Nature Fact

Craneflies are members of the insect order of Diptera and are true flies with one pair of functional wings.  As in all Diptera, the hindwings are much reduced in size to form small knobbled projections, called halteres, which are sense organs that act like gyroscopes and enable the fly to keep its balance. Craneflies belong to a distinct family, the Tepulidae, and have long, thin, soft bodies, narrow wings and long spindly legs and are commonly known by the name ‘daddy long legs’.

Nature Notes July

July delivered a mixture of weather, with strong winds, heavy rainfall, thunder and lightning, cloud and sunshine.

SIGHTINGS 
Birds:   Carrion Crow, Magpies, Jays, Jackdaws, Buzzards, Black-headed Gulls, Herring Gulls, Tawny Owls, Sparrowhawk, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Wood Pigeons, Feral Pigeons, Collared Doves Heron, Chiff Chaff, Tree Creeper, Nuthatches, Robins, Blackbirds, Song Thrushes, Wrens, Dunnocks, Stonechats, Siskins, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals:   Pipistrelle Bats, Fox, Grey Squirrels.
Butterflies/Moths:  Holly Blue, Brimstone, Small/Large White, Peacocks, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Silver-studded Blue, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Ringlet, Large Skipper. Species of Day flying Moths.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters, Back Swimmers, Whirligig Beetles, Stickleback.
Insects:   Bees, Hoverflies, Wasps, Velvet Ant, Sheet web Spider, Grasshoppers, Mining Bees.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Southern Hawker, Broad Bodied Chaser,   Beautiful Demoiselle, Small Red.
Reptiles:   Slow Worm, Common Lizard.
Plants in flower:   Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Cotton Grass, Bog Asphodel, Common Sundews, Rowan Tree berries, Holly berries.

Flocks of Siskins and Finches, after the breeding season, were seen on site.
Two Tawny Owls were heard communicating at dusk.

Nature Fact

The Siskin is one of our smallest finches and like most other members of that family, the male is brightly coloured, whereas the female is dull with a flecked breast.  Most finches are primarily seed eaters and the Siskin is no exception, with its staple diet being conifer seeds.  They also feed on Silver Birch seeds and on gardens feeders offering sunflower hearts, niger seeds and peanuts.  During the breeding season, Siskins are much more secretive and hides away high up in conifer trees.  Birds that start the season early in prime condition are likely to rear more youngsters than birds in less than peak condition.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of Slop Bog Guardians will be held on 5th August at Avon Country Park commencing 7.30pm. Visitors welcome.

Nature Notes

The weather in June was similar to that of May, very mixed.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Buzzards, Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, Feral/Wood Pigeons, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Chiff Chaffs, Willow Warbler, Song Thrush, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Goldcrest, Dunnocks, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinches, Greenfinches, Bullfinches, Goldfinches, Stonechats, Siskins, Mallard Ducks, Grey Wagtail, Heron, Black-headed Gulls.
Mammals:   Pipistrelle Bats, Roe Deer, Grey Squirrels, Wood Mouse.
Butterflies/Moths:  Large White, Holly Blue, Silver-studded Blue, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large Skipper, Green Hairstreak. Species of day flying moths.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters, Back swimmers, Whirligig Beetles, Stickleback fish, White Water Lily.
Insects:   Hoverflies. Midges, Wasps, Bees, Funnel Spiders, Sheet Web Spiders.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Small Red, Banded Agrion, Broad bodied Chaser.
Reptiles:   Common Lizards, Female Adder.
Plants in flower:   Cut-leaved Geranium, Foxgloves, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Dandelions, Cotton Grass, Bog Asphodel, Common Sundews.

During the last week of June, the colony of Silver-studded Blue butterflies were showing in large numbers. Resident Bullfinches were seen with this years young.