Visit to Noak Bridge Nature Reserve – 10th June 2026

Date: 10th June 2026

Time: from 8:30 a.m.

Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 11°C to 14°C

Whilst it was relatively cool this morning, I hoped that the sunshine would still produce sightings of butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly species. When I arrived at the reserve, it wasn’t just cool but also cloudy!

With regard to butterfly species, it was therefore another disappointing visit in terms of numbers seen but I did manage to add the following to my 2026 site list: Large Skipper (1), Comma (1), Red Admiral (1)

I also recorded Meadow Brown (1) and Blue-tailed Damselfly (2)

The notable birds seen during my visit were as follows ….

Blackcap: 1 singing male seen, 2 other singing males heard, 2 females and 1 juvenile seen

Chiffchaff: at least 5 singing males heard but none seen

Moorhen: 1 seen very briefly on Meadow Pond

Mallard: 1 seen flying over the woodland between the Eastern Meadow and Puckles Pond

With regard to mammals, I saw 4 Grey Squirrels: 2 in the woodland behind Willow Pond and another 2 in the woodland between the Eastern Meadow and Puckles Pond.

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

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Moorhen

Mallard

Great Tit

Robin

Wren

Song Thrush

Woodpigeon

Magpie

Moorhen

Grey Squirrel

Large Skipper

Comma

Red Admiral

Meadow Brown

Blue-tailed Damselfly

Here are some photos from my visit ….

Photo: Comma

Photo: Large Skipper

Photo: Blue-tailed Damselfly

Photo: male Song Thrush

Photo: male Blackcap

Photo: Common Carder Bumblebee

Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets):

Birds = 28 (34) (39)

Mammals = 1 (3) (3)

Butterflies = 7 (17) (12)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 3 (7) (11)

Reptiles = 0 (1) (0)

Amphibians = 1 (1) (1)

Total species list for the site:

Birds = 50

Mammals = 5

Butterflies = 23

Dragonflies and damselflies = 15

Reptiles = 2

Amphibians = 3

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Record from my flat - Red Fox

I had an early start this morning but with a very welcome sighting of a Red Fox at 5:40 a.m. in the street outside my block of flats.

Seeing and/or hearing Red Foxes late at night, during the night and in the early hours of the morning is not at all unusual but, with the long daylight hours now, it was nice to see one after sunrise and before the local neighbourhood woke up.

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Record from my flat - Common Buzzard

This morning at 11:35 a.m., I had a very distant sighting of a raptor way beyond the houses opposite the flats where I live and likely over my Sr. Nicholas Church local patch site.

I could not immediately identify it as a Common Buzzard or Red Kite but eventually, through my binoculars, I confirmed it as the former.

Remarkably, this is my first sighting of a Common Buzzard from my flat since 18th October 2025, especially given the number of records since 2021.

Summary of Common Buzzard records during the last 6 years:

2021: 11 dates involving 13 birds

2022: 26 dates involving 38 birds

2023: 8 dates involving 8 birds

2024: 3 dates involving 3 birds

2025: 16 dates involving 25 birds

2026: 1 date involving 1 bird

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Record from my flat - Sparrowhawk

Tonight at 7:05 p.m., I saw a rapid low-flying male Sparrowhawk pass my kitchen window before it quickly disappeared into a hedge.

Sparrowhawk is a species that I very occasionally see from my flat, usually in spring when I have seen single birds or a pair soaring over the trees beyond the houses opposite my flat.

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Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 5th June 2026

Date: 5th June 2026

Time: from 8:30 p.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy/bright/sunny, moderate wind, 14°C to 16°C

For this morning’s visit, I walked the whole site. Despite the cool and breezy weather, the brief sunny intervals did allow me to record some butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly species, including 2 further additions to my 2026 site list: Small Heath and Azure Damselfly

I recorded the following butterfly, dragonfly and damselfly species:

Small Heath: 1 in the northern section of the site

Common Blue: 1 in the northern section of the site

Large Skipper: 1 in the grassland area in the southern section of the site

Meadow Brown: 1 in the northern section of the site and 2 in the grassland area in the southern section of the site

Azure Damselfly: 2 males and 1 female at least around the pond in the northern section of the site

Hairy Dragonfly: 2 in the northern section of the site and at least 3 exuvia on reed stems in the pond

The notable birds during my visit were as follows:

Lesser Whitethroat: 1 male heard singing distantly in the paddock in the northern section of the site but unseen

Common Whitethroat: 1 male heard singing distantly in the paddock in the northern section of the site but unseen

Blackcap: at least 5 singing males heard across the site but none seen

Chiffchaff: 2 singing males seen in the northern section of the site and 3 other singing males heard across the site

Green Woodpecker: 1 seen flying through the central section of the cemetery

Great Spotted Woodpecker: 2 seen together in a tree in the southern section of the site and single birds heard calling but unseen in the northern section of the site and in the woodland adjacent to Hilly Road

With regard to mammals, I saw 2 Reeves’ Muntjacs (presumed male and female) moving through the eastern and central sections of the cemetery plus 5 Grey Squirrels across the site

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Common Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Blue Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Song Thrush

House Sparrow

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Reeves’ Muntjac

Grey Squirrel

Small Heath

Common Blue

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Azure Damselfly

Hairy Dragonfly

Here are some photos from my visit ….

Photo: Common Blue

Photo: Small Heath

Photo: Large Skipper

Photo: Meadow Brown

Photo: Cinnabar moth

Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Azure Damselfly

Photo: Hairy Dragonfly exuvia

Photo: Hairy Dragonfly exuvia

Photo: Hairy Dragonfly exuvia

Photo: Hairy Dragonfly exuvia

Photo: Reeves' Muntjac

Photo: Great Spotted Woodpecker

Photo: Great Spotted Woodpecker

Photo: male Chiffchaff

Photo: Buff-tailed Bumblebee

Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets): 

Birds = 37 (50) (49)

Mammals = 3 (4) (3)

Butterflies = 6 (23) (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 2 (11) (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0) (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) (0)

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 70

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 15

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

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Visit to St. Nicholas Church and surrounding areas – 2nd June 2026

Date: 2nd June 2026

Time: from 12:45 p.m.

Weather: dry, cloudy/sunny, light wind, 17°C to 18°C

I had a very brief visit to the northern section of the site after the heavy early morning rain subsided and before the afternoon showers started.

I was able to add 3 butterfly species to my 2026 site list: Common Blue (1), Large Skipper (1), Meadow Brown (3)

The notable bird records during my visit were as follows ….

Lesser Whitethroat: 1 male singing intermittently in the northern section of the site

Blackcap: at least 2 singing males heard in the northern section of the site but none seen

Chiffchaff: singing male seen in the northern section of the site and 2 other singing males heard

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

Lesser Whitethroat

Blackcap

Chiffchaff

Blue Tit

Robin

Wren

Dunnock

Blackbird

Magpie

Carrion Crow

Woodpigeon

Common Blue

Large Skipper

Meadow Brown

Site totals for 2026 to date (2025 and 2024 totals in brackets): 

Birds = 37 (50) (49)

Mammals = 3 (4) (3)

Butterflies = 5 (23) (17)

Dragonflies and damselflies = 1 (11) (11)

Reptiles = 0 (0) (0)

Amphibians = 0 (0) (0)

Total species list for the site 

Birds = 70

Mammals = 8

Butterflies = 26

Dragonflies and damselflies = 15

Reptiles = 1

Amphibians = 0

Love nature .... act now

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💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚

Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature