Nature Notes July

July was a warm sunny month on the whole with only a few days of rain.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Buzzards, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Magpies, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Jay, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Song Thrushes, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Dunnocks, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Siskins, Tree Pipit, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler.
Mammals:   Pipistrelle Bats, Grey Squirrels, Moles, Wood Mice, Roe Deer.
Reptiles/Amphibians:   Grass Snake, Common Lizards.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Four Spot Chaser, Broad Bodied, Small Red.
Butterflies/Moths:   Large/Small Whites, Orange Tip, Peacocks, Holly Blue, Silver Studded Blue, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Brimstone, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, various species of day flying Moth.
Pond Life/Insects:   Hover Flies, Pond Skaters, Common Field Grasshopper, Water Boatman, Bees, Ants.
Plants in flowers:  Low growing Gorse, Cut-leaved Geranium, Heather/Ling – Cross leaved and Bell.

Many birds are now moulting.

Nature Fact

During the day the Common Field Grasshopper needs to warm up in the sunshine, basking until it can become active. The male chirps during the months of June and November to attract a female. This sound is achieved by rubbing pegs on his hind legs against large veins on his forewing, a process called stridulating.

Nature Notes June

June was mostly cool and windy, with a few very warm days.

SIGHTINGS 
Birds:   Buzzards, Jackdaws, Carrion Crows, Common Gulls, Black-headed Gulls, Magpies, Tawny Owl, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nightjar, Siskins, Tree Pipits, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Song Thrushes, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Greenfinches, Nuthatch, Dunnocks, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals:   Wood Mice, Grey Squirrels, Pipistrelle Bats, Roe Deer, Moles.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Small Red,  Common Blue, Broad Bodied.
Pond Life/Insects:   Species of Bee, Species of Fly, Green Tiger Beetle, Water Boatman, Pond Skaters, Minnow, Raft Spider.
Moths/Butterflies:   Brimstone, Holly Blue, Large/Small Whites, Silver-studded Blue, Peacock, Small Skipper, Species of day flying Moths.
Reptiles/Amphibians:   Common Lizard, Slow Worm.
Plants in flower:   Common Gorse, Cotton Grass, Ling, Bell Heather, Bog Asphodel.

A Nightjar was heard on the central heath at dusk on most evenings.
Tree Pipits were seen parachuting to ground from Pine treetops.
A small number of Silver-studded Blue Butterflies were seen in the last week of the month.