July Diary 2017 !

27th July - The sun was shinning so a few Butterflies on show, Small Skipper, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Peacock and a Large White.

Speckled Wood

A few of these grey looking Fungi scattered around the woodland breaking through the leaf litter, not positive about the identification could be the Powdery Brittlegill which shows about this time of the year July to September.

Powdery Brittlegill ?

26th July - My walks have been confined to the woodlands just lately, bird sightings have been sparse, Tit flock this morning with Blue Tits and Great Tits with many juveniles, a lone Robin, and a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling unseen, at the Budleia site, still some Red Admirals, Peacock and Gatekeeper Butterflies.

Fungi starting to appear around the woodland following the heavy rains of late. not sure about this one could be the Blue Roundhead Stropharia caerulea or another similar species Stropharia aeruginosa.

Blue Roundhead ?

19th July - Warm sunshine following the heavy rainfall during the early hours, not much to report really, although a few juvenile Wren were noted, Robin,. Blackbird and Song Thrush, A few Great Spotted Woodpeckers were very vocal but not seen.
The only Dragonflies seen today were a few female Ruddy Darters..
The old air raid shelter Buddleia attracting quite a few Butterfles, Peacock, Gatekeeper and numerous Red Admiral.

Fruits of the woodland plant Cuckoopint very prominent in the undergrowth. and a few blooms on the Nettle-leaved Bellflower caught my eye flowering in the shady areas of the woodland.

Fruit of the Cuckoo Pint Plant

Nettle Leaved Bellflower

13th July - Some warm sunshine after a day of rain brought out the Butterflies, Red Admiral, Comma, Peacock feeding on Buddleia blooms, Gatekeepers and Meadow Browns around the sunnier aspects where brambles are ,around the glades still a few Marbled whites, Large Skipper and Small Skipper. one unidentified moth feeding on the Knapweed flowers, which I now believe is a Dusky Sallow moth which often flies during the day and particularily fond of Knapweed nectar

Gatekeeper

Marbled White

Dusky Sallow Eremobia ochroleuca

Three species of "odonata" seen today, a fine male Broad Bodied Chaser near Two Ponds, a Ruddy Darter female sunning itself on the bracken, at least two Migrant Hawkers in the woodland.

female Ruddy Darter

As for the birds still very quiet, a few woodpigeon calling from the treetops, a fleeting glimpse of a Green Woodpecker, Blackbird.

The fungi on the old tree stump is coming to the end of its life , but several other fruiting bodies appearing around the stump. ( see below)
Bumblebees represented mainly by White -Tailed variety, this Hoverfly caught my eye sunning itself on the bramble, possibly a "Dead Head Hoverfly " Myathropa florea

Myathropa florea

Dead Head Hoverflies can be identified by the distinctive pattern on the thorax which resembles a blackened skull. and the yellow body hair.

3rd July - First few days of July have been warm and sunny, the woodlands have been relatively quite bird-wise, although two juvenile Common Whitethroat were seen today in the hedgerow.

I have been watching this fungi on an old tree stump develop over the last few days. not sure exactly what it is at the moment.

two days later

three days later

Plenty of Butterfly sightings at the moment, Ringlets and Meadow Brown by far the most common sightings, a few Fresh looking Comma's have been seen basking in the sunshine, Large Skipper and Small Skippers in good numbers in the meadow grasses, Marbled Whites are more numerous this year frequenting the open grasslands. two Green Veined whites seen today.

Meadow Brown

Male Small Skipper

Large Skipper

Marbled White

The only dragonfly seen at the moment has been the female Ruddy Darters resting up on the bracken in the woodlands. the legs appear all black and there is a definite pinched look to the body.