Birds

29/06/25 In Area 5 a Chiffchaff was in full song by Dragonfly Bridge and 10 Swift . were feeding very high above my Area 4 garden. In Area 7A a minimum of 5 House Martin were flying together around Copsewood, occasionally dropping into a nest that was used 2-3 years ago. Sighting by Paul O'Neill.

26/06/25 In Area 7A on the Skinners Drive Balancing Pond were a pair of Coot with 4 juveniles and a juvenile Grey Heron . At Ashridge Meadows a Common Buzzard flew out of the trees and across the A329M. AGreat Spotted Woodpecker was heard calling from a neighbours tree. A Jay popped into my Area 4 garden for a drink and 6 Swift were feeding overhead.

22/06/25 Paul O'Neill was at Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A where he saw a singing Skylark over the East Meadow, 3 Whitethroat 2 female + a male, and 3 Reed Bunting a singing male and 2 female.

21/06/25 In a brief early morning visit to Area 1 a Ring necked Parakeet was heard calling near Luckley School, meanwhile in Area 10 a Kingfisher was seen perched on the Green Bridge.

20/06/25 In Area 10 at the Dinton Activity Centre a Grey Wagtail with 2 Juvenilles, was seen on the landing stage and 2 Pied Wagtail were on the beach. Sightings by Tim James.

17/06/25 On the Skinner Drive Balancing pond in Area 7A, were 2 Mute Swan ,8 Mallard 2 Coot and House Martin and Swallow were popping into bathe. At Ashridge Meadows a Swallow , and a Whitethroat were seen.

13/06/25 2 Swift were feeding high above my Area 4 garden this evening.

08/06/25 In Area 7 a juvenile Robin was following Carol Woodman around her Area 7 garden as she went about her buisness .

06/06/25 A Cormorrant was seen in Area 5 flying over the Woosehill roundabout presumably heading towards Windmill Pond.

05/06/25 On the Skinner Drive Balancing pond in Area 7A, was a Cormorrant . In the fields adjacent to the Ashridge Stream were a Reed Bunting and a Greenfinch . Paul O'Neill was at Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A where he saw a Swift , 2 female Whitethroat, 10 House Martin , a singing Skylark , 2 Linnet , 2 Reed Bunting and 2 Stonechat . A Little Egret was at the Skinner Drive Balancing pond. A family group of 5+ Treecreeper were seen in Area 10 near the Green Bridge by Nick Kightley.

04/06/25 2 Mute Swan were on the Skinner Drive Balancing pond in Area 7A, along with a female Whitethroat . Both sightings by Paul O'Neill.

01/06/25 On Skinner Drive Balancing pond were 6 Coot, 2 adults and 4 small juveniles. A Raven was seen drifting Southwards over the ponda 7A and a female Whitethroat was also seen. Sightings by Paul O'Neill.

Insects

29/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 28/06/25 and emptied this morning. The best catch so far with 112 moth's of 23 species. Highlights were Scarce silver-lines Bena bicolorana a Poplar Lutestring Tethea or Characterised by its four cross-lines, or 'lutestrings' on the inner part of the forewing and a battered Foxglove Pug Eupithecia pulchellata . With 4 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 179 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

27/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 26/06/25 and emptied this morning. A reasonable catch with 95 moth's of 24 species.Overnight rain kept the numbers down. Highlights were Black Arches Lymantria monacha a Scalloped Oak Crocallis elinguaria and a Box-tree Moth Cydalima perspectali . With 8 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 175 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. At Lavells Lake car park field in Area 10 Ringlet Cydalima perspectali butterflies were on the wing and one proved to be a tasty morsel for a Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperatorfont>. Photo courtesy of Alan Rymer.

