Recent Sightings - June 2011

BIRDS:
Barn Owl (seen early mornings and late evenings), Black-tailed Godwit (2nd, 30th), Black Tern (24th), Bullfinch (occasionally seen in Woodland Trail), Buzzard (regular sightings), Canada Goose (with 21 young seen – possible creche), Caspian Gull (13th, 17th, 21st), Cetti’s Warbler (occasionally heard), Common Gull (5th, 9th), Common Tern (regular sightings, seen trying to nest or feeding along the river), Coot (seen with young), Cormorant (occasionally seen), Cuckoo (seen and heard throughout month, some days quiet), Dunlin (4th, 9th), Great Spotted Woodpecker (seen with a juvenile on the feeder at Heronry Corner and in the woods), Great Tit (seen feeding young along the bridleway), Green Sandpiper (16th, 29th, 30th), Green Woodpecker (occasional sightings), Greenshank (2nd, 27th, 29th), Grey Heron (juveniles seen feeding in the pools), Hobby (occasional sightings, hunting dragonflies across the pools), House Martin (flying in groups), Kestrel (seen throughout the month), Kingfisher (seen along the river and in the woods), Lapwing (chicks seen on the 6th, 23rd, 30th), Little Ringed Plover (regular sightings, chicks seen on the 24th), Mediterranean Gull (29th), Moorhen (30th, 4 young seen),  Nuthatch (heard occasionally in the woods), Oystercatcher (regular sightings on land and fly-overs), Peregrine (occasionally seen), Pied Flycatcher (9th, in the woodlands), Pied Wagtail (26th), Red Kite (7th), Redshank (occasional sightings, 2 young seen on the 30th), Reed Bunting (regular sightings, resident), Reed Warbler (regularly seen or heard), Ringed Plover (occasional sightings, 16th - seen with young), Ruff (28th, 29th), Sand Martin (flying in groups), Sedge Warbler (regularly seen or heard), Shelduck (2nd, 2 broods seen), Shoveler (5th), Skylark (seen and heard occasionally), Swallow (regularly seen from the car-park), Teal (5th), Treecreeper (family group seen in the woodlands), Yellow-legged Gull (2nd, 8th, 13th, 21st), Yellowhammer (occasionally seen), Willow Tit (seen on the 27th),Wood Sandpiper (29th).

Birds could still be heard in the woods and hedgerows: Blackbird, Blackcap, Blue Tit, Chaffinch, Chiffchaff, Coal Tit, Cuckoo, Dunnock, Garden Warbler, Great Tit, Lesser Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Robin, Sedge Warbler, Woodpigeon, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Wren.

Did you see or hear any of our warblers: Blackcap (sometimes calling), Cetti’s Warbler (resident), Chiffchaff (calling throughout the month), Garden Warbler (occasional calling), Grasshopper Warbler (occasional calling), Lesser Whitethroat (occasional alling), Reed Warbler (regular calling), Sedge Warbler (regular calling), Whitethroat (sometimes calling), Willow Warbler (sometimes calling). 

Note:
The Caspian Gull is an Asian bird and not found in most guide books, so look in Alan Dean’s website:
Photos: http://www.deanar.btinternet.co.uk/wmgulls/CaspG/1s130611.htm and Articles: http://www.deanar.btinternet.co.uk/wmgulls/CaspG/caspgull.htm
Also - http://calidris.home.xs4all.nl/gullindex.htm

Seen from the on-site benches:
Near the willow screen bench: young being fed by parents – Blackcap, Reed Warbler, Robin, Whitethroat. Seen from the second canalside bench – a singing Sedge Warbler.   Seen from the bridleway bench: young being fed by parents: Blackcap, Great Tit, Robin.

BUTTERFLIES:
Clouded Yellow, Comma, Common Blue, Gatekeeper, Green-veined White, Large Skipper, Large White, Meadow Brown, Orange Tip, Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell, Small White, Speckled Wood.

DAMSELFLIES & DRAGONFLIES:
Banded Damselfly, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Demoiselle, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser, Brown Hawker, Common Darter, Emperor Dragonfly, Four-spotted Chaser.

DAY-FLYING-MOTHS:
6-spot Burnet, Burnet Companion, Chimney Sweeper, Cinnabar, lacewing species.

WILD FLOWERS (in flower):
Alsike Clover, Bee Orchid, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Bramble, Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea, Cat’s-ear, Centaury, Creeping Buttercup, Creeping Cinquefoil, Creeping Thistle, Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill, Dandelion, Dog Rose, Evening Primrose, Field Bindweed, Field Pansy, Field Speedwell, Foxglove, Grass Vetchling, Great Burnet, Great Willowherb, Green Alkanet, Ground-ivy, Gypsywort, Hedge Mustard, Knapweed, Lesser Stitchwort, Mallow, Marsh Bedstraw, Marsh Thistle, Meadow Buttercup, Meadow Vetchling, Mugwort, Musk Mallow, Ox-eye Daisy, Pineappleweed, Poppy, Ragged Robin, Ragwort, Red Campion, Red Clover, Redshank, Southern Marsh Orchid, Scented Mayweed, Selfheal, Smooth Tare, Tufted Forget-me-not, Tufted Vetch, Weld, White Campion, Wild Mignonette, Wild Teasel.

OTHERS:
Grass Snake, Mink, Roe Deer, Stoat, Weasel.

WEATHER:  June started with sunshine, occasional showers, followed by cooler and wet days with worries about a near-drought situation. Mid-month was wet with dry intervals. Later we had dry days with wet intervals and very warm days followed by cloudy and wet days.

and finally ...

A Big Thank You:  to everyone who supplied details of their sightings during their walks or surveys.