Sunday 21st June 2020

0950 - 1200 showery, some sun 16 - 20c: Little Grebe, Oystercatcher, Lapwing 12, Kestrel m, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Pied Wagtail, Swift 25+, House Martin 10, Sand Martin 4, Swallow 3, Jay, Song Thrush, Goldcrest, Blackcap 2, Chiffchaff 2, Bullfinch, Greenfinch 2, Linnet 2, Reed Bunting.

Ringlet 2, Meadow Brown 10+, Speckled Wood, Comma new brood, Small Tortoiseshell 20+, Peacock 100s of larvae, Large Skipper 10, Snout, Cinnabar 3 (& larvae), Silver Y, Black-tailed Skimmer, etc   (RP / GR)

          Male Kestrel and Peacock caterpillars today (GR)

Friday 19th June 2020

1000 - 1115 rain, 14c: Mute Swan pair +3, Tufted 16, GC Grebe 2, Little Grebe pair, Heron, Kestrel male swooped into bramble at ground level but missed prey item, Swift 20, Swallow 2, Sand Martin 3, House Martin 8, Blackcap, Chiffchaff.  (RP / GR)

      Pisaura Mirabilis spider with eggsac & Raven 14th June (RP)

Tuesday 16th June 2020

1150 - 1250 sunny breaks, 20c: Lapwing 48, Canada Geese 245 + goslings, Teal 2m, Tufted 6, Coot 33 incl young, Little Grebe pair, Cormorant juv, Heron 2, Pied Wagtail, Whitethroat, Blackcap 3, Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting 2. Bank (or Field) Vole.

Silver Y 3, Cinnabar 3, Speckled Wood 3, Meadow Brown, Large Skipper, etc.  (GR)

Monday 15th June 2020

1140 - 1400 fairly sunny, 22c: Little Grebe pair, GC Grebe, Teal 2m, Lapwing 25, Oystercatcher, Heron 3, Swift 3, Swallow 2, Mistle Thrush, Whitethroat, Blackcap 5, Willow Warbler 2, Chiffchaff 3, Bullfinch.

Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell 70+, Meadow Brown 20, Speckled Wood 3, Small Heath 3, Large Skipper 20, Small White 6, Large White, Black-tailed Skimmer, Burnet Companion, Cinnabar adults & larvae.  (GR)

Bracket Fungus on Elder

Sunday 14th June 2020

0940 - 1045 overcast, breezy 15c: continuing quiet, Mute Swan pair + 3 cygnets, Tufted 6, Coot 6+ juvs, Oystercatcher, Lapwing 11, Grey Wagtail, Collared Dove, Buzzard, Greenfinch 3, a few Swifts, Swallows, Chiffchaff & Blackcap.  (RP)

Heron on 2nd June (GR)

Tuesday 9th June 2020

Swag still being oxygenated with pumps. 1030 - 1200 generally cloudy, 15c: Rook 2, Buzzard, Swift 4, Swallow 2, Willow Warbler 3, Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Whitethroat, Greenfinch 5, Mistle & Song Thrush in song, Reed Bunting pair + young at nest, Heron, Mute Swan pair + 3 cygnets still.  Also Bank or Field Vole.

Small Tortoiseshell 5, Cinnabar, Yellow Shell 3, Degeers Longhorn.

Sunday 31st May 2020

0930 - 1245 sunny to 22c: Meadow Brown 6, Small Heath 4, Speckled Wood 2, Small Tortoiseshell 2 new brood, Peacock, Dingy Skipper, Large Skipper 3, Small Copper, Common Blue 6, Yellow Shell, Burnet Companion 4, Mother Shipton, Large White Plume, Latticed Heath, Cinnabar, Black-tailed Skimmer, Broad-bodied Chaser m.

Common Tern 2, Sparrowhawk, Swift 6, probable Reed Warbler, Willow Warbler with nesting material, Reed Bunting 2, Linnet 4, etc.  (RP / GR)

Meadow Brown (early record)

Dingy Skipper

Black-tailed Skimmer

Oxygenating the Swag (GR)

Thursday 28th May 2020

1030 - 1230 sunny, to 22c: Lapwing 2, Heron 6, Tufted 10, Common Tern 2, a few Swifts & Swallows, Buzzard 2, Rook 2, usual warblers, Linnets Greenfinch & Chaffinch, etc.

Also Large Skipper 2, Small Heath 6, Small Tortoiseshell 2, Speckled Wood 2, Cinnabar 3, Yellow Shell, Silver-ground Carpet, Black-tailed Skimmer, Brown Hawker 2.   (GR / RP)

Over a hundred dead fish on the Swag, mainly Carp & Bream (some very large Carp), from an unknown cause (possibly lack of oxygen or pollution).

Fish: live and dead.

Tuesday 26th May 2020

1200 hazy sun, 20c: Common Tern 2, Lapwing, Heron, Cormorant etc.

At Little Aston earlier: Grasshopper Warbler 2, Whitethroat 5+, Willow Warbler, Linnet 4, Swallow 2, Swift 4, Yellowhammer 3, Skylark 3, Lapwing 4, Red Kite high over to NW, etc.

