Saturday, 21 June 2025

Records from my flat - Green Woodpecker and Swifts

My early wake-up call at 6 a.m. was an extremely loud and repeatedly alarm calling Green Woodpecker. This continued for several minutes and clearly the bird was in close proximity. Unfortunately, due to the dense tree cover, I failed to spot it.

I have both heard and seen Green Woodpeckers from my flat occasionally and they are a very regular record on my adjacent St. Nicholas Church local patch.

My recent run of records of Swifts from my flat continued at 7:15 a.m. this morning with 2 "screaming" birds flying right past my window!

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Friday, 20 June 2025

Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 20th June 2025

Date: 20th June 2025

Time: from 7:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 18°C to 22°C

I had a long overdue visit to the reserve this morning following my last on 20th May 2025 and, following my very successful visit to my St. Nicholas Church local patch site on 19th June 2025, I was very hopeful in seeing many butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies. 

The morning started well when I saw a Red Fox slowly walking down the path between Asda and the A127 footbridge.

However, it was a very slow start to my visit to the reserve with just a few Meadow Browns to be seen in the Thorny Wood meadow although it became significantly better as the temperature increased.

I had very successful visit and I recorded 6 new species for the site for 2025Large Skipper (at least 2), Small Skipper (at least 5), Essex Skipper (at least 1), Peacock (1), Large White (2), Black-tailed Skimmer (1)

In addition, I saw a female darter species continually hawking but unfortunately it did not land to enable a photo and specific identification as a first for 2025.

During my visit, I recorded 10 butterfly species and 4 dragonfly/damselfly species. The number of butterfly species that I have recorded in 2025 (13) is already in excess of that recorded in 2024 (12) and only 2 less than the all-time high in 2022 (15).

Other highlights during my visit were as follows:

Chiffchaff: 6 singing males (2 seen)

Blackcap: 4 singing males (1 seen)

Goldcrest: singing male seen in trees behind the storage shed

Stock Dove: unseen calling males heard in the wooded areas around Puckles Pond and Meadow Pond

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 1 seen in the wooded area between the eastern boardwalk and Puckles Pond

Moorhen: 2 seen on Puckles Pond and another calling bird heard on Meadow Pond

Edible Frog: at least 2 heard on Meadow Pond but unseen

Butterflies (in addition to the above): Small White (3), Green-veined White (1), unidentified “golden skipper” species (at least 5), unidentified “white” species (at least 10), Comma (2), Meadow Brown (at least 10), Speckled Wood (2)

Dragonflies and damselflies (in addition to the above): Common Blue Damselfly (at least 5), Azure Damselfly (at least 2), Blue-tailed Damselfly (1)

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Blackcap

Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Great Tit
Long-tailed Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Blackbird
Song Thrush
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Jay
Magpie
Moorhen

Large Skipper

Small Skipper
Essex Skipper
Peacock
Comma
Speckled Wood
Green-veined White
Large White
Small White
Meadow Brown

Black-tailed Skimmer

Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly

Dark Bush-cricket

Here are some photos from my visit ....
















Photo: Large Skipper





























Photo: Large Skipper




























Photo: Small Skipper




























Photo: Small Skipper




























Photo: Small Skipper




























Photo: Small Skipper




























Photo: Small Skipper




























Photo: Essex Skipper




























Photo: Comma




























Photo: Comma




























Photo: Green-veined White




























Photo: Green-veined White




























Photo: Small White




























Photo: Small White




























Photo: Specked Wood





























Photo: Meadow Brown





























Photo: Meadow Brown





























Photo: Meadow Brown




























Photo: Black-tailed Skimmer




























Photo: Azure Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Common Blue Damselfly




























Photo: Dark Bush-cricket




























Photo: Dark Bush-cricket




























Photo: Dark Bush-cricket




























Photo: Dark Bush-cricket




























Photo: Dark Bush-cricket

Site totals for 2025 to date (2024 totals in brackets):

Birds = 34 (38)

Mammals = 3 (3)
Butterflies = 13 (12)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 6 (11)
Reptiles = 1 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (1)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 49

Mammals = 5
Butterflies = 22
Dragonflies and damselflies = 15
Reptiles = 2
Amphibians = 3 

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature

Thursday, 19 June 2025

Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 19th June 2025

Date: 19th June 2025

Time: from 7:15 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny, light wind, 20°C to 22°C

Prompted by the success of my last visit on 15th June 2025 and the very warm early morning weather, I had another visit to the site with butterflies and dragonflies and damselflies being my main target groups of species.

