Birds

What is the Dawn Chorus

29/05/22 Seen circling over Area 4 at Kingfisher Bridge by Paul Bright Thomas were 4 Raven .2 adult + 2 juvenile. Circling over Kingfisher Bridge and Arthur Road calling, then away East. 2 with missing inber primaries, 2 with perfect flight feathers. A Garden Warbler was seen in the Area 10 Car Park field by Anne Cronin.

25/05/22 Lots of young Starling have suddenly appeared on mass in my Area 4 garden with their parents, demolishing fat blocks, hoovering up seed and splashing all the water out of the bird baths daily!

22/05/22 A wander around Area 's 4 & 5 this morning. A Chiffchaff was heard calling along with a Great Spotted Woodpecker . A pair of Grey Wagtail were seen by the weir pool a Jay flew over and Swift flew over screaming.

21/05/22 2 Canada Goose flew over my Area 4 garden honking at 05:40 this morning.In Area 7A a rather disheveled Wheatear was seen sitting on the roof of a house by Paul O'Neill for 20min.

19/05/22 Feeding over my Area 4 garden at 20:00 were 4 Swift .

16/05/22 A Raven was seen over Area 4 circling high West towards Reading Road at midday by Paul Bright Thomas.

15/05/22 I threw out a couple of old slices of bread in my Area 4 garden to have it immeadiatly devoured by House Sparrow and an Adult Starling feeding a juvenile .

14/05/22 Low over my Area 4 garden this afternoon 2 Swift were feeding. Paul O'Neill was out again in Area 7A and saw a male and female Whitethroat in Ashridge Meadows, 4 House Martin visiting nests at Copsewood, and in Area 8, 2 female Wheatear on fenceposts beside the North Wokingham Distributor Road.

13/05/22 Paul O'Neill was out in Area 7A and saw a male Skylark singing over Ashridge Meadows, 2 male Whitethroat one singing from the East hedgerow, the other from gorse/trees at the West boundary, and a male Reed Bunting singing from the reeds in the East pond.A Little Egret was seen feeding in the Ashridge Stream at junction of Old Forest Rd and Toutley Rd In Area 8 and a female Wheatear was seen on a house roof off Queens Road. Same area as one seen on roofs last year on 11 May.

11/05/22 Bringing in the Moth trap at 05:15 this morning and a formation of 5 Mallard were seen flying over my Area 4 garden.

08/05/22 In Area 10 a Whitethroat was singing near the Dinton Activity and a Common Tern was also seen by Anne Cronin.

07/05/22 Seen during the litter pick by Dragonfly Bridge in Area 5 was a Grey Wagtail . It appears to have a beak full of food. It must be nesting nearby.

06/05/22 A trip to the Carpark field in Area 10 produced 3 Hobby feeding over the field and the Old Golf Course. Also seen were singing male Blackcap , Garden Warbler , a calling Green Woodpecker a Song Thrush and a Cuckoo in full song.

05/05/22 Paul O'Neill was back again at Old Forest Road Meadows in Area 8 and today saw a pair of Grey Wagtail around the balancing pond.

04/05/22 Seen by Paul O'Neill at Old Forest Road Meadows in Area 8 were a singing male Garden Warbler and a singing male Lesser Whitethroat .2 Swift were also seen by Paul Bright Thomas in Area 4.

03/05/22 In Area 10 on the beach by the Dinton Activity Center a Common Sandpiper was seen by Andy Dearing.

02/05/22 In the Emm Brook by Dragonfly Bridge in Area 5 a feeding Little Egret was flushed into the tree tops before flying upstream.

01/05/22 The first Sunday of May is International Dawn Chorus Day. Its the worldwide celebration of nature's greatest symphony. All across the world people rise early to revel in the sweet sound of birdsong. Along the Emm Brook the early risers are Robin , Blackbird and Song Thrush which can all be herard from 05:00 onwards.They are then joined a bit later by Collared Dove , Wood Pigeon and House Sparrow . Seen later in the day after my early rising, flying around over the Emm Brook were 3 Swift and 5 Swallow in Area 10

Insects

30/05/22 I put the moth trap out overnight on 29/05/22 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning.Another slow night with 10 moths of 10 species caught . The highlights were a Pale Tussock Calliteara pudibunda and a Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata a first of the year. With a total of 1 new one for the year , this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 83 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

26/05/22 I put the moth trap out overnight on 25/05/22 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning.Another quiet night with 22 moths of 18 species caught . The highlights were my first Small Magpie Anania hortulata and Pine Hawk Moth Sphinx pinastri of the year. With a total of 4 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 82 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

24/05/22 A quick lunchtime visit to Area 10 and the bridge from the car park field over the Emm Brook looking for Dragonfly and Damsel flies between the showers , produced my first male Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas of the year along with the usual Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum , Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula,and Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens .

23/05/22 Seen in Area 10 by Mike Kirby were emerging Mayflies . This one is believed to be Ephemera vulgata. Photo courtesy of Mike Kirby.

22/05/22 Buoyed up by the success of the previous trapping session , I put the moth trap out overnight on 21/05/22 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning.A less spectacular event with 25 moths of 18 species caught and some still to be identified . The highlights were my first Scalloped Hazel Odontopera bidentata and Common Carpet Epirrhoe alternata of the year. With a total of 2 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 78 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. On the vegetation in Area 4 by Ripplestream Bridge the Hoverfly Xanthogramma pedissequum sensu lato was seen enjoying the sun.

20/05/22 Following a few missed nights due to the weather the moth trap was out overnight on 19/05/22 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning.It produced my best catch so far with 52 moths of 25 species caught . The highlights were my first Elephant Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor , Angle Shades Agapeta hamana and the appropriately named Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria of the year. With a total of 10 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 76 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

14/05/22 The moth trap was out overnight on 13/05/22 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning. For some unknown reason there was a dip in numbers with 11 moths of 11 species caught ( maybe the full moon played a part) . The highlights were my first Flame Carpet Xanthorhoe designata and the micro moth Yarrow Conch Agapeta hamana of the year. With a total of 2 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 66 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Paul Hopcraft was in Area 5 and saw a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and an Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella on the riverside vegetation. In Area 10 a Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense was seen by Alan Rymer. This is the earliest dragonfly to emerge in the UK, it is on the wing from May to July. Photo courtesy of Alan Rymer.

12/05/22 In the Area 10 Car park field at lunchtime, the sun was shining and the Insects were out . A Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis was on the vegetation. a Common Malachite Beetle Aethalura punctulata stood out on a Meadow Buttercup and a Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula . Once this buisness has been completed, the female lays about 1,000 eggs in batches of 25-40 on the underside of the Dock Leaf.

11/05/22 The moth trap was out overnight on (10/05/22)in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning. Totals were 24 moths of 13 species caught . The highlights were my first Coxcomb Prominent Ptilodon capucina of the year. Typically this species is a rich chestnut colour with a tuft of creamy hairs on the thorax. When at rest it is well camouflaged and, if handled, feigns death. a Grey Birch Aethalura punctulata and a Green Carpet Acronicta alni. With a total of 4 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list for 2022 to 64 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

09/05/22 On the vegetation by the bridge over the Emm Brook in Area 10 was a Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis A clever mimic, the wasp beetle is black-and-yellow and moves in a jerky, flight-like fashion - fooling predators into thinking it is actually a more harmful common wasp rather than a longhorn beetle.

08/05/22 With the warm weather continuing the moth trap was out overnight on (07/05/22)in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning. It produced another reasonable total with 25 moths of 18 species . The highlights were my first Lime Hawk Moth Mimas tiliae of the year and a Least Black Arches Nola confusalis and a Alder Moth Acronicta alni. With a total of 5 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list to 60 species for the year.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

06/05/22 The moth trap was out overnight on (05/05/22)in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning. It produced the best totals of the year with 31 moths of 17 species . The highlights were another Micro Moth Caloptilia robustella - alchimiella agg , Orange Footman Wittia sororcula and a Lesser Swallow Prominent Pheosia gnoma. Esperia sulphurella With a total of 7 first's for the year added this brings the FOTEB Moth list to 55 species for the year. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

With the sun shining I decided to visit Area 10 in the afternoon to look for Damselflies. I was rewarded with Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum , Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens and a Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans all on the same patch of vegetation on the banks of the Emm Brook.

05/05/22 Seen flying across my Area 4 garden in the sunshine were Holly Blue Celastrina argiolus and Large White Pieris brassicae Butterflies.

02/05/22 As a by product of moth trapping there are often other Insects that are attracted to the moth trap light . 2 Glyphotaelius pellucidus Caddisflies were lured in with a Ichneumon wasp Ophion obscuratus agg last night.

01/05/22 The moth trap was out overnight on (30/04/22)in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning. Caught were 23 moths of 12 species . The highlights were Great Prominent Peridea anceps with a wingspan of 50-65mm down to the Micro Moth Esperia sulphurella with a wingspan of 12-16mm . A total of 6 first's for the year were added .This brings the FOTEB Moth list to 48 species for the year. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. <

Plants/ Trees

22/05/22 Around and in the the pond in Area 5 are the sulphur yellow flowers of Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus , Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi are in flower on the banks. along with Red Campion Silene dioica it is a distinctive pink-red in colour with five petals that are fused at their base to form a tube . Red campion is dioecious, meaning the male and female flowers grow on separate plants.

01/05/22 Comfry Symphytum officinale in all its variety of clusters of purple, blue, and white flowers can now be seen along the Emm Brook.

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

Amphibians and Reptiles

06/05/22 Whilst watching Damselflies from the Bridge over the Emm Brook adjacent to the Car Park field in Area 10 a Grass Snake Natrix natrix was seen sunning its self on the bank before slithering off into the bankside vegetation.

Mammals

31/05/22 A Mink Neovison vison was seen running along the beach area in Area 10 opposite the Dinton Activity centre by Michael Hubbard.

28/05/22 Caught in a garden overnight on an Area 5 trailcam were Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus and European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus .

22/05/22 In the channel at the Balancing pond in Area 4 was a female Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus feeding a fawn. The Fawn was later seen on the path before disapearing into the long grass.

11/05/22 In Area 4 a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes was heard calling at 02:30.

06/05/22 Feeding in the Area 10 Car Park field were young Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus.

Fish/ Crustaceans

Molluscs

01/05/22 On the vegetation in Area 10 was a White lipped Snail Cepaea hortensis .