Birds

23/03/26 In Area 7A seen by Paul O'Neill were 2 Snipe at the Skinner Drive balancing pond. .

20/03/26 | was woken at 04:00 this morning by a calling Tawny Owl outside my Area 4 house. In Area 10 the first returning Sand Martin of the year was seen over Black Swan Lake by David Rimes.

19/03/26 Seen by Michael Hubbard in Area 7A at the Skinner Drive balancing pond were a Sparrowhawk a Kestrel a male Stonechat 2 Coot and a male and female Mallard plus 9 newly hatched ducklings .

18/03/26 Flying over Woosehill roundabout in Area 5 was a Sparrowhawk with its distinctive flight pattern - 'flap flap' followed by a long 'glide.'

14/03/26 Seen and heard in Area 5 during the river event with SERT, were a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker a Grey Heron feeding in the pond, a calling Nuthatch , Green Woodpecker and a singing Blackbird. In Area 10 at Black Swan Lake were 2 Grey Wagtail , 20 + Wigeon and 20 Gadwall seen by Fraser Cottingham and a Greenfinch in the laurel by the Activity Centre car park at dusk seen by Anna Butcher.

12/03/26 On the pontoon at the Dinton Activity Centre in Area 10, was a Oystercatcher braving the wind.

10/03/26 In my Area 4 garden this morning a singing male Blakcap was heard and the finally seen in my neighbours Ivy.

07/03/26 Seen and heard in Area's 4 and 5 during the litter pick were a drumming Great Spotted Woodpecker a flyover Grey Heron a calling Nuthatch and Song Thrush. In Area 7A at the Skinner Drive balancing pond, Paul O'Neill saw 3 Snipe a male Stonechat , 26 Linnet and a male Reed Bunting .

05/03/26 A spectacular site in Area 10 where a Sparrowhawk was seen chasing a Ring necked Parakeet and allmost catching it. A male Chiffchaff was in full song along with a Song Thrush.

03/03/26 In Area 7A at Skinner Drive balancing pond seen by Paul O'Neill were 5 Reed Bunting , 2 male and 3 female and a male Stonechat. Also seen was a male Chiffchaff Pheasant, 24 Linnet and 4 Snipe .

Insects

19/03/26 With the warm nights continuing I took the unprecented step of trapping 3 nights in a row. So the moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 18/03/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 7 moth's of 5 species. Unfortunately there was no highlights.. With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 28 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

18/03/26 The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 17/03/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 11 moth's of 7 species. Highlight was a Brindled Beauty Lycia hirtaria . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is now 28 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. In Area 5 a Peacock Aglais io butterfly was seen. Meanwhile in my Area 4 garden on a sunlit Forsythia bush were 10+ Yellow legged Mining Bee Andrena flavipes .

017/03/26 The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 16/03/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 17 moth's of 7 species. Highlights were a Tawny Pinion Lithophane semibrunnea , Clouded Drab Orthosia incerta and the micro moths Light Brown Apple moth Epiphyas postvittana and Diurnea fagella . With 4 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is now 27 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

14/03/26 Seen flying through Area 5 were a Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni and Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Butterflies.

08/03/26 The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 07/03/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 11 moth's of 4 species. Highlight was a Brindled Pug Eupithecia abbreviata . With 1new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is now 23 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

05/03/26 The sun was shining, so a trip to Area 10 was a must. Seen was a 7 Spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata, it hibernates during the winter months, resting in vegetation, hollow plant stems and garden sheds and it emerges in spring, usually from March to April, in search of food. Also seen in the Car Park field was the Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni Butterfly. A further 4 were seen flying in the field next to Bittern Hide. One was also seen in Area 5 near Woosehill Roundabout.

02/03/26 The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 01/03/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 16 moth's of 5 species. Highlights were Early Grey Xylocampa areola and the Micro Moth Ypsolopha ustella . With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is now 22 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

Every year the leaves on the trees and hedgerows change colour from green to a yellow/gold before falling , find out why at Why do leaves change colour .

12/03/26 My first Primrose Primula vulgaris of the year was seen in Area 10 at Dinton Pastures.A hardy little plant, the primrose can flower from as early as December in mild years, appearing all the way through the spring until May.

03/03/26 Seen in Area 7A near Skinner Drive balancing pond was Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica.

02/03/26 As the weather warms up, things are coming into bloom . Seen were Common Gorse Ulex europaeus with bright, beaming yellow flowers with the scent of coconut, common gorse is a sight to behold. also seen was Blackthorn Prunus spinosa . Early to blossom, blackthorn trees have clouds of snow-white flowers in early spring.

Fungi/ Lichen

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

Reptiles

Fish

14/03/26 Seen in Area 5 during river dipping was a Bullhead Cottus gobio .

Mammals/Amphibians

14/03/26 Seen in Carol Woodmans Area 7 garden today was a Common Frog Rana temporaria .Found throughout the UK, they can be identified by their smooth skin and long legs; perfect for hopping. Varying hugely in colour, they will usually have dark spots and stripes and a ‘mask’ behind the eye.