Click on the link to send in your sightings info@foteb.org.uk to help us monitor Emm Brook wildlife.This type of ‘citizen science’ allows us to get a clearer picture of what is happening along the Emm.

For previous months sightings see Archive

The "Area Seen" refers to the 11 sections that the Brook has been split into for monitoring purposes (see Wildlife page under Monitoring ).

For what you can expect to see on the Emm this month, click here May

All sightings unless stated are from personal observations by Eddie Napper.

Click on any picture to see a larger image

May 2026

What is this life if full of care , we have no time to stand and stare.

 Leisure - W. H. Davies.

Birds

14/05/26 In Area 4 and seen by Paul Bright -Thomas was a Raven circling high, then flew South.

10/05/26 Seen by Paul Bright -Thomas in Area 8 at Old Forest Road Meadows was a singing male Lesser Whitethroat in the scrub.

09/05/26 Grey Heron In Area 5 a Grey Heron was seen by Les Steele.

08/05/26 In Area 7A at Skinner Drive balancing pond seen by Paul O'Neill were a Whitethroat ,8 Coot 2 adult and 6 juvenille and a Little Egret .

07/05/26 Seen by Lorna Akers-Douglas on a pontoon at the Activity Centre in Area 10 was a Grey Wagtail . In Area 1 at Chapel Green seen by Mark Collings were 3 Whitethroat ,2 Dunnock , a Blackcap , Chiffchaff and a Coal Tit.

06/05/26 Flying over my Area 4 garden this morning, was a calling Oystercatcher .

05/05/26 Seen flying alongside the Emm Brook in Area 8 was a Little Egret .

04/05/26 Whitethroat Paul O'Neill was out again this morning at Old Forest Road Meadows in Area 8 and saw a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from a small patch of brambles close to the Emm brook. Photo is one of the singing Whitethroat at Old Forest Road Meadows .

03/05/26 Paul O'Neill was at Old Forest Road Meadows in Area 8 and had 6 male Blackcap all singing and 10 Whitethroat including 8 singing males and 2 females.

02/05/26 Seen and heard in Areas 4 & 5 during this mornings litter pick were Chiffchaff , Nuthatch , Wren and . Robin . At Black Swan Lake in Area 10 a Swift and a Common Sandpiper were seen from the Activity Centre by David Rimes.

01/05/26 Seen in Area 10 at Black Swan Lake by Philip Giles was a Common Tern in front of the Activity Centre and a Mandarin Duck flew north past the Activity Centre .

Insects

17/05/26 Seen in an Area 5 garden at lunch time was a Hornet Vespa crabro .The fearsome-looking hornet may not be a well-loved insect, but it is actually much less aggressive than the common wasp. It is also an important pollinator and a predator of species that feed on plants and crops, so can be a gardener's friend.

16/05/26 Maidens Blush With overnight temperatures still on the low side, I just put the patio light on in my Area 4 garden overnight on 15/05/26 and checked this morning . It produced a catch of just 2 moth's of 2 species. Willow Beauty Highlights were 3 Maidens Blush Charanyca trigrammica and Willow Beauty Agrotis puta With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 57 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

09/05/26 White Ermine The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 08/05/26 and checked this morning . It produced a catch of just 6 moth's of 5 species. Highlight was a White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 55 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

07/05/26 Treble Lines The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 06/05/26 and checked this morning . It produced a catch of just 6 moth's of 4 species. Shuttle shaped Dart Highlights were 3 Treble Lines Charanyca trigrammica a common, distinctively marked moth and Shuttle shaped Dart Agrotis puta A sexually dimorphic species, the males having brownish variegated forewings and white hindwings, the females fairly plain dark brown forewings and buffish hindwings. With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 54 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

04/05/26 Flame Carpet The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 03/05/26 and checked this morning . It produced a catch of 16 moth's of 9 species. Tinea trinotella Highlights were a Flame Carpet Diaphora mendica and the micro moth Tinea trinotella . With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 52 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

01/05/26 Muslin Moth The moth trap was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 30/04/26 and checked this morning . It produced a miserable catch of 5 moth's of 2 species. Highlights were 3 male Muslin Moth Diaphora mendica .The female of this species is white with slightly translucent wings, whereas the male is grey-brown or sooty-grey. With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 50 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

10/05/26 Cornflower Once again I was in the central reservation of the spine Road in Area 5 ,where Cornflower Centaurea cyanus , Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra and White Campion . White Campion Silene latifolia can be found.

02/05/26 Field Scabious Seen in the central reservation of the spine Road in Area 5 ,during the litter pick were Field Scabious Knautia arvensis also seen near Dragonfly bridge was a Dog Rose Trifolium pratense . Dog Rose . in the pond in Area 5 were Flag Iris Iris pseudacorus Flag Iris The large, sunshine-yellow flowers of the yellow iris brighten up the margins of our ponds. Also called the 'Yellow iris', its outer petals have a characteristic 'droop'.

Fungi/ Lichen

Do not eat any fungi that have not been properly identified , some are DEADLY when ingested .

Reptiles

09/05/26 Grass Snake Seen in Area 10 ,basking on a pile of cut reeds was a Grass Snake Natrix helvetica The grass snake is our longest snake, but it's harmless. Photo courtesy of Alan Jackman.

Fish

Mammals/Amphibians