Moved

I’m sorry to have to report that this site will now no longer be kept up to date. As of this year I have decided on putting my efforts into one site, at Huddsbirder

Its not all bad news, I will still be reporting on the Nature on a Lunch Break, you will still be able to find this on the Huddsbirder site on a new tab at the top of the page, so don’t leave head over to the site and enjoy new things to come

Please join me

Week 51

Holidays and lack of highlights has resulted in little activity on my part, so I’d to finish the year off with this weeks activities being mainly from the Thrush family devouring the berries on site, birds have been Song and Mistle Thrush, plenty of Blackbirds along with numerous Redwing and Fieldfares

Other highlights included a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Nuthatch and Siskins, a Grey Heron and a Common Buzzard putting in brief appearances

So 2018 was a good year for Butterflies with one new species, Common Blue, making 21 in all now for the site and great to see so many Small Coppers again this year after a three year absence

The Moths gave seven new species this year and Hoverflies came in with three new species

The birds gave Forty-eight species from the total of Sixty-three for the site but nothing new this year

See the total Species List for 2018 here PRESS

I’ll leave the year saying thank you for joining me again in 2018 and please return in 2019.

My final message is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year

Week 46

A good dry week with temperatures above average for this time of year, the Fiedlfares and Redwings have now moved thru leaving behind very little activity a few Blackbirds however remain on site.

Other highlights this week included a Sparrowhawk drifting thru the site but severely mobbed by one of the local Carrion Crows for doing so, Common Kestrel was also seen hunting over the adjacent field.

There was little activity in the woods Blue Tit and Robins been the backbone of what was seen, Bullfinch were heard but a nice surprise this week on one day only was a Juvenile Siskin, a sign of winter approaching

Week 45

Very little to report again, Fieldfare and Redwings remain all week and the berries go down, Blackbirds compete with the latter, a Grey Heron was seen flying thru on a couple of occasions this week, Black headed and Lesser Black Backed Gulls also seen again this week

Week 44

Autumn is truly set in with all the magnificent colours about at the moment and the insects sleep for another five to six months so it’s all down to bird action now.

Although quiet there has been a few highlights with a few winter thrush about, there is a good crop of berries this year, Blackbirds increase in number and have been joined this year by a good size flock of Fieldfare and Redwings. Along with these thrush Goldfinch, Robin, Blue Tit and Great Tit were seen

 

Week 42

Activity this week was around the bird table with Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tit all around this week, the Nuthatch was around this week also seen and heard.Common Buzzard put in a brief appearance, highlight this week was a flock of a dozen Redwings (winter Thrush) going thru

Insects no butterflies this week only single Hawthorn and Green Shieldbugs

Hawthorn Shieldbug

Week 41

A good week weather wise with some late high temperatures but unfortunately very few highlights but what was about was good.

A few Common Buzzards were over the site and Green and Hawthorn Shieldbugs could also be found but the prize for this week goes to a Small Copper aberration caeruleopunctata see photo, as you may see it has 4 blue spots on the hind wings as in Small Copper they are absent

Week 40

Haven’t  been around for a few week due to lack of time and lack of highlights, so I’m going to put the last four-week together now.

Bird highlights have been Common Buzzards on occasion, and Jays. Around the table Long tailed Tit, Blue Tit, Great Tit and Coal Tits.

Butterflies over this period have been Small Whites, Speckled Woods, Small Coppers but a single Red Admiral was the first for this year

Shield bugs have been Hawthorn and Hairy and a few Fungi have been appearing, highlight being Shaggy Ink Caps

The bonus however was a Southern Hawker Dragonfly , which actually landed for a photo opportunity

Week 36

Hols and being ill has seen me off site for a while but my return sees me coming back to a cut field and very few insects, but I did find some in another field. Small White, Small Copper, Green veined White and Speckled Wood.

Bird life was quiet this week a single Swallow over the lower car park was about the only highlight this week

Week 33

An exciting week with a new butterfly on site, one I’ve been hoping for a number of years, and the 15th August it happened, two Male Common Blues, it was a great sight to see them both. This brings the Butterfly list to 21 and a figure I now feel has reached its limit…….can I hope for a Brown Argus or even a Essex Skipper, you never know

Over butterflies this week were Small Copper, Small White and Speckled Woods

Moths this week included a Large Yellow Underwing on the Moth wall

Dragonflies were pinned down at last with Brown Hawker and a Southern Hawker ID on site this week

Birds this week included the Great Spotted Woodpecker, but sadly the Swallows haven’t been on site this week so I presume they are now on their southern migration

Southern Hawker

Common Blue