Work Party Tuesday 30th August

Meet at the Ringwood Drive entrance at 10am. Tools and refreshments will be provided. All are welcome, do as much or as little as you wish.

Nature Notes July

A warm, dry month with rainfall below the July average.  There were strong winds at times.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:   Carrion Crow, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, Tawny Owls, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzards, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Collared Doves, Grey Heron, Swifts, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Tree Pipits, Stonechats, Nightjar, Siskins, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Goldcrest, Song Thrushes, Nuthatches, Tree Creepers, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals:   Pipistrelle Bats, Fox, Roe Deer, Grey Squirrels, Mole activity.
Plants in flower:   Cranesbill, Catkins, Cotton Grass, Blackberry, Garlic Mustard, Herb Robert, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Water Lily, Bog Asphodel, Dandelion, Common Vetch, Creeping Cinquefoil, Ivy-leaved Speedwell, Rowan berries showing colour.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters, Whirlygig Beetles.
Butterflies/Moths:   Large/Small/Green-veined Whites, Holly Blues, Orange Tip, Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Silver-studded Blue, Grayling, Brimstone, Comma, Ringlet, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large Skipper.
Insects/spiders:   Midges, Buff-tailed Bees, Raft Spiders, Flies, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Wasps, Hornets, Ants, Wasp Spider, Sheet Web Spider.
Reptiles/Amphibians:  Common Lizards, Slow Worms, Grass Snake, Adder. Common Frog.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Broad Bodied, Four Spot Chaser, Small Red, Common Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle, Southern Hawker.

The Owlets, which have been monitored, have not been reported as seen during July although calls and screeching has been heard at several locations away from the nursery site.
A group of Swifts were spotted flying over the site, at a high level.
Young birds were evident, reaching independence.

Nature Fact

The male Beautiful Demoiselle dragonfly has a metallic blue thorax and abdomen and purple-brown wings; the female has a green thorax and brownish wings. They capture insects with their legs while in flight or snatch them off vegetation. So specialized have their legs become that they can only perch on or cling to vegetation; they are unable to walk on a horizontal surface. An additional handicap in walking is the length of the body extending behind the legs.

Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting will be held at Avon Heath Country Park on Tuesday 27th July commencing 7.30pm. Visitors welcome.

Nature Notes June

Most of June was dominated by heavy rain, wind and thick cloud with only a few short periods of sunshine generating mild temperatures.

SIGHTINGS
Birds:  Carrion Crows, Jackdaws, Magpies, Jays, Tawny Owls, Black-headed Gulls, Common Gulls, Sparrowhawk, Kestrel, Buzzards, Wood Pigeons, Stock Doves, Collared Doves, Green/Great spotted Woodpeckers, Tree Pipits, Stonechats, Nightjar, Siskins, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs, Willow Warblers, Blackbirds, Robins, Wrens, Goldcrest, Song Thrushes, Nuthatches, Tree Creepers, Chaffinches, Bullfinches, Greenfinches, Goldfinches, Coal/Blue/Great/Long-tailed Tits.
Mammals:   Pipistrelle Bats, Wood Mice, Fox, Roe Deer, Mole activity.
Plants in flower:   Cranesbill, Catkins, Cotton Grass, Holly, Blackberry, Garlic Mustard, Herb Robert, Bell Heather, Cross leaved Heath, Water Lily, Foxgloves, Bog Asphodel, Yellow Flag Iris, Yellow Broom.
Fungi:   Birch Polypore.
Pond Life:   Pond Skaters, Whirlygig Beetles.
Butterflies/Moths:   Silver-studded Blue, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, Large/Small Whites, Holly Blues, Orange Tips, Peacock, Red Admiral, Species of day flying Moths.
Insects:   Midges, Buff-tailed Bees, Raft Spider, Flies, Wasps Ants.
Reptiles:   Common Lizards, Slow Worms.
Dragonfly/Damselfly:   Broad Bodied, Four Spot Chaser, Small Red, Common Damselfly, Beautiful Demoiselle.

Monitoring of the two Tawny owlets continued throughout the month, observing the progress and development in their behaviour and appearance.  Towards the end of June the family dispersed and are now more difficult to locate having left the nursery site for independence and new territories.
A Jay was observed predating a Common Lizard on the boardwalk.
Bog Myrtle scent was very apparent on dry warmer days.
A Nightjar was heard and seen on the central heath.

SITE  MAINTENANCE
A picnic table was constructed in the glade bordering the western edge of the central heathland. Invasive vegetation was cut back from the permissive pathways.