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.

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May 2025

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

 Leisure - W. H. Davies.

Birds

31/05/25 6 Swift were feeding over my Area 4 garden.

27/05/25 A male and female Stonechat were around the eastern pond at Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A .Sightings by Paul O'Neill.

24/05/25 A Pied Wagtail and a Grey Wagtail were both on the Dinton Activity Centre beach in Area 10.Both sightings by Fraser Cottington.

20/05/25 A Little Egret was on the Emm Brook between the shops and Emmbrook School in Area 7A. 2 Swift were also seen high over Eamer Crescent. All sightings by Paul O'Neill.

18/05/25 In Area 10 seen by Fraser Cottingham were 30 + Swift near the picnic area on the west side of Black Swan Lake.

17/05/25 In Area 7A a Little Egret was on the Skinner Drive Balancing pond seen by Paul O'Neill.

15/05/25 In Area 7A a Common Buzzard was being harrased by a Carrion Crow . Also seen were Jay and a calling Chiff chaff.In Area 10 a Cuckoo was heard and seen calling from trees adjacent to the Emm Brook by Trevor Guyatt.

11/05/25 2 Swift were feeding over my Area 4 garden this morning.

10/05/25 A Swallow was flying along the Ashridge stream at Ashridge Meadows in Area 7A a male Reed Bunting was singing around the eastern ponds and 2 singing Whitethroat were in the eastern boundary hedge.A male Stonechat was also at the eastern ponds. All sightings by Paul O'Neill.

09/05/25 A pair of Mallard with 7 ducklings were on Skinner Drive balancing pond in Area 7A also seen was a Kingfisher and a pair of Mute Swan all sightings by Paul O'Neill.

07/05/25 Singing Robin A Robin was on its favourite perch in my neighbours garden singing very loudly at lunchtime.

06/05/25 In Area 10 a Common Sandpiper was on the beach by the Dinton Activity Centre seen by Fraser Cottington.

05/05/25 In Area 10 on the bridge over the Emm Brook at Lavells Car park field a female Bullfinch was seen, also seen were 20 Swift over Black Swan Lake both sightings by Tim James.

04/05/25 A Kingfisher was calling and seen heading downstream on the Emm Brook towards Ripple stream bridge in Area 4 by Paul Bright Thomas and in Area 10 a large passage of Swift and a few Swallow were seen over Black Swan Lake by Patrick Crowley.

03/05/25 In Area 10 a Mistle Thrush was singing just East of the Activity Centre car park seeh by Fraser Cottington.

01/05/25 A Whitethroat was singing from the bushes at the Skinner Drive balancing pond in Area 7A and the first returning Swift of the year were seen high over Eamer Crescent both sightings by Paul O'Neill.In Area 10 a Whitethroat was heard singing by Alan Jackman and a Garden Warbler was heard By Colin Hughes.

Insects

31/05/25 White Ermine The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 30/05/25 and emptied this morning. A good catch of 62 moth's of 35 species. Scorched Wing Highlights were White Ermine Spilosoma lubricipeda , Clouded Silver Lomographa temerata and a Scalloped Hook-tip Falcaria lacertinaria . With 18 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 115 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

29/05/25 Treble Brown Spot The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 28/05/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of 29 moth's of 17 species. Scorched Wing Highlights were Treble Brown Spot Idaea trigeminata , Scorched Wing Plagodis dolabraria and a Dark Arches Apamea monoglypha . With 6 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 97 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

27/05/25 Large Yellow Underwing The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 26/05/25 and emptied this morning. A catch of 31 moth's of 11 species. Flame Shoulder Highlights were Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba and a Flame Shoulder Ochropleura plecta . With 1 new moth added ,the total for 2025 is now 91 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

25/05/25 Figure of Eighty The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 24/05/25 and emptied this morning. A reasonable catch of 44 moth's of 21 species. Green Oak Tortrix Highlights were Figure of Eighty Tethea ocularis , Green Oak Tortrix Tortrix viridana and Rustic Shoulder-knot Apamea sordens . Rustic Shoulder-knot With 12 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 90 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

