Nature Fact

Many juvenile birds are now in the process of change in their appearance to become the same as the adult of their species. Young male Woodpeckers who have red caps on the top of their heads, are now developing this marking further down the neck to the nape. Young Goldfinches (both sexes have the same appearance) are now beginning to develop their red face plumage as summer draws to an end. Young Robins have lost their speckled plumage and are now showing a small rusty breast.

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.