It proved to be another very successful visit and I recorded 4 new species for the site for 2025Marbled White (at least 10), Small Tortoiseshell (1), Ringlet (1), Common Blue Damselfly (at least 1 but possibly more with c.5 Common Blue and/or Azure Damselflies seen but identification not confirmed)

During my visit, I recorded 11 butterfly species and 6 dragonfly/damselfly species. The number of butterfly species that I have recorded in 2025 (19) is already in excess of that recorded in 2024 (17).

The other highlights during my visit were as follows:

Swift: 1 “screaming” bird seen flying high over the church

Chiffchaff: singing male seen in the northern section of the site, another bird seen feeding around the pond in the northern section of the site plus 5 unseen singing males

Blackcap: male and female seen in the northern section of the site plus 4 unseen singing males

Goldcrest: singing male heard in the wooded area between the access track from Larkins Tyres and the eastern section of the cemetery

Stock Dove: calling male heard in wooded area at the far end of the northern section of the site and another calling male heard in the wooded area in the southern section of the site

Green Woodpecker: 1 seen in the eastern section of the cemetery

Great Spotted Woodpecker: calling bird seen flying high over the northern section of the site and another seen in the western section of the cemetery

Blue Tit: at least 20 (including many juveniles) seen feeding around and bathing in the pond in the northern section of the site

Robin: 4 juveniles seen along the access track from Larkins Tyres

Butterflies (in addition to the above)Large Skipper (at least 4), Small Skipper (at least 8), Essex Skipper (at least 1), unidentified “golden skipper” species (at least 50), Comma (1), Holly Blue (1), Meadow Brown (at least 65), Large White (at least 5), Small White (at least 2)

Dragonflies and damselflies (in addition to the above): Emperor Dragonfly (1), Four-spotted Chaser (2), unidentified darter species (3), Common Blue and/or Azure Damselflies (c.5), Blue-tailed Damselfly (1)

Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):

Swift

Blackcap
Chiffchaff
Goldcrest
Blue Tit
Robin
Wren
Dunnock
Song Thrush
Blackbird
House Sparrow
Starling
Green Woodpecker
Great Spotted Woodpecker
Jay
Magpie
Stock Dove
Woodpigeon
Herring Gull

Marbled White

Small Tortoiseshell
Ringlet
Large Skipper
Small Skipper
Essex Skipper
Holly Blue
Comma
Large White
Small White
Meadow Brown

Five-spot Burnet

Burnet Companion

Emperor Dragonfly

Four-spotted Chaser
Common Blue Damselfly
Azure Damselfly
Blue-tailed Damselfly
Unidentified darter species

Here are some photos from my visit:
















Photo: Marbled Whites

Photo: Marbled Whites
















Photo: Small Tortoiseshell
















Photo: Small Tortoiseshell
















Photo: Small Tortoiseshell
















Photo: Ringlet
















Photo: Small Skipper
















Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper

Photo: Small Skipper
















Photo: Large Skipper
















Photo: Large Skipper

Photo: Large Skipper

Photo: Large Skipper
















Photo: Essex Skipper
















Photo: Small White
















Photo: Small White
















Photo: Meadow Brown

Photo: Meadow Brown
















Photo: Holly Blue
















Photo: Comma
















Photo: Comma
















Photo: Four-spotted Chaser

Photo: Four-spotted Chaser

Photo: Four-spotted Chaser

Photo: Four-spotted Chaser
















Photo: Common Blue Damselfly
















Photo: Five-spot Burnet

Photo: Five-spot Burnet chrysalis case

Photo: Five-spot Burnet

Photo: Five-spot Burnets
















Photo: Burnet Companion

Site totals for 2025 to date (2024 totals in brackets): 

Birds = 43 (49)

Mammals = 3 (3)
Butterflies = 19 (17)
Dragonflies and damselflies = 7 (11)
Reptiles = 0 (0)
Amphibians = 0 (0) 

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 69

Mammals = 7
Butterflies = 25
Dragonflies and damselflies = 14
Reptiles = 1
Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

Restore and rewild our natural world
Please help save and enhance our laws that protect our environment and wildlife

💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature