Birds

29/09/24 At 07:45 approx 15 Ring necked Parakeet flew over my house calling they may have roosted overnight nearby. Meanwhile in Area 7A, Paul O'Neill was busy with a Swallow heading E>W over Eamer Crescent, a Yellow Wagtail also flew over and 2 female Stonechat were seen. 5 Meadow Pipit were at Ashridge Meadows.The first Redwing of the Autumn were seen in Area 10 in the Car Park field by Fraser Cottington.

26/09/24 On a morning of clear blue skies a solitary House Martin was flying over my Area 4 house.Patrick Crowley was back again at Heathlake in Area 1. Seen on this visit were a Grey Heron ,2 Great Crested Grebe , 2 adult and 3 juvenille Mute Swan , 2 adult and 4 juvenille Egyptian Goose , 10 Tufted Duck , 6 Cormorrant a solitary Little Egret , 1 Little Grebe and a female Shoveller .

22/09/24 Over Paul Bright-Thomas's Area 4 house and heard calling were 2 Rook heading North and a Raven heading West.

21/09/24 13 Swallow were seen in Area 10 at the Lavell’s Lake Car Park heading East by Fraser Cottington.

19/09/24 Patrick Crowley was watching Heathlake in Area 1 and saw 5 Mute Swan 2 adult and 3 juvenille, 8 Cormorrant fishing, and on the island 6 Egyptian Goose 2 adult, 4 juvenille, 9 Tufted Duck male and juvenille and 5 Pochard female and juvenille.

17/09/24 Heard calling from the Area 4 balancing pond was a male Chiffchaff . In Area 10 at the Lavell’s Lake Car Park Field 2 Green Woodpecker were seen by Adam McTiernan.

16/09/24 A Buzzard was circling high above my Area 4 garden in the afternoon sunshine

15/09/24 182 Ring-Necked Parakeet were seen flying from the roost on Goat Island in Area 10 and a Grey Wagtail was seen on the Dinton Activity Centre beach by Brian Bennet.

13/09/24 A wander around Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A at lunchtime in the glorious sunshine. On the wires a Kestrel was looking for not too fast food and 2 cronking Raven flew over before circling on the thermals.A small group of feeding House Martin were moving South . Over Area 10 a much more visible movement of hirundines Swallow,Sand Martin & House Martin were seen by various observers involving possibly 200 birds.

11/09/24 12 Swallow were seen flying over Lavell’s Lake Car Park Field in Area 10 by Nick Baldwin. In Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A a Swallow and 46 Stock Dove were seen by Paul O'Neill.

10/09/24 At Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A at least 3 Stonechat and a further one at Copsewood Balanging pond. Both sightings by Paul O'Neill.

09/09/24 A mixed flock of hirundines containing Swallow , Sand Martin and a solitary House Martin were feeding over Blak Swan Lake in Area 10 seen by Tim James.

07/09/24 A Spoonbill was reported as being seen flying over Gorrick Woods in Area 1 this afternoon by James Carson.

04/09/24 A female Tawny Owl was heard calling from my Area 4 garden at 00:30 this morning.

03/09/24 A male Chiffchaff was heard calling from my Area 4 garden at 07:10 this morning.In Area 10 an Osprey was seen fishing in the lakes around the Emm Brook by John McGovern, before heading North.

02/09/24 Seen by Paul O'Neill in Area 7A were 24 Pied Wagtail on the roofs of the flats in Queens Road. A Whinchat was in Ashridge Meadows and a Female and juvenile Stonechat , a male Stonechat was seen on vegetation between St Cecilia's school playing field and Ashridge Stream.

Insects

28/09/24 A dry night was predicted so the moth trap was out again at dusk on 27/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . However I wasnt expecting the overnight temperature to be in single figures. As a consequence the catch was 7 moths of 3 species. The highlight was a Silver Y Autographa gamma A well-known immigrant species, it has a distinctive unbroken metallic silver 'Y' mark on the brown and grey marbled forewing, With 0 new moth's added ,the total for 2024 is still 220 species.

27/09/24 Despite the appaling overnight conditions, I left a patio light on overnight, this morning a Lunar Underwing Eudoni angustea was on the wall. To show the variation in this species compare this one to the post on 20/09/24.

26/09/24 With the overnight rains continuing the moth trap is currently spending time in the garden shed.I believe that the weather is better over this weekend, so who knows, it may return.

20/09/24 With another dry and mild night predicted the moth trap was out again at dusk on 19/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 19 moths of 7 species. The highlight was my first Lunar Underwing Eudoni angustea for the year and a Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella . This tiny moth is well-known for its migratory tendencies. Sometimes many thousands can appear during the night at coastal migration watch-points. With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2024 is 220 species. Also caught in the moth trap was an Orange Ladybird Halyzia sedecimguttata .

18/09/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 17/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 13 moths of only 8 species. The highlight was the micro moth Eudoni angustea new for the year. With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2024 is 219 species.

15/09/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 14/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 11 moths of only 7 species. The highlight was a Early Thorn Selenia dentaria and a Yellow Shell Xestia Camptogramma bilineata . With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2024 is 218 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. In my Area 4 garden this afternoon a Speckled Wood Xestia Camptogramma bilineata butterfly was on my Tomato plants.

14/09/24 Another warm day so I visited the Ivy flowers on Toutley Road in Area 7. This late source of nectar, is always popular with Insects. Seen on it today were lots of Ivy mining Bee Colletes hederae , the ivy bee is a new arrival to the UK. First recorded here in 2001. Also seen were Honey Bee Apis mellifera , Common Wasp Vespula vulgaris and the Hoverflies , Volucella inanis and Helophilus pendulus a Common Greenbottle Lucilia sericata fly was moving between flower heads.Stuck to one of the leaves was a larval case of the moth Psyche casta . Known as 'bagworms' or 'case-bearers', the larvae of this moth construct cases from fragments of plant material, in this instance, pieces of grass. The case is attached to a tree trunk or foliage.Where it will stay until it emerges. The adult males are plain, dull brownish moths. The females are wingless and grub-like in appearance. Both sexes emerge between May and July.

13/09/24 Inspired by the sun I popped into Dinton Pastures in Area 10. The over ripe Blackberries were proving irrestible to Butterflies, with Comma Polygonia c-album , Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta , Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria and Large White Pieris brassicae all enjoying the sugary feast. Dragonflies were also on the wing with a with a female Ruddy Darter Catocala fraxini topping up its energy levels with a bit of sunbathing.

11/09/24 Found dead on the decking in my Area 4 garden was a Clifden Nonpareil Catocala fraxini . This is the Victorian collector's classic all-time favourite, the 'Blue Underwing'. It was formerly resident in the British Isles during the middle part of the 20th century, but it became extinct as a breeding species and for many years was only recorded as an occasional immigrant. In recent years it has been increasing again and is now considered to be recolonising . With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2024 is now 218 species.

10/09/24 The recent weather has not been condusive to moth trapping, however the moth trap was out again at dusk on 09/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 31 moths of only 5 species. The bulk of the catch was made up with 23 Square-spot rustic Xestia xanthographa . With no new moth's added ,the total for 2024 is still 217 species. . Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

04/09/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 03/09/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 30 moths of 18 species. The highlight was a Garden Rose Tortrix Acleris variegana . With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2024 is now 217 species. . Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

03/09/24 Found by a patio light this morning in my Area 4 garden was a Blood Vein Timandra comae .

01/09/24 The moth trap was out again at dusk on 31/08/24 in my Area 4 garden and emptied this morning . The catch was 30 moths of 18 species. The highlight were Marbled Beauty Cryphia domestica and September Thorn Ennomos erosaria . With 2 new moth's added ,the total for 2024 is now 216 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

07/09/24 The prickly fruit of the Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa tree are now starting to ripen.The trees can live for up to 700 years.

02/09/24 Along the Emm Brook the Rowan Cryphia domestica tree is now full of berries. An important source of winter food for Thushes and Blackbirds.

Fungi

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

Fish

Amphibians and Reptiles

07/09/24 In Area 10 a Grass Snake Natrix natrix was seen swimming across the lakes by Caroline Moore.

Mammals

13/09/24 In Area 10 a by the canoes at the Dinton Activity Centre an American Mink Neovison vison was seen by Mark Lauri.

Molluscs