| Birds
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
29/04/11 This mornings bike ride =
took me to=20
Area 1 (Gorrick Woods) for 07:00. A singing Tree=20
Pipit was seen and fly overs at the site included 2 Woodlarks 3 Greylag =
Geese=20
5 Canada Geese & 2 Common Tern . Singing Willow=20
Warblers,Blackcap & Chiffchaff were also heard. In =
Area 2,=20
the Swallows have returned to the =
stables in=20
the horse field. A Swift was seen =
over Area 4=20
by Paul Bright-Thomas.=20
28/04/11 In Area 5 a Hobby was seen flying NW at 05:55 and =
shortly after=20
a pair of Bullfinches were seen at =
thegarden=20
feeders. In Area 4 a Garden Warbler =
was heard=20
singing near the balancing pond by Paul Bright-Thomas. A scan of =
a=20
recently ploughed field in Area 9 this morning to the rear of =
Grovelands=20
Park in Winnersh produced the following Phesant, Red=20
Kite, Jackdaws, Lesser Black- backed Gull and a pair of=20
displaying Lapwings=20
24/04/11 An early morning =
visit to Area 10=20
produced good results with singing Whitethroat &=20
Garden Warbler down by the Sailing Club at Dinton =
Pastures. Also=20
seen were a feeding Grey Heron and =
a fly by=20
Kingfisher.=20
22/04/11 With the warm =
weather continuing=20
I noticed this Starling which may =
look like=20
it is singing but was infact panting to lose heat . The first =
time I=20
have seen a Starling with its beak open but no sound! Apparently =
just=20
like dogs, wild birds will open their bills and pant to help =
dissipate=20
heat on a hot day.=20
21/04/11 Migration continues apace =
in Area 4=20
with House Martin & Sand Martin =
seen By=20
Paul Bright Thomas. Best sighting of the day however was a Cuckoo which was seen flying W over =
Woosehill Lane=20
on his way to work by Paul Bright Thomas. . This brings this =
years bird=20
tally to a very creditable 70 species =
20/04/11 A good day for spring =
migrants=20
today in Area 4 with a male Wheatear perched=20
in an Ash tree and a fly-over Hobby =
seen by=20
Paul Bright Thomas . In Area 8 near the bridge over Old Forest =
Rd were 2=20
singing Whitethroats . Also seen in =
Area 4 by=20
PBT were a Grey Wagtail & Bullfinch.A Buzzard =
was=20
seen in Area 8 enjoying the thermals.=20
12/04/11 A minimum of 7 Waxwings . were seen in Area 5 his =
evening to the=20
rear of Morrisons.=20
10/04/11 Any dispute about =
ownership of=20
Nest Box 13 between the Blue Tit =
& Nuthatch seems to have been settled as =
the Blue Tit=20
can be seen with nesting material. In todays warm weather =
raptors were=20
enjoying the thermals in Area 5 seen were Sparrowhawk, Red Kite & Buzzards a =
Mistle Thrush was seen gathering =
beakfulls of food,=20
presumably to take to a nearby nest.=20
09/04/11 A female Brambling continues to visit the feeders =
in Area 5=20
.=20
08/04/11 Seen in Area 4 by Paul =
Bright=20
Thomas were Linnett, Lesser Redpoll & =
Kestrel=20
.=20
07/04/11 2 Swallow 's=20
were seen in Area 4 by Paul BrightThomas=20
06/04/11 In Areas 4 & 5 today =
singing=20
male Blackcap, Chiffchaff &Willow =
Warblers=20
A pair of Blackcaps were =
also seein in=20
Area 5 & 2.=20
04/04/11 A Willow=20
Warbler was heard singing in Area 4 this morning by Paul =
Bright=20
Thomas. A female Brambling was seen =
at the=20
feeding station in Area 5.=20
02/04/11 One of a pair of =
Blue Tits that were showing an interest =
in a FOTEB=20
Area 5 nesting box today.=20
01/04/11 A fairly average day in =
Area 4=20
& 5 today with 20+ species seen. Highlights were singing =
male Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs . |
Insects/ Spiders
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
22/04/11
Seen today in Area 4 Oak =
Apples=20
caused by the Oak Apple Gall Wasp =
Biorhiza=20
pallida . Generally all gall wasps induce the =
formation of=20
galls in plants, especially in oaks. Galls are formed when the =
eggs,=20
laid by the female in the plants, hatch and the tissues around =
the grub=20
swell up. The swelling of the tissues around the grubs of the =
Biorhiza=20
pallida produces on the oak tree what looks like apples,and =
hence the=20
name.=20
20/04/11 With the current spell of =
warm=20
weather another year first for the butterfly list a basking =
Red Admiral in Area 5 this brings the =
species total=20
this year to 9.=20
10/04/11 Another year first for =
the=20
butterfly list a Speckled Wood in =
Area 5 this=20
brings the total this year to 8.=20
09/04/11 More butterflies on the =
wing in=20
Area 5 in the continuing warm weather todays included Green veined White, Holly Blue & Brimstone =
03/04/11
An Early mining Bee, =
Common Wasp, Bee=20
Fly were all seen in Area 5 in the sunshine.
