Date: 26th August 2024
Time: from 12 p.m.
Weather: dry, sunny, moderate wind, 17°C to 19°C
I had a brief walk around the complete site at lunchtime, more in hope than expectation given that it was not ideal weather to record and photograph butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies.
However, after a slow start, my visit actually proved to be a relatively successful one and I recorded a new dragonfly species for the site for 2024, namely Migrant Hawker.
I recorded the following during my visit:
Southern section of the site: Small Heath (1), Speckled Wood (3), Green-veined White (1), Small White (2), hawker species (possibly Migrant Hawker given positive identification of this species in the northern section of the site) (c.5)
Church cemetery: Red Admiral (1)
Northern section of the site: Common Blue (1), Comma (1), Meadow Brown (1), Migrant Hawker (1 but possibly 2), Brown Hawker (1), Common Darter (at least 3 males), Common Darter (mating and ovipositing male and female), hawker species (possibly Migrant Hawker given positive identification around the pond in the northern section of the site) (c.10)
As noted previously, Marbled Whites and “golden” skippers (Large, Small and Essex) are still conspicuous by their absence from the grasslands bordering St. Nicholas Lane and in the northern section of the site and, after their abundance in recent weeks, I failed to see any Gatekeepers at all during this visit.
Generally, but as expected during the summer months, birds continue to be more difficult to see and hear and on this visit I only recorded 6 species! However, this did included a soaring female Sparrowhawk over the northern section of the site and a calling Common Buzzard as I walked home along the track to Larkins Tyres which I failed to see due to the overhead tree canopy.
Finally, I saw a single Grey Squirrel in the eastern section of the cemetery.
Species recorded during this visit were as follows (heard only records in italics):
Blue Tit
Grey Squirrel
Small Heath
Migrant Hawker
Site totals for 2024 to date (2023 totals in brackets):
Birds = 40 (47)
Total species list for the site
Birds = 65
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