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30th June 2014 – At Westonbirt Arboretum, there were many butterflies on the
wing. Included were lots of Meadow
Brown and Ringlet. Also in fewer numbers
were Small Tortoiseshell, Skippers, Silver-washed Fritillaries and a White
sp.
29th June 2014 – At Nagshead RSPB Reserve, the woods were very quiet in very
calm conditions and post fledging times.
Near the Information Centre, a Blackcap and two Chiffchaffs were still
singing.
27th June 2014 – The only thing of
note today was the biggest Slowworm that I have ever seen which was on the
gravel track at Bixslade Tramway.
26th June 2014 – I spent some time
watching the Swifts, House Martins, Swallows and the many Sand Martins swirling
around Wilton Bridge at Ross-on-Wye at lunchtime. A Sparrowhawk
was over Greytree Road in the heart of the town.
23rd June 2014 – The Sand Martins
are still nesting at Wilton Bridge, Ross-on-Wye and parties of Swifts were
screaming over the rooftops of the town itself.
22nd June 2014 – I was again at Nagshead RSPB Reserve and found another Spotted Flycatcher,
almost certainly a different bird to yesterday as it was a long way from the
other sightings along the shale track at the rear of the Information Centre.
21st June 2014 – I walked the
short trail at Nagshead RSPB Reserve on a hot day
today and found one, possibly two Spotted Flycatchers.
20th June 2014 – A Elephant Hawk
Moth was in my veranda tonight.
19th June 2014 – A Southern Hawker
dragonfly on the Gloucestershire Way at Nagshead RSPB
Reserve was a first for the year for me as was a Ringlet Butterfly near the
Information Centre. On the western
ridge of the Cannop Valley there appeared to be several
Willow Warblers singing. This
species seem to be very low in numbers this year so this find was a pleasant
surprise. Of note, this area is
getting very high in terms of the newly planted conifer trees and is no longer
a very open area.
17th June 2014 – A warm day and I
walked over CrabtreeHill and found a large number of
‘blue’ and Large Red Damselflies along the shale tracks. A Fallow Deer near the dragonfly pond at
Kensley Lodge was of note.
15th June 2014 – I found a
Redstart nest in a natural hole at RSPB Nagshead
today. The male and female were
feeding young of which at least two came into sight at the hole
entrance. They must fledge any day
now.
I suspect that the Redstart that I saw yesterday
may have been the male of this pair as the sighting was not that far away.
14th June 2014 – A male Redstart
was foraging as a flycatcher would do on the short trail at RSPB Nagshead this afternoon. A Treecreeper
was foraging on several trees on the outward short trail at Nagshead
in an area I have often seen them before.
I suspected then that there was a nest high up under some decaying bark
on a tree which is almost dead. I
think that they have bred successfully there. Along the shale track which
eventually appears behind the information centre there were several Red Admiral
butterflies as I have seen in years before. It is a regular stretch of track for
them.
10th June 2014 – As expected, the
Sand Martin colony at Wilton Bridge, Ross-on-Wye is still progressing.
9th June 2014 – I was surprised to
find a House Sparrow colony at the western end of Eastgate
Street, right in the heart of Gloucester city today. They were in a large clump of ivy on the
side of a gable end near the pavement.
The whole of the ivy was brown and dead, probably by cutting through the
stems. Once the leaves fall, the
House Sparrows will have no habitat and a cursory look on Google Earth does not
appear to show any nearby gardens which might be suitable for them. It is quite
probable that this colony will either die out or move on. I will try and monitor the
situation.
7th June 2014 – At dawn there was
a thunderstorm which produced almost continuous lightning for a short time
followed by torrential rain also for a short while. I could hear the storm coming for about
10 minutes before it hit.
Thereafter it was not a bad day with some sunny intervals.
5th June 2014 – The Sand Martins
are still busy around Wilton Bridge at Ross-on-Wye this morning with nesting
well established under the bridge.
I logged a few House Sparrow territories along the A40 from The Lea in
to Ross town.
4th June 2014 – It was one of
those rare days when it rained for all of the daylight hours here in the Forest
of Dean. 18mm of rain was recorded
today.
3rd June 2014 – At WWT Slimbridge, the two Cranes still have one chick and they
were out and about on the Tack Piece.
The vegetation is quite high and the youngster could only be seen when
it stretched its neck up. A pair of
Avocets still has a nest on the Rushy Pen.
