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Birds 31/05/15
In Area 5 this morning a Kingfisher was seen twice flying downstream on the Emm towards Dragonfly Bridge. Between the showers this afternoon Swiftnumbers had increased to 8 flying over Area 5.
Birds 25/05/15
A bit of a deja vu day today as in Area 4 a Kingfisher was seen briefly at Kingfisher Bridge before flying upstream. The Great spotted Woodpecker were still feeding young at their nesthole. Swift numbers had however increased to 3.In Area 5 a Great Tit was in and out of nestbox 42.
24/05/15
In Area 4 this morning at Kingfisher Bridge a Kingfisher was seen briefly before flying upstream. This is the first sighting by me for a few months. A bit further downstream a pair of Great spotted Woodpecker were feeding young at their nesthole. A juvenille Blackbird was seen begging food from its mother. A MistleThrush was by the Area 5 Wildflower Meadow.In the afternoon a Buzzard was being mobbed by 2Carrion Crow and 2 Swift were again screaming high up in the sky.
23/05/15
In Area 4 Paul Bright Thomas saw 2 House Martin over his garden heading E.
21/05/15 Swift were screaming high up in the sky.
A Buzzard was being mobbed in a futile attempt by a solitary Magpie .There appears to be evidence of succesfull breeding as seen were Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Blackbird all flying around with beaksfull of insects and Blue Tit, Great Tit and Starling all coming repeatedly to my garden feeders.
20/05/15
In area 10 Fraser Cottington saw a Hobby from the car park field. At 21.25 a Nightjar was seen and heard in Area 1 (Gorrick Wood) by Peter Kendall.
17/05/15
Today in Area 5 the 2 Swift were screaming high up in the sky.
A Buzzard was being mobbed in a futile attempt by a solitary Magpie .There appears to be evidence of succesfull breeding as seen were Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush and Blackkbird all flying around with beaksfull of insects and Blue Tit, Great Tit and Starling all coming repeatedly to my garden feeders.
15/05/15
This morning in Area 5, 2 copulating Swift flew over my house. In Area 10 by the sailing club a singing maleWhitethroat was flitting between the trees on the banks of the Emm and the boats. By the car park field a Reed Bunting was singing from the bushes
14/05/15
Despite the rain I decided to brave Area 10 at lunchtime.Flying around Black Swan Lake were 100+ hirundines, but mostly Swallow every now and then they would perch in the trees alongsde the Emm, up to about 30 at a time, before flying off to continue feeding over the lake. An Oystercatcher also flew over the Emm calling. In the car park field off Sandford Lane a pair of Egyptian Geese flew over and a Chiffchaff was calling from the bushes.
12/05/15
I took a walk around Area 1 (Heath Lake) at lunchtime. Unfortunately not a lot to report from the lake itself with 4 Swans a Moorhen and several Cootsthe usual bunch of Mallard were on the lake , one pair were complete with ducklings. In the woods was a calling Coal Tit, a solitary Chaffinch and a Wood Pigeon.
09/05/15
Over Area 5 today 3 species of Raptor were seen with , Red Kite, Buzzard and Sparrowhawk all seen.
04/05/15
Out and about in Area 10 early this morning paid dividends. 2 Swift flew over the car park field. A Cuckoo was calling from the other side of the Emm in Lavells Lake. Later in the afternoon a female Redstart was refound by Marek Walford in the car park field off Sandford Lane. He also managed to get a photo.
02/05/15
In the Area 10 car park field, David Rimes early morning efforts were rewarded with a
flyover Yellow Wagtail and a Sparrowhawk and a non stop calling Cuckoo .
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Insects
25/05/15 
In Area 5 this morning was a maleThick-legged beetle Odemera nobilis Flower beetles get their name from the fact they're usually spotted on flowers in spring and summer feeding on pollen. They're also sometimes called 'Fat-legged beetles' or 'Thick-legged beetles' on account of their swollen looking hind legs, but it's only the males which have this feature.
24/05/15
Out and about in Areas 4 & 5 again this morning. In the sunshine, several Sloe Bug Dolycoris baccarum Shieldbugs were seen on the riverside vegetation. Butterflies on the wing were Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines , Common Blue Polyommatus icarus and Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria .On riverside vegetation was another longhorn moth Nematopogon swammerdamella . A pair of Common Malachite Beetle Malachius bipustulatus were also seen.
23/05/15
In Areas 4 & 5 this morning to the rear of Morrisons the sun was shining and the Insects were out and about. In the Balancing pond by Smiths Walk were at least 3 Commom Blue Polyommatus icarus butterflies another first for the year.. On riverside vegetation was a Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella cucurbitina sensu lato . Hoverflies were represented by Helophilus pendulus and Dasysyrphus venustrus. Attracted to my porch light last night was a Bee Moth Aphomia sociella
22/05/15
Area 10 off Sandford Lane was visited in the afternoon, the Emm had numerous Mayflies dancing up and down in the sunshine, mostly Ephemera danica  another first for the year a Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella was also seen. On riverside vegetation was a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata was enjoying the sun, as was the day flying moth Nemophora degeerella . The male of this species of longhorn moth has exceptionally long antennae.