Also Red Admiral 2, Peacock 5, Small Tortoiseshell, Silver Ground Carpet moth.  (RP / GR)

     Red Kite, Yellowhammer and Common Terns today  (GR)

Sunday 24th May 2020

1020 - 1200 cloudy, breezy, 15c : Reed Bunting pair (photo), Linnet pair, Greenfinch m, Whitethroat pair, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler 3, Swift 20, House Martin 12, Swallow 2, Stock Dove, Lapwing 3, GC Grebe pair, Cormorant, Heron 3, Tufted 10.

Also Yellow-barred Tortrix, Yellow Shell, Burnet Companion, Speckled Wood.  (GR)

Hobby over quarry at 1700. Also Raven 2, Sedge Warbler.  (RP)

A Few Insects

Thursday 21st May 2020

1015 onwards, sunny, 19c: LR Plover, Lapwing, Cormorant 4, Sparrowhawk, Grey Wagtail, Swift 10, Swallow 2, Sedge Warbler, etc.   Also Mother Shipton & Burnet Companion moths.

          Mother Shipton. Small Copper, Common Blue (GR)

Monday 18th May 2020

0910 fairly sunny & breezy 12c: quiet again - Pochard m, Lapwing, Heron 6, Cormorant 5, Swift 30, House Martin 8, Swallow 2, Pied Wag 4, Linnet 4.

           Grasshopper Warbler at Little Aston this morning (GR)

Sunday 17th May 2020

0800 on. Cloudy start, sunnier later 12 - 18c: Oystercatcher 3, LR Plover mating pair, GC Grebe pair, Cormorant 6, Heron 6, Buzzard pair at nest, Pied Wagtail 6, Stock Dove pair, Song Thrush 3, Swift 25, Sand Martin 10, House Martin 6, Swallow 2, Sedge Warbler, Willow Warbler 3, Whitethroat 4, Blackcaps & Chiffchaffs 8, Linnet 6, Greenfinch 3, Reed Bunting 3, Lt Tit family group 10+.  (GR / RP)

Small Heath 8, Common Blue 2, Orange Tip f, Gv White 3, Speckled Wood 3, Latticed Heath 2, Triangle Plume moth, Large Red Damselfly 3, Common Blue Damselfly 3, Blue-tailed Damselfly, Dock Bug 3, Green Dock Beetles.

      Little Ringed plovers and Large Red Damselfly today (GR)

Friday 15th May 2020

Ramblers path 1500, fairly cloudy, 14c: Small Copper & Common Blue males fresh out, Orange Tip m, Common Blue damselflies 3.  Also Pebble Hooktip & Common Carpet moths.  Ragged Robin, Pink Campion, Bugle, Foxgloves, Forget-me-nots etc in flower.   (GR)

    Wall Mason Wasps, male, female and mating pair by RP, 14th May

Monday 11th May 2020

1130 - 1230 becoming sunny but cold NE wind: Swift 20, House Martin 25, Swallow & S Martin 10+, Sedge Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler 2, Jay, Song Thrush juv ex nest, Oystercatcher, LR Plover, Cormorant 2, GC Grebe, Gadwall 3. Shoveler pair on 9th May.

Com Sand. 5th May (GR)

Thursday 7th May 2020

1200 sunny, to 20c: Dingy Skipper 4, Orange Tip 3, other whites, Speckled Wood, Cinnabar, Thick-legged beetle 2, 22-spot Ladybird 3, etc.

Birds fairly quiet, just a couple Whitethroats, Chiffchaffs & Willow Warblers!  (RP/GR)

Tuesday 5th May 2020

0915, sunny but cold easterly, 8c: Common Sandpiper, Oystercatcher, Gadwall m, Little Grebe, GC Grebe pair, Swift 35+ incl mating pairs, H Martin 10, Swallow 6, Sand Martin 2, C Geese goslings 14🐥, etc.  (GR)

Swift silhouettes (GR)

Monday 4th May 2020

1410 onwards, sunny 15c: Oystercatcher, GC Grebe 3, Little Grebe, Swallow 3, Stock Dove 2, Pied Wagtail 4, Mistle Thrush pair, Whitethroat 2, Willow Warbler 3, Linnet 2.  A few Orange Tips, GV Whites, Large White, Speckled Woods & Burnet Companion moth.  Also 8 Red Deer (photo's).

Sunday 3rd May 2020

0800 - 0930 cloudy, light rain: Oystercatcher, LR Plover 3, Gadwall m, GC Grebe pair, Little Grebe pair, Cormorant 3, GS Woodpecker, Swift 8, Swallow 15, H Martin 15, Sand Martin 4, Mistle Thrush pair, usual warblers & wagtails.  (RP)

Gadwall, grebes & whitethroat (RP)

Friday 1st May 2020

0915 onwards, generally cloudy: Swift 40+ through in small groups, Sand Martin 4, Swallow 6, LRP 2, Lapwing, Gadwall m, Little Grebe pair, GC Grebe pair, Buzzard pair at nest, Green Woodpecker yaffling, Mistle Thrush pair, Whitethroat 7, etc.   (GR)

Greylag & Mallard 27th April