1st June 2014 – The Great Spotted
Woodpeckers on Ruardean Hill are still calling from
their nest hole but they should be fledging any day now.
One
or more Turtle Doves were at a location to the west of the River Severn
today.
At
RSPB Nagshead, a Slow Worm was on the path to the
Nursery Pool. I photographed it and
then put it in the grass so that it would not get trodden on. 6 Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies along with
some Large Red and Azure Blue damselflies were present at the Nursery
Pool. A Pied Flycatcher was on the
lower short trail and a Wood Warbler was on territory at the point where the
long and the short trails diverge.
This would appear to be a new territory. A Tawny Owl was perched in the sun just
off the shale trail behind the information centre.
31st May 2014 – Again, the Sand
Martins were around the bridge at Wilton, Ross-on-Wye and appear to be nesting
under the bridge. Nearby, my first
Banded Demoiselle damselflies of the year were on riverside vegetation.
30th May 2014 – At Wilton Bridge
in Ross-on-Wye, there were a good number of Sand Martins flying around
constantly.
28th May 2014 – At pit 26 in the
Cotswold Water Park today there were well over 100 Swifts plucking insects out
of the air. There seemed to be a
single House Martin with them. The
day was warm but with almost constant very light drizzle with occasional bursts
of heavy rain. Several Common Terns
were also present.
26th May 2014 – I walked over
Crabtree Hill today. On the way to
the hill, I found a Wood Warbler singing near the dragonfly pond at Kensley Lodge. It seemed a strange place for this species
as the vegetation is quite thick and dark and nearby there are a close plot of
very young trees. It seems to be in
sub optimal habitat. At the top of
the hill, there was a Wood Warbler singing in the oak tree plantation where I
had heard two some days ago. Back
at the dragonfly pond, Emperor and Broad-bodied Chaser dragonflies were on the
wing together with Large Red, Azure Blue and Common Blue damselflies
25th May 2014 – I went to Nagshead again today and it was much drier with some
sun. Around the short trail, I
found 2 Pied Flycatchers and a Redstart and on the long trail, I caught up with
a Wood Warbler. There were two Red
Admiral butterflies on the shale track leading from the long trail back to the
information centre as I have seen in previous years.
24th May 2014 – Another wet day
which eventually dried up in the middle of the afternoon. I made a short visit to Nagshead RSPB and found a Song Thrush nest on the side of an big oak tree.
The bird was sitting and was very well camouflaged in the tiny sprigs of
new shoots on the bark of the tree.
At
the car park near the causeway at Cannop Ponds, a Great
Spotted Woodpecker was flying around frequently.
23rd May 2014 – It was a very wet
day. The rain lasted all daylight
hours. Sometimes it was a light
drizzle, sometimes, steady rain and occasionally a heavy downpour.
21st May 2014 – I made another
trip to Ruardean Hill in search of Turtle Dove and
again I did not find any.
20th May 2014 – I made a short
visit to Ashleworth Ham where there were 41 Mallard,
2 Tufted Duck, 3 Shelduck, 2 Coot, 2 Grey Heron, 4
Canada Geese (one pair with 5 goslings), 1 Mute Swan, 2 Lapwing and 1
Curlew. A male Mandarin Duck here
was a rare sighting. One of the
Canada Geese and the Mute Swan appeared to be injured. They had one wing sticking out and the
feathers were reduced to shafts with wear.
I believe this to be a case of angel wing.
19th May 2014 – I walked all over Ruardean Hill in search of Turtle Doves on this warm
day. Unfortunately, I did not find
any. I met another person doing the
same and they had had no luck either.
18th May 2014 – A walk over May
Hill on a warm day produced a Spotted Flycatcher on the southern slopes and a
Redstart on the northern. In
various ponds there were at least 4 Broad-bodied Chasers, Large Red and Azure
Blue Damselflies. A Small Heath
butterfly was a first for the year.
17th May 2014 – I was in Suffolk
in business and found several Yellowhammers in song around the area centred on
the village of Wixoe. There are more of this species there
than I have seen in Gloucestershire.
15th May 2014 – I found another
Roe Deer in Birdwood Coppice this morning.
In the evening at home in
Longhope there were a number of Cockchafers flying around, more than I have
ever seen in one place before.
14th May 2014 – I made a return
visit to WWT Slimbridge and after a morning of
looking for the warbler, after lunch I was successful and had really good views
of it feeding from the Halfway Hide and shortly afterwards it sang for quite a
while from the reed bed from the Knott Hide. A Spotted Flycatcher was a first for the
year as seen from this hide too. A
bat species was flying over the car park when I left at 1500.
13th May 2014 – I made a visit to
WWT Slimbridge to see the reported Great Reed Warbler
but in spite of extensive searching I could not find it. Of note was an Avocet with young
wandering in the middle of the Dumbles.
12th May 2014 – At least 6 House
Martins were around Kensley Lodge. At Crabtree Hill a Cuckoo was calling
and 4 Fallow Deer were along the east of the shale track. Several Tree Pipits and Willow Warblers
were in evidence. In the wood at
the top of the hill, a Great Spotted Woodpecker and at least 2 Wood Warblers
were singing and a Roe Deer was an unusual find. This was a first for the year
as was a Broad-bodied Chaser in the ditch near the two big rocks on the tarmac
track near Drybrook Road Station. Again a first for the year was a
Four-spotted Chaser at the southern end of the tarmac track and 12 Fallow Deer
were in this area. A Goshawk was
circling above the scrapes to the south of the shale track and a Large Red
Damselfly, another first for the year was at Woorgreens
Lake.
11th May 2014 – A short walk up
the Gloucestershire Way on a showery afternoon from the Stoneworks
at Cannop revealed 11 Fallow Deer including 2 very
dark animals. This is the largest
herd that I have seen in this location.
9th May 2014 – At RSPB Nagshead, a very dark Fallow Deer was near the
Gloucestershire Way as I walked up from the Stoneworks
and was still in the general area a couple of hours later when I returned. At the Lower Hide, there was a male and
female Redstart. The floor of the
woodland is covered in Bluebells.
It is certainly a fantastic year for these flowers. There is a beautiful perfume in the air
too.
At
Longhope, I stopped to check the potential Swift nest
site that I noted on May 7th and found that two birds were wheeling
around in the area and occasionally approaching very close to the site.
7th May 2014 – I found a single
Wild Boar with some stripy boarlets in the area of
RSPB Nagshead this afternoon. Of note was the continuing presence of
quite a number of Blackcaps singing.
At
Longhope, I noted a Swift fly close in under the
eaves of a house suggesting nest prospecting.
5th May 2014 – I made a morning
visit to Crabtree Hill today. A
Cuckoo was calling and eventually seen at the top of some tall trees to the
west. There were several Willow
Warblers singing their descending song in various locations. In the middle of the heath, a Garden
Warbler was singing and seen and the usual Linnets were present. The Tree Pipits here were displaying
vigorously with possibly 4 different birds on the main heath and one more to
the south of the shale track. In
the woodland at the top of the hill, there were at least 2 Wood Warblers, 1
being seen.
3rd May 2014 – 3 Fallow Deer were the
only animals of note near Boy’s Grave today.
2nd May 2014 – I was in
Ross-on-Wye today and at lunchtime, I noted my first Swifts of the year as 3
flew over the town. Later, 3 were
also over the river at Wilton Bridge along with a good number of Sand
Martins.
1st May 2014 – I had a short walk
through Nagshead RSPB Reserve and noted two Pied
Flycatchers on the short trail and both Fallow Deer and Wild Boar on the
Gloucestershire Way down towards the Bixslade
Valley.
30th April 2014 – I saw my first
House Martin for the year at Weston under Penyard
while I was walking into Ross-on-Wye from The Lea. This sighting was over the border in
Herefordshire.
28th April 2014 – At Nagshead RSPB Reserve, I found my first Wood Warbler of the
year along the Gloucestershire Way.
At the Lower Hide there were at least one and possibly two Pied
Flycatchers. Around the reserve
there were numerous Willow Warblers and apparently there appeared to be even
more Blackcaps singing. It could be
a good year for this species.
There
were several hirundines around the southern pond at Cannop but as far as I could see, they were all Swallows. A
brilliantly coloured Grey Wagtail was at the rear of the Stoneworks
but it was chased from the stream by a Pied Wagtail.
25th April 2014 – Ashleworth Hide. Steady and sometimes heavy rain started
mid-morning and was well established when I arrived. Totals for the hour that I was there were :- 1 Cuckoo in a dead tree, 1 Chiffchaff in the copse, 17 Mallard, 1 male Wigeon,
2 Shoveler, 8 Mute Swan including one with an orange darvic ‘88C’, 5 Shelduck,
3 Canada Geese, 3 Coot, one on a nest, 2 Lapwing, 4 Swallow, 1 Moorhen, 1 Wren
with a nest in the hedge, 2 Teal, 2 Sand Martin, 2 Snipe, 1 Grey Heron and 1
male Bullfinch.
24th April 2014 – Slimbridge.
When I arrived there was a second winter going to second summer
Mediterranean Gull on Rushy Pen. From various hides along the Holden
walkway, both Sedge and Reed Warblers were heard and the latter seen. 7 Avocets were on the right hand island
or in the water of the scrape in front of the Holden Tower. On South Lake there was a first winter
going on first summer Little Gull flying around and taking insects from the
surface of the water. The tail
pattern was interesting in that it was wedge shaped with the central tail
feathers white, having been moulted and these were longer than the outer tail
feathers which had retained the black tip.
It was flying like a black and white bat! A pair of
Common Crane are nesting near the Martin Smith Hide.
20th April 2014 – Today in the
Forest I found my first 2 Pied Flycatchers of the year and not far away there
was a Blackcap which was imitating the Pied Flycatcher song. Today there was
some heavy rain showers in the afternoon and after dark which is the first
significant rain for a while.
14th April 2014 – I made a trip
into the Forest today and found a Tree Pipit, several Willow Warblers and
Chiffchaffs and some Linnets. A
Green Tiger Beetle on some tarmac was a first of this species for the year for
me. It seems to be early according
to the text books.
12th April 2014 – As I walked over
the river bridge at Monmouth, I found a ‘swarm’ of Sand Martins
over the river. It was a lovely
sight of spring.
I
found a pair of Treecreepers in an area I have seen
them often and I think that they may be breeding nearby.
11th April 2014 – There was a lot
of song in the Forest of Dean today.
Several Chiffchaffs were singing in the woodland at Milkwall.
On
Crabtree Hill there were Chiffchaffs singing as well as Willow Warbler and at
least 3 Tree Pipits were present but none had any rings on. There were also a lot of butterflies on
the wing on a sunny day. The majority
were Small Tortoiseshells with a few Peacock and Brimstone. It is really good to see the first
mentioned as they appear to be doing well after being very scarce for some
years not that long ago.
9th April 2014 – I went to the Brickpits at Sandhurst to see what the habitat was
like. It looks as if it will be
good for odonata later in the year. Birdwise it
was quiet but a Marsh Tit was of note and a Speckled Wood Butterfly was my
first for the year.
I
spent a few minutes in the hide at Ashleworth where
there were 6 Little Egrets, 6 Shelduck, 6 Wigeon, 1 Shoveler and 2
Teal. The Mute Swans appear to have
deserted their nest. Overhead there
were a few Swallows and Sand Martins.
8th April 2014 – I made a short
visit to WWT Slimbridge. The two Bean Geese were on the spartina island
with the Canada Geese and were thus a very long way from the Holden Tower. Of note were an exceptional number of 11
Common Cranes on the Tack Piece in the late afternoon. In case anyone is interested, the rings
were (reading up the leg), Red/?/Red, Red/Yellow/Red,
White/?/Red, Red/Yellow/Green, Blue/Red/Yellow, Green/Red/Blue, ?/White/Red,
Blue/Red/White, Red/White/Red, Red/Green/Red, Red/Yellow/White, ?/?/Red,
Red/Green/Black.
6th April 2014 – A Sparrowhawk was over my home a couple of times this morning,
a first of the year for this site.
5th April 2014 – I made a short
visit to Ashleworth hide after some business in
Cheltenham. There were 2 Little
Egret, several Mallard, Wigeon and Teal, 2 Shoveler, a male Gadwall and a Chiffchaff singing in the copse. Overhead
was my first Swallow of the year with 2 Sand Martin.
4th April 2014 – At RSPB Nagshead there was a Chiffchaff singing well along the
Gloucestershire Way and my first Blackcap of the year singing near the Nursery
Pool.
1st April 2014 – I went to WWT Slimbridge for another look at the two Bean Geese. The sub species, fabalis,
has not been seen at this site since November/December 1991 so it seems. Therefore this is the first time for
over 22 years! I was rewarded with
much closer views, this time on the Holden Scrape instead of 600m away on the
southern Dumbles. The two bill patterns are very different
to each other. The Hooded Crow was
still present also.