and 4 Pale Brindled Beauty Theria primaria ,4 Oak Beauty Biston strataria 2 Common Quaker Theria primaria ,, the micro moth Tortricodes alternella and The Chestnut Conistra vaccinii . With 3 new moth the total for 2024 is 10 species. With 3 new species added the FOTEB Moth total for the year is 10 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

01/02/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 31/01/24 in my Area 4 garden and was emptied this morning it produced 6 moths of 4 species . These were the micro moth Tortricodes alternella a first for the year and 2 Pale Brindled Beauty Phigalia pilosaria With 1 new moth the total for 2024 is 7 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

15/02/24 In Area 1 Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna is in full bloom. A cheerful sight in spring with its bright yellow flowers, lesser celandine is a good source of early pollen and nectar for pollinating insects.

11/02/24 Have you ever stopped to notice the small and interesting flowers that grow on many of our UK trees? Some of these are catkins: long slim clusters of tiny flowers, with small petals or none at all. These seen in Area 10 are Hazel Catkins Corylus avellana Hazel shrubs are monoecious, which means they have male and female flowers on the same plant. They can’t self-fertilise though. Hazel catkins look like alder and also house the male flowers. The female flowers are a small vase-shaped bud with red filaments sticking out. If pollinated, these buds become the hazel nuts in autumn.

04/02/24 In Area 10 Loddon Lily Leucojum aestivum are in flower along the Emm Brook .

Fungi

Do not eat any fungi that have not been properly identified , some are DEADLY when ingested .

Fish

Amphibians and Reptiles

Mammals

15/02/24 Probably disturbed from its roost in Area 10 a Noctule Bat Nyctalus noctula was seen flying in the afternoon by Fraser Cottington, who also mamaged to take a record shot.

Molluscs