25/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 24/06/25 and emptied this morning. A good catch with 110 moth's of 26 species. Highlights were Rosy Footman Miltochrista miniata a Blue-bordered Carpet Plemyria rubiginata and a Herald Scoliopteryx libatrix the moth that first got me started on this interest . With 8 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 175 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

23/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 22/06/25 and emptied this morning. Another good catch with 87 moth's of 27 species. Highlights were Buff Ermine Spilarctia luteum a Clouded Border Lomaspilis marginata and a Anania coronata . With 9 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 167 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

21/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 20/06/25 and emptied this morning. Another good catch with 100 moth's of 30 species. Highlights were Mottled Beauty Alcis repandata a Dwarf Cream Wave Idaea fuscovenosa and a Yellow Shell Camptogramma bilineata . With 6 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 158 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

19/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 18/06/25 and emptied this morning A good catch with 97 moth's of 40 species. Highlights were Miller Acronicta leporina a V- Pug Chloroclystis v-ata and a Buff Arches Habrosyne pyritoides . With 8 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 152 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

17/06/25 In Area 7A at Ashridge Meadows, Butterflies were on the wing in the sunshine. Seen were large numbers of Marbled White Melanargia galathea despite its common name and appearance this butterfly is one of the "browns", Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina and Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris were also seen.

16/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 15/06/25 and emptied this morning.A good catch with 38 moth's of 19 species. Highlights were Four-spotted Footman Lithosia quadra , in this sexually dimorphic species only the females have the spots which give the species its name. a Little Emerald Jodis lactearia and a Lychnis Hadena bicruris . With 6 new mothspecies added ,the total for 2025 is now 144 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

14/06/25 Back after a week in Yorkshire, so despite the wet weather prediction the moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 13/06/25 and emptied this morning.A really good catch with 80 moth's of 44 species. Highlights were Elephant Hawk-moth Deilephila elpenor a Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula and a Phoenix Eulithis prunata . With 14 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 138 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

08/06/25 All along the Emm Brook you can see evidence of the Horse chestnut leaf miner Cameraria ohridella .The moth larvae can cause serious defoliation of Horse Chestnut trees, however, this does not appear to do any long-lasting damage..

07/06/25 The sun came out briefly in Area 10 today highlighting the beautiul wing pattern of the Yellow Shell Hemithea aestivaria moth. Also seen were Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum , Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and male and female Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens .

06/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 05/06/25 and emptied this morning.Total catch was 17 moth's of 9 species. Highlight was Common Emerald Hemithea aestivaria . With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2025 is now 125 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

04/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 03/06/25 and emptied this morning.A very different catch with just 7 moth's of 7 species. Highlights were Eyed Hawk-moth Smerinthus ocellatus a Blushed Knot-horn Ephestia woodiella and a Riband Wave Idaea aversata . With 3 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 124 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

02/06/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 01/06/25 and emptied this morning.The catch was 30 moth's of 26 species.. Highlights were Sharp-angled Peacock Macaria alternata , Variegated Golden Tortrix Archips xylosteana and a Sulphur knapweed moth Agapeta zoegana . With 6 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 121 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

Every year the leaves on the trees and hedgerows change colour from green to a yellow/gold before falling , find out why at Why do leaves change colour .

25/06/25 A visit to Area 10 and Lavell's Lake produced Yellow Loosestrife Lysimachia vulgaris a glorious flower along with Common Centuary Centaurium erythraea Common Centaury is an herb. People dry the parts that grow above the ground and use them as medicine.

18/06/25 in Area 7A at Ashridge Meadows a raft of Oxeye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare were in the fields along with Hedge Bedstraw Galium album In summer, the yellow 'frothy' flowers of lady's bedstraw fill the air with a sweet, honey-like scent.

17/06/25 Back in Area 10 again and Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca can be seen. This member of the pea family with its pinky-purple tube shaped flowers is much loved by Bees.

16/06/25 In Area 10 a small Pyramidal orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis was out and also seen was the fragrant Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria with its frothy, creamy-white flowers .

07/06/25 Seen on the central reservation of the spine road in Area 5, during the litter pick were Musk Mallow Malva moschata , Meadows crane-bill Geranium pratense and Corncockle Agrostemma githago .

06/06/25 In Area 10 at the Lavells Lake Car Park field are the tiny flowers of Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys apparently a good luck charm for travellers . At the opposite end of the scale is the towering Ragwort Jacobaea vulgaris .The yellow flower heads of common ragwort are highly attractive to bees and other insects, including the cinnabar moth however it is harmful to livestock if eaten.

Fungi/ Lichen

Fish

Mammals

Molluscs