Birds

28/12/25 Seen by Carol Woodman in her Area 7 garden were Green Woodpecker ,Jay and a flock of Longtailed Tit . In Area 5 flying over the Woosehill Roundabout was a Little Egret .

25/12/25 MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL No explanation needed a Christmas Robin .2 Lesser Redpoll flew over Paul Bright-Thomas's Area 4 garden.

22/12/25 Seen on the Old Golf Course in Area 10 by Tim James were 2 Mistle Thrush and 10 Redwing .

20/12/25 Sean Stevenson was in Area 1 at Gorrick Woods and saw a Buzzard , 2 Raven flying between the trees, cronking at each other. 5 Long-tailed Tit in a mixed flock with Blue Tit and Great Tit . In Area 10 a Redwing was seen in trees by Adam Duff.

19/12/25 In the car park field in Area 10 a Kestrel was seen on the fence with a Field Mouse in its talons.Seen by Alan Jackman.

11/12/25 At just after midnight I was woken by a calling female Tawny Owl somwhere near my Area 4 house. In Area 10 at Lavell’s Car Park Field a male Kestrel , 5 Greenfinch and 3 Song Thrush were seen by Nick Kightley.

10/12/25 In Area 7A at Skinner Drive balancing pond a male Stonechat was seen by Paul O'Neill.

06/12/25 In Area 5 a Song Thrush was singing from the bushes near Dragonfly Bridge at the start of the litter pick. Meanwhile Patrick Crowley was at Heathlake in Area 1 and saw 7 Tufted Duck 6 male 1 female, 3 Pochard 1male 2 female and 7 Shoveller 4 male 3 female. .

05/12/25 In Area 10 a Treecreeper was seen climbing a tree in the Dinton Activity Centre car park neear the entrance to the Old Golf Course by Philip Giles.

04/12/25 20 + Siskin were in a flock with Goldfinch feeding in the Alders along the river in Area 5.

03/12/25 Paul O'Neill was out at the Skinner Drive Balancing Pond in Area 7A and saw 3 Reed Bunting 1 male and 2 females , 6 Chaffinch and a solitary Kingfisher .

02/12/25 2 male Song Thrush were singing at Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A and 3 Stonechat 2 male 1 female were also seen. Both sightings by Paul O'Neill.

Insects

22/12/25 With the year rapidly running out and milder nights harder to predict, my patio light was on overnight on 21/12/25 and the wall behind it was checked this morning. Another small catch just 4 moths of 3 species. Moths attracted to the light were a Spring Usher Agriopis leucophaearia last seen in early January, 2 Mottled Umber Erannis defoliaria and a Winter Moth Operophtera brumata With no new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is still 199 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

03/12/25 With a change in the weather, the moth trap has been placed in the shed for the rest of the year and I will just be using the patio light and be checking the wall behind it at dawn to check for any arrivals.

01/12/25 The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 30/11/25 and emptied this morning. Not a great catch, as befits the time of the year just 4 moths of 4 species. With no highlights , a Winter Moth Operophtera brumata was in the catch. With no new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is still 199 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 .

Fungi/ Lichen

Reptiles

Fish

Mammals

Molluscs