02/04/11
The first Harlequin =
Ladybird=20
Harmonia axyridis of the year was seen in Area 5 =
this=20
afternoon. The Harlequin ladybird is of Asian origin, and a =
recent=20
immigrant It was originally confined to the south of the UK but =
is=20
spreading relentlessly northwards. Unfortunately, from an =
identification=20
view point, the adult Harlequin, can have a variable number of =
spots.=20
The most consistent feature to look out for is the distinctive =
black and=20
white pronotum just in front of the wing cases. When seen =
lifesize it=20
appears like a small dark 'M' against the white background. Also =
seen=20
was a 7 spot Ladybird Coccinella =
7-punctata=20
.=20
01/04/11
Another new species for the FOTEB list. This =
time in the=20
shape of a Crane fly Tipula vittata Meigen =
.=20
It is an early-flying species and the larvae live in boggy =
flushes and=20
stream sides. This one was seen on the banks of the Emm in Area =
8 by the=20
Motorway bridge. |
Other Wildlife
Click on any picture to see a larger =
image=20
Amphibians
Coarse Fish
29/04/11 In Area 5 by the bridge a =
shoal of=20
small fish were swimming in the brook. They were unfortunately =
too small=20
for me to identfy.=20
Mammals
29/04/11 In my Area 5 garden this =
morning at=20
06:00 a Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus=20
rummaging in the shrubery.=20
28/04/11 Area 9 this morning =
produced 2=20
Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus =
at=20
seperate locations. In Area 5 a dead Wood =
Mouse=20
Apodemus sylvaticus was found presumabily the =
victim of a=20
cat.=20
27/04/11 The scruffiest ever =
looking young=20
Fox Vulpes vulpes was seen =
running=20
around Brookside at 20:15 in Area 5.=20
22/04/11 A Muntjac Deer=20
Muntiacus reevesi was seen in Area 10 near the =
Brook to=20
the rear of The Loddon Rooms at Dinton Pastures by Ian Paine.=20
04/04/11 Common=20
Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus were seen =
&=20
heard with a bat detector this evening in Area 4.=20
Plants/Trees=20
22/04/11 In the Wildflower Meadow =
in Area 5=20
Cowslip Primula verisare =
staring to=20
show well. Common Vetch Vica =
soctiva=20
can now be seen in the balancing pond adjacent to Smiths Walk in =
Area 5.=20
White Dead Nettle Lamium =
album and=20
Crosswort Cruciata laevipes =
are now=20
all visible along the banks of the brook.=20
16/04/11 In both the =
balancing pond &=20
the Wildflower meadow the first Meadow =
Buttercup=20
Ranunculus acris is in flower.
15/04/11
I'm not sure if these are wild or a garden =
escapee but=20
Bluebells Alliaria petiolata =
are=20
allways a joy to see. These are in Area 4.=20
14/04/11
Galic Mustard Alliaria =
petiolata=20
is one I look forward to seeing in early Spring. Its =
fresh green=20
leaves spring up very quickly and soon result in masses of white =
flowers. In fact it so often grows at the bottom of countryside =
hedges=20
that one of its other common names is Jack-by-the-Hedge. When it =
is=20
about to flower the orange tip butterfly is usually seen =
flitting about.=20
It lay its eggs on the fresh leaves of A. petiolata on which the =
caterpillars of this single brooded butterfly feed. It can now =
be seen=20
all along the Emm.=20
06/04/11
In the Wildflower Meadow and in the balancing =
pond Ladys Smock Cardamine pratensis =
are just=20
starting to emerge.=20
01/04/11
Blackthorn bushes Prunus =
spinosa=20
are starting to flower all along the Emm. . This is one =
of the=20
first trees to bloom in springtime. Its white flowers open long =
before=20
any leaf buds have burst, and they brighten up hedgerows in what =
can=20
otherwise be a very dull time of year. It is often confused with =
Hawthorn which has leaves before the flowers.=20
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