I occasionally see Grey Squirrels from my flat, almost always running along the boundary fence to the rear communal garden.
This evening at 6 p.m. (at half time during the Womens Euros Final!), I saw a Grey Squirrel doing exactly that and, judging by the size, I think it was almost certainly one of this year's juveniles.
Slava Ukraini! …. Glory to Ukraine!
I was woken up very early by an extremely loud calling Green Woodpecker which I assume must have been either in the tree or foraging on the ground in the small patch of communal garden at the front of the flats. Having got up at around 7 a.m., I again heard a calling Green Woodpecker at 7.55 a.m. and shortly afterwards I heard a calling Great Spotted Woodpecker, a species that I hear reasonably regularly from my flat.
Something else that has become apparent in recent days is that Robins have begun to briefly sing again late in the evening and early in the morning. During the spring, Robins are a conspicuous singer but, like most songbirds, they fall quiet in the summer once the breeding season advances and then during their moult. Singing then resumes in the autumn and winter although the end of July does seem to be an early start.
Slava Ukraini! …. Glory to Ukraine!
Unlikely friends? ...Not so sure - they seemed to be getting along just fine. Badger & fox, Cambs Fens pic.twitter.com/1IC0hQLzxQ
— Kevin Robson (@KHRimages) July 29, 2022
💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
For pity’s sake, what more evidence is government waiting for before it finally starts treating #climatebreakdown as emergency? We risk going down in history as species that spent its time monitoring its own extinction rather than taking steps to avert it https://t.co/WE9uez9fhq
— Caroline Lucas (@CarolineLucas) July 29, 2022
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Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
Date: 30th July 2022
Time: from 8:30 a.m.
Weather: dry, sunny/cloudy, light wind, 19°C to 23°C
The main focus of my visit was to provide records
for the annual Big Butterfly Count.
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I visited 4 locations for my butterfly counts:
The small area of Buddleia bushes in the central section of the cemetery: Gatekeeper (c.10), Large White (1), Small White (1),
The grass strip known as Hilly Road which runs down from the church to St. Nicholas Lane and the rough grassland area adjacent to St. Nicholas Lane: Gatekeeper (c.50), Common Blue (2), Red Admiral (1), Meadow Brown (2)
The area of rough grassland and bramble bushes in the south west corner of the site: Gatekeeper (c.50), Common Blue (1), Meadow Brown (2), Large White (1)
The access track from Larkins Tyres: Ringlet (1), Gatekeeper (3)
The profusion of Ragwort and Knapweed at the second and third of these locations proved to be particularly attractive to butterflies.
Unlike my previous visit on 5th July 2022 when there was an abundance of Marbled Whites and the 3 skipper species, I did not record any of these species on this visit.
Small White was a first site record for 2022, bringing the total number of butterfly species recorded to 17, already higher than the total of 15 that I recorded in 2021.
I saw c.20 dragonflies hawking at some height and I was unable to identify the species. The only species that I was able to identify was a Common Darter, a female that perched on bushes in the south west corner of the site.
Photo: female Common Darter
Photo: female Common Darter
Amongst many other insect species, I saw this spectacular Mimic Hornet Hoverfly ....
Photo: Mimic Hornet Hoverfly
With regard to birds, it was predictably quiet given that it is the end of July, both in terms of the number of species seen or heard calling/singing.
However, there were a number of highlights including the following: Blackcap (2 heard alarm calling), Chiffchaff (3 heard contact calling), Swift (at least 1 heard “screaming” over the cemetery but unseen), Great Spotted Woodpecker (1 heard calling along the access track from Larkins Tyres, 1 heard calling in the western section of the cemetery and 1 heard calling in the south west corner of the site), Green Woodpecker (1 heard calling in the clearing at the end of the access track from Larkins Tyres), Robin (2 speckled juveniles moulting into their adult plumage)
With regard to mammals, I saw 2 Grey Squirrels in the wooded area at the end of the track from Larkins Tyres.
My visit also proved to be notable for the emergence of autumn fruits and nuts with Blackberry, Sloes, Crab Apples and Acorns all very evident. After the very poor autumn last year, in particular the almost complete absence of Acorns, it seems like this year is going to be much better.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Slava Ukraini! …. Glory to Ukraine!
I had my first Common Buzzard record from my flat for the year (a single bird) on 7th March 2022.
This has been followed by further sightings on ....
March: 10th (2 birds), 14th (2 birds), 15th (3 birds), 18th (2 birds), 27th (a single bird)
April: 3rd (a single bird), 12th (a single bird), 16th (2 birds), 28th (2 birds)
June: 18th (2 birds), 19th (3 birds), 20th (a single bird)
July: 4th (a single bird), 9th (a single bird), 13th (2 birds), 22nd (a single bird), 26th (a single bird)
Total 2022 records to date …. 19 dates involving 31 birds.
During 2021, I saw Common Buzzard from my flat on 11 dates with those records involving 13 birds.
💚🦆 🦉🦋🐝🦊🦡🌼 🌳💚
Stay safe, stay well, stay strong, stay connected with nature
