BIRDS

• 5 Pintail and 4 Stonechats at Manor Farm (15th)
• Goosander at Stony Stratford N.R., Manor Farm, Emerton Park.
• Bittern at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (15th – MK/Janice Robertson)
• 2 Egyptian Geese – Linford Lakes (17th MK/Harry Appleyard)
• Woodcock, 2 Nuthatch – Stockgrove Country Park (16th – MK/Helen Wilson)
• Grey Wagtail in back garden, Blue Bridge (Brian & Val Ellis)

Red Kites – Bletchley and Tattenhoe (Harry Appleyard)

Mammals

• Otter still active in reeds at Foxcote Reservoir
• Possible wild boar tracks in Oakhill Wood (Harry A)

FLOWERS

• Cherry Plum blossom – Loughton Valley Park (Brian & Val Ellis)
• Bush Vetch still in flower at Elfield Park! (14th – Martin Kincaid)

Wild birds will sacrifice access to food in order to stay close to their partner over the winter, according to a study by Oxford University researchers.

Source: Wild birds choose love over food

A post mortem carried out by the Zoological Society of London’s (ZSL) Institute of Zoology has, for the first time, identified that a human sore throat pathogen was responsible for the death of a wild hedgehog.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

On Wednesday 20th January there will be a Special Presentation. 📷
by Simon Bunker
At Linford Lakes Nature Reserve on Wednesday 20 January 2016

10:00- 16:00hrs.

Come and look for winter visitors, seek out tracks of who may have passed by,

Activities for children quizzes, colouring, word searches etc.

We hope there will be an opportunity to observe the BTO bird-ringers in action.

This is weather dependant, so come early.

As a bird in the hand…………………

The centre has a warm welcome on a cold day for you and friends and family.

Make use of the viewing gallery, buy second hand books, bird food, crafts.

Enjoy a hot drink and some home-made cake.

Please dress for the weather, warm clothing & waterproof footwear.

Take care on site there is lots of mud around!

Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Widespread supplementary feeding in domestic gardens explains the return of reintroduced Red Kites Milvus milvus to an urban area“

Red Kite by Peter Hassett

Reintroductions are commonly used to mitigate biodiversity loss. One prominent example is that of the Red Kite Milvus milvus, a charismatic raptor of conservation concern. This species has been reintroduced across the UK over the last 25 years following its near extinction after centuries of persecution. The species was not expected to recolonize urban areas; its historical association with human settlements is attributed to scavenging on human waste and refuse, a resource now greatly reduced on the streets of modern European cities. However, the species has become a common daytime visitor to a large conurbation centred on the town of Reading, southern England, approximately 20 km from the first English reintroduction site. Given a near-absence of breeding and roost sites, we investigated foraging opportunities and habitat associations that might explain use by Red Kites of this urban area. Surveys of discarded human foods and road-kill suggested that these could support at most 13–29 Kites per day. Face-to-face surveys of a cross-section of residents revealed that 4.5% (equivalent to 4349 households) provided supplementary food for Red Kites in their gardens. Using estimates of per-household resource provision from another study, we calculated that this is potentially sufficient to feed 142–320 Kites, a substantial proportion of the total estimated to visit the conurbation each day (between 140 and 440). Road transects found positive associations between Red Kites and residential areas. We suggest that the decision made by thousands of householders to provide supplementary food for Red Kites in their gardens is the primary factor explaining their daytime abundance in this urban area.

Click here to read the link to read the rest of the article

This link will take you to an article we published in March 2015 on Red Kites in the urban environment.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

If you thought bees only cared about flowers, think again. Some of them also farm fungus to survive – meaning that fungicides could harm them

Source: Bees found farming fungus for first time to feed larvae | New Scientist

Your garden can play a crucial role in bat conservation, says Shirley Thompson from the Bat Conservation Trust. Here are her tips for how to ensure it does.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: How to create a bat-friendly garden

Julian Lambely has provided photos of an Otter spotted at  Foxcote reservoir on 10 Jan 2016 at 11:30. The otter was diving some distance from the hide repeatedly before retreating to the bank to feed.

Bill Parker has reported on the North Bucks Birders site:

It showed very well this morning for about 10-15 minutes at about 11:45 hrs in the SW corner of the reserve (just to left of hide), diving frequently and then eating whatever it was catching on the surface (probably small fish or crayfish). At about midday, it caught a larger fish and swam with it towards the bank where it was lost to view behind reeds.

Clearly it is not put off by human disturbance, as there were close to 25 people in the hide at times this morning for BBOWT’s winter birdwatching event.  At the time it was seen, there were about a dozen people … but they were still making a fair bit of noise!

As previously reported, scattering wildfowl (which are now in much better numbers) are a good indication of its presence … it was how it was first found this morning.

If we’ve wetted your appetite for otters (group groan) you can see more posts on our website:

Great Photos of otters
The one That Lived to tell the tale
Linford Lakes Nature Reserve

Some water users around Cornwall’s north coast, particularly in the St Ives Bay area, have been repeatedly harassing Bottlenose Dolphins and other marine life, such as seals, in recent weeks.

Source: Wildlife Extra News – Bottlenose Dolphins and seals are being harassed in Cornwall

Froghopper (