23/05/25 Common Swift The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 22/05/25 and emptied this morning. Another low catch with 9 moth's of 7 species. Peppered Moth Highlights were Common Swift Korscheltellus lupulina , Peppered Moth Biston betularia and the migrant Moth White-point Mythimna albipuncta . White-point With 3 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 78 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

21/05/25 Buff tip The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 20/05/25 and emptied this morning.Finally a decent catch with 46 moth's of 25 species.Highlights were Buff tip Phalera bucephala , Light Brocade Lacanobia w-latinum and May highflyer Hydriomena impluviata . Light Brocade With 11 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 75 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

20/05/25 Freyer's pug The patio light was left on in my Area 4 garden overnight on 19/05/25.Onthe garden wall this morning were 4 moth's of 4 species.Highlights were Freyer's pug Eupithecia intricata , Sycamore Acronicta aceris and Willow Beauty Peribatodes rhomboidaria . Sycamore With 3 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 64 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

18/05/25 Orange Footman The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 17/05/25 and emptied this morning. Another small catch of 11 moth's of 9 species.Highlights were Orange Footman Eilema sororcula , Common Marble Celypha lacunana ,Barred Marble Celypha striana and Snout Hypena proboscidalis . Common Marble With 4 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 61 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

16/05/25 Green Carpet The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 15/05/25 and emptied this morning. It was quite a disappointing catch of 7 moth's of 4 species.Highlights were Green Carpet Colostygia pectinataria and Cinnabar Tyria jacobaeae both new for the year . Cinnabar With 2 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 57 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

14/05/25 Least Black Arches The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 13/05/25 and emptied this morning. Another modest catch of 15 moth's of 12 species.Highlights were Least Black Arches Nola confusalis , Small Dusty Wave Idaea seriata and Small Dusty Wave a White-spotted Pug Eupithecia tripunctaria . With 4 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 55 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

12/05/25 Narrow-winged Pug The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 11/05/25 and emptied this morning. It was quality over quantity with a catch of 16 moth's of 13 species.Highlights were Narrow-winged Pug Eupithecia nanata , Marbled Brown Drymonia dodonaea and Marbled Brown a Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella . With 9 new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is now 51 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

08/05/25 European Hornet The moth trap, was out in my Area 4 garden overnight on 07/05/25 and emptied this morning. A terrible catch of 1 moth of 1 species.A Brimstone Moth Opisthograptis luteolata .I was however shocked when I found a European Hornet Vespa crabo in there. With no new moth's added ,the total for 2025 is still 42 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

07/05/25 Bagworm Moth Larval Case Currently stuck at home, so I have my Area 4 back garden to look at. Seen on the garden fence was the larval case of a Bagworm Moth. I believe it is the Common Bagworm Psyche casta Bagworm Moths construct cases from fragments of plant material, in this instance, pieces of grass. The case is attached to a tree trunk or foliage, or quite often to a wooden fence or gate.A European Hornet Vespa crabo was also seen.

06/05/25 Banded Demoiselle In Area 10 ,male Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens Damselflies were flying.Photo Courtesy of Keith Boseley.

04/05/25 Bee Fly Seen in my Area 4 garden was a Dark Winged Bee Fly Bombylius major feeding on the flowers before alighting on the wall.

02/05/25 Maybug Right on cue the Common Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha or Maybug have appeared in my Area 4 garden attracted to my patio light at night.

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 .

22/05/25 Yellow Iris Although the pond in Area 5 has nearly dried up and is very overgrown, Yellow Iris Iris pseudacorus can still be seen around its edges. Ragged Robin Also there are Ragged Robin Silene flos-cuculi .

04/05/25 Horse Chestnut On the central reservation of the Spine Road in Area 4 the showy flowers of the Horse Chestnut Aesculus hippocastanum are putting on a really good display.

Fungi/ Lichen

Fish

Mammals

30/05/25 European Badger Sad news to report a European Badger Meles meles was found dead at the side of the road in Area 7A on the A321 (Twyford Rd)near the bridge over the A329M.

22/05/25 Roe Deer and fawn Seen in the fields around Ludgrove School in Area 1 was a female Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus with a fawn. Just about visible in the photo amongst the grass on the left hand edge.

15/05/25 Roe Deer A male and female Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus were seen feeding in a field in Area 7A.

Molluscs