17/05/15
In Area 5 during my wanderings this morning a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosma nymphula was on vegetation. The first Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas butterfly of the year was also seen. During gardening duties a White shouldered House Moth Endrosis sarcitrella and the day flying moth
Pyrausta purpuralis were seen.
16/05/15
In Area 1 this morning at Gorrick Woods a Common Heath Ematurga atomaria moth was moving through the heather. This species is a first for the FOTEB list.
15/05/15
In Area 10 by the bridge over the Emm from the Lavells Lake car park field (off Sandford Lane) was the distincitive hoverfly Leucozona lucorum sunning itself on the vegetation.
13/05/15
 1422.jpg "Female Banded Demoiselle")
Out and about in Area 10 by the bridge over the Emm from the Lavells Lake car park field (off Sandford Lane) at lunchtime there was evidence that the warm weather had brought out the Damselflies. Seen by the bridge on the vegetation were male and female Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens ,Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosma nymphula and a
female Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum .
 
Butterflies were also in evidence with Comma Euthrix patatoria and Large White Pieris brassicae . Also seen were Cardinal Beetle Pieris brassicae and Alder Fly Pieris brassicae
10/05/15
In Area 8 off Old Forest Road the caterpillars of Peacock Inachis io Butterflies were busily feeding on Nettles. Also seen was a caterpillar of The Drinker Euthrix patatoria moth. So called due to the larval habit of drinking dew. Crane Flies were much in evidence with Tipula verdis and Tipula varipennis .
09/05/15
This morning was an overcast start in Area 5 to the rear of Morrisons.A 14 spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctatawas on Hogwwed, whilst on a nearby Bramble bush a Dagger Fly Hilara maura was waiting for the sun, to come out. A male Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis . By the Spine Road evidence that the Oak Apple Gall Wap Biorhiza pallida had been around was on a roadside Oak. The apple like gall caused by ths wasp is more likely to be seen than the adult wasp.
04/05/15
In Area 10, whilst waiting for the Redstart to appear I saw the following Butterflies enjoying the afternoon sun, male Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, Large White Pieris brassicae , Peacock Inachis io and a male Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni .
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Plant/Trees
25/05/15
In Area 5 at the marshy area where the enlarged pond will be dug was Yellow Flag Iris Iris pseudacarus and Redshank Persicaria maculasa Redshank is more often overlooked as a weed growing close to water and on arable land, this is an annual which is identified mainly by the dark blotch on its leaves. Standing up to 80 cm tall, this plant bears its bright pink, rarely white, flowers in cylindrical, densely-crowded spikes on reddish stems. Each tiny flower has no petals but has 4–6 petal-like sepals and they bloom from June to October.The water-loving Yellow Flag Iris can be found along the margins of waterways and ponds. Often mingled among other reedbed plants, its large, bright yellow flowers appear between May and August and are thought to be the inspiration for the fleur-de-lis symbol which is used in heraldry and also by the scouts.
18/05/15
In Area 4 near Kingfisher Bridge on the banks of the Emm was the first Wild Garlic Allium ursinum that I have seen along the Emm. It is also known as
ramsons.
Other Wildlife
Mammals
22/05/15
My Friday night walk with the grandkids and my Bat detector in Area 5 paid off tonight, when I managed to grab a photo of one of the Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus bats that were feeding around Dragonfly Bridge at dusk. Also seen in my Area 5 garden at midnight was a Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus .
20/05/15
In area 4 at 22:30 in Meadow Road a Hedgehog
Erinaceus europaeus was seen scurrying along the side of the road.
15/05/15
By Ripplestream Bridge in Area 5 at least 4 Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus bats were seen and heard at dusk
13/05/15
In Area 10 in the car park field several small Rabbit
Oryctolagus cuniculus were seen.
01/05/15
In Area 5 during a twilight walk with my Grandaughter Holly, at least 2 Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pipistrellus bats were seen and heard using a bat detector feeding over the Emm by Ripplestream Bridge.
Fungi
Amphibians
Molluscs
31/05/15
In Area 5 a White-lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis was enjoying the damp conditions in my garden.Also spread out between Ripplestream Bridge and Dragonfly Bridge were approx 100+ Brown-lipped Snail Cepaea nemoralis on the recently mown grass cuttings.
16/05/15
In Area 1 this morning at Gorrick Woods a Black slug Arion ater was making its way across the ride.
Whilst Arion ater is a very common slug, it belongs to a species complex that can only be differentiated by dissecting the genitalia so it is usual to record them as part of this aggregate group. There are three species in this complex (Arion ater group): Arion ater, A. rufus and A. vulgaris.
Fish/ Crustacean
14/05/15
In Area 5 by Dragonfly Bridge , Chas Stickler saw numerous small small fish under the bridge.
For a review of the sightings along the Emm for the first 8 months of 2014 click here May - August 2014 Sightings January - April 2014 Sightings
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