Diary

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This page contains my diary entries for the current quarter of the year.
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28^th July 2010 – Nagshead. There were several Gatekeeper butterflies near the Nursery Pond where there were several Emerald Damselflies and a Pipit species which was probably a Tree Pipit. The meadows have been cut since Friday 23^rd July. Later, I returned to Nagshead and found one Red Admiral butterfly at the usual location.

25^th July 2010 – Slade Bottom near St Briavels. It was a warm and humid day and I was able to find 2 White-letter Hairstreaks on Hemp Agrimony alongside the track on the ‘butterfly ride’.

At Nagshead, there was one Red Admiral butterfly on the usual logging track at the cross roads with the long trail.

24^th July 2010 – Ashleworth. A Little Egret was on the scrape in front of the hide with a Grey Heron this morning on a cloudy day. The temperature was 19 deg C. at 1600.

23^rd July 2010 – Nagshead. It was an overcast day with some sunny intervals. Along the track between the meadows down the slope from the old information centre there were 13 species of butterfly in less than 100m. They were Large Skipper, Large White, Small White, Green-veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Gatekeeper, Small Copper, Common Blue, Comma, Silver-washed Fritillary, Ringlet and Meadow Brown. There was a Red Admiral by the new information centre making 14 species of butterfly for the afternoon. Earlier, there were at least 4 male Fallow Deer on the western ridge above Cannop Ponds, one animal was ‘in velvet’.

22^nd July 2010 – Nagshead and the Cannop Valley again. Sunny Periods but with heavier rain showers. The butterflies noted were similar to yesterday but there were 4 Red Admirals along the usual forest track and 2 more on the drive down from the information centre. The highlight of the afternoon was a wild boar with at least 4 boarlets on the lower part of the short trail.

21^st July 2010 – Nagshead and the Cannop Valley. A day of sunny periods and a few light showers in the afternoon. Around the trails the butterflies noted included various White species, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Silver-washed Fritillary, Speckled Wood, Common Blue and Red Admiral. There was only one of the latter on the usual forest track.

17^th July 2010 – At Nagshead, it was an overcast and breezy afternoon with a few sunny periods. 19 deg. C. at 1400. I walked to Cannop and along the short and long trails. 9 species of butterfly were noted including Comma, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Large White, Green-veined White, Speckled Wood, Silver-washed Fritillary and Red Admiral. Of the latter, there were 7 individuals along the usual forest track. Odonata species included Four-spot Chaser, Emperor Dragonfly, Broad-bodied Chaser, Black-tailed Skimmer and Large Red Damselfly all at the Nursery Pond and an Azure Damselfly at Cannop. At the north pond at Cannop, there was the unusual sighing of at least 4 Green Sandpipers. This is my first record of this species at this location and it was all the more unusual with so many people milling around the pond. A Fallow Deer at the far end of the long trail was a singleton.

15^th July 2010 – A very wet and quite windy evening.

14^th July 2010 – Sunshine and showers today. At Nagshead, the Red Admiral butterflies (4) were still on the logging track and one was on the drive from the information centre. Otherwise, Nagshead was quiet after the heavy rain.

13^th July 2010 – 5mm of rain today made a change from the very dry period of late.

12^th July 2010 – Some rain this morning, the first for nine days and then there was only a millimetre that fell. In reality, it is 28 and 29 days when ‘proper’ rain fell with 2 and 30 millimetres respectively. At least today there were puddles on the road when I got up this morning.

11^th July 2010 – Nagshead in the late afternoon was very quiet in terms of bird sound but there were 6 Red Admiral butterflies as usual along the main logging track (See 8^th July).

10^th July 2010 – I made a short visit ‘down the road’ to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge to look for the White-tailed Plover which had been reported late yesterday. It was apparently settled and feeding around the water to be seen from the Zeiss Hide when I arrived mid-afternoon. A beautiful bird in what appeared to be fine plumage.

9^th July 2010 – Slade Bottom, St Briavels again. The day was hot and humid. Surprisingly there were far fewer butterflies on the wing in this valley compared to the 5^th July.

At Foxes Bridge, there were virtually no butterflies on the wing as the day had become overcast yet the temperature and the humidity seemed to remain high.

8^th July 2010 – Warm again. At Nagshead, the woods were quiet in terms of bird song now that the breeding season is over. Amazingly, there were 6 Red Admiral butterflies along the trail as yesterday. These insects are very predictable but the Wood Warblers which have been singing at several points along the long trail have ceased and none were heard today.

7^th July 2010 – Yet another warm day. At the viewpoint at Newnham, there were 2 or possibly 3 Green Sandpipers on the sandbanks on the river.

At Nagshead, a juvenile Great-spotted Woodpecker on the lower part of the short trail indicated local breeding. There were 4 Red Admiral butterflies along the usual forest track (see 3^rd July).

6^th July 2010 – A warm day with sunny periods and todays location was Daneway Banks to look for Large Blue butterflies. None were found and since none were found last year as far as I know, and an earlier visit this year was unproductive, it seems that this species is extinct here. A Gatekeeper butterfly was new for the year, bringing my total (for fun) to 37 species.

Along the canal in Siccaridge Wood, an Emperor Dragonfly was of note as were several Silver-washed Fritillaries.

5^th July 2010 – Slade Bottom, St Briavels. Many butterflies in this delightful valley including a large number of Comma Butterflies. A Golden-ringed dragonfly was of note.

Tidenham Chase and Poor’s Allotment. Not much water in the pond at the latter but there were at least 4 Broad-bodied Chasers and 1 Four-spotted Chaser and 2 Emperor Dragonflies were over the bracken. At the new pond on the Chase, there were another 3 Broad-bodied Chasers and near the pond an Essex Skipper butterfly was a new one for the year.

4^th July 2010 – Many Swifts overhead at Edgehills Bog on a generally windy but overcast day.

3^rd July 2010 – 2 White Admirals at Cannop Ponds on a warm day with sunny periods.

At Nagshead RSPB Reserve, there were 7 Red Admirals along the forest track between the long and short trails.

2^nd July 2010 – At Nagshead after overnight rain, the woods were exceedingly quiet after the activity yesterday. At Cannop Ponds, specifically on the cycle track just to the north of the northern pond, I found my first White Admiral butterfly of the year. Of note also, there were very many froglets on the cycle path near the southern pond. They were on the move after the rain had freshened up the habitat after the long dry and warm spell.

1^st July 2010 – Overcast, breezy and mild. 19 deg. C. at 0925. At Nagshead, a Grey Wagtail at the Nursery Pond was unusual. The woods were full of juvenile birds in family parties including a Coal Tit and Nuthatch families along the lower part of the short trail. One Wood Warbler was still singing along the long trail.

At Symonds Yat, both adult Peregrines were on show and what appeared to be one juvenile appeared several times at the entrance to the nest hole and did some preening. There is still some fluffy white feathers in the wings and the head pattern is indistinct but I would think that the bird will fledge in the next two or three days which is about right based on the estimates of hatching and changes of behaviour of the parents.

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