Birds

27/11/18 14 Redwing were seen flying over the car park field in Area 10 by Bob Bennett.

24/11/18 It was as black as Newgates Knocker this morning , in the gloom a Blackbird was feeding on the Cotoneaster berries in my Area 5 garden. Herring Gull were heard flying over calling at 07:00, also seen later in the day were Red Kite , Buzzard and Mistle Thrush .

23/11/18 30 Redwing were seen over the car park field in Area 10 by Nick Kightley. On the garden feeders were Blue Tit , Great Tit ,and a Coal Tit which was drinking water from a neighbours gutter.

21/11/18 A Peregrine was seen sitting in the trees by the Emm Brook in Area 10 by Geoff Emmett. Photo courtesy of Geoff Emmett.

19/11/18 A Raven was seen again in Area 4 over his garden by Paul Bright Thomas.

18/11/18 Paul O'Neill was in Area 8 at Old Forest Meadows and saw a Kestrel flying over and then sitting on a light above the M4. 2 Buzzard a juvenile and an Adult were also seen. A Meadow Pipit and 10 Fieldfare were seen in Area 4 by Paul Bright Thomas.

17/11/18 A bit of a dark , claggy start to the day in Area 5. On the garden feeders were the usual Blue Tit , Great Tit ,3 Collared Dove ,6 Wood Pigeon ( never one to miss an easy meal) , Robin , Goldfinch , Magpie and Starling . Flying over was a solitary Mallard and heard calling were Carrion Crow , Nuthatch and a Great spotted Woodpecker .Down by the pond a flock of 15 Goldfinch included a Siskin . A Mistle Thrush flew over with its rattling call and a Song Thrush was belting it out from the top of an Ash tree.In Area 10 a Barn Owl was seen in the entrance to the boxby Richard Marsh.

15/11/18 Area 4 and seen by Paul Bright-Thomas were a Siskin 3 Linnet and 14 Fieldfare .

11/11/18 Once the rain had stopped it was a trip to Area 10 this morning . Ring necked Parakeet were around the feeders and a Jay was noisely flying around. Female Phesant and a Male Great spotted Woodpecker were also seen. 2 Barn Owl one in nearby Oak tree and the other in the box were seen by Paul Bright-Thomas.

10/11/18 On a very wet day, the only thing of note was a Coal Tit coming to my Area 5 garden feeders.

09/11/18 5 Skylark were seen from the Car Park field in Area 10 by Nick Kightley.

08/11/18 Paul Bright-Thomas was again looking skyward over his Area 4 garden at 07:45 and saw a Peregrine moving SW with a Woodpigeon in its talons and a Raven going low S (photo's courtesy of Paul Bright- Thomas). 2 Linnet were seen flying over the Emm Brook towards the Car Park field in Area 10 by Richard Marsh.

07/11/18 At 16:10 12 Ring necked Parakeets flew over the car park field in Area 10 calling, presumably to roost. Also seen was a Buzzard .

03/11/18 A trip to Area 1 and Heathlake this morning. On the water were male and female Shoveller , Tufted Duck , Mallard a male Pochard , Coot , Moorhen and a Great crested Grebe . In the trees were Long tailed Tit , Nuthatch and Great spotted Woodpecker . On my walk back to the car a Kingfisher was perched above the stream. I got excited and the photo is out of focus.Driving back past Ludgrove School Ring necked Parakeets were calling and a Dunnock was feeding on the roadside .At 14:00 a Little Owl was sat on the base of an Oak tree basking in the sunshine.

02/11/18 Paul Bright-Thomas was in his Area 4 garden this morning with his eyes firmly on the skies and saw 1 Linnet heading S, 29 Fieldfare and 350 Wood Pigeon over.A Barn Owl was seen at the entrance to the box in Area 10 by Richard Marsh.

01/11/18 A Grey Phalarope was seen on Lavells Lake from Bittern hide in Area 10 before flying off over the Emm Brook by Stephen Day and Fraser Cottington(photo courtesy of Stephen Day) .

Insects

02/11/18 Sunning itself on the leaves in Area 10 was what I believe to be the fly Nemorilla floralis .

Plant/Trees

17/11/18 In Area 5 by the pond Yarrow Achillea millefolium is still in flower. Yarrow is a tough plant of many grasslands, from lawns to verges and meadows; a strong-smelling perennial, clusters of white, flat-topped flower heads appear from June to November

11/11/18 In amongst a Nettle path in Area 10 are several White Dead-Nettle Lamium album in flower. The pretty white flowers appear in round clusters amongst the leaves and look like an Elizabethan neck ruff. They are not pure white, but faintly suffused with green. The leaves and flowers appear at intervals along the length of the stem in an orderly fashion. The clusters have two leaves on opposing sides of the square stem and provide a backdrop of green for the white flowers. They can be seen till December. Why do leaves change colour

Other Wildlife

Amphibians and Reptiles

Mammals

21/11/18 The temperature was down to -3.6C over night but at least 2 European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus were in my Area 5 garden. Who knows for how much longer.

17/11/18 In Area 5 by the pond European Mole Talpa europaea has been busy.

10/11/18 With the mild weather continuing European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus are still visiting my Area 5 garden.

01/11/18 At least 2 European Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus are still visiting my Area 5 garden and fueling up for winter on the dried cat food.

Molluscs

Fish

Fungi

26/11/18 Not a Fungi but a Lichen. On the fence in the Area 10 car park field is Pixie Cups Cladonia pyxidata As a lichen this plant is composed of algae and fungus in a symbiotic relationship, where both plants gain benefit and neither are harmed by the relationship. The pixie cup looks like the name implies, a tiny cup (1/2 inch high) used by the pixies or wood fairies to sip the morning dew from.

21/11/18 By the tree chipping's pile near the Multi Activity Centre in Area 10 the Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum fungi can be seen on the bottom of a log. This fungus forms leathery, lilac to deep purple patches with a white edge. After starting as just a crust on the wood, the fruiting structure develops undulating intergrowing brackets up to about 3 cm broad, often appearing on the sawn ends of felled trunks.

03/11/18 In Area 1 by the bridge over the Emm Brook near Ludgrove Sghool the Chicken-of-the-Woods Laetiporus sulphureus fungi can be seen .A distinctive bright orange bracket fungus. The bracket is fan-shaped and usually in large, tiered groups. The flesh is at first succulent with an uneven, lumpy, and wrinkled, suede-like upper surface. As it ages it fades in colour to become pallid and straw-like and becomes crumbly. Although parasitic, its hosts can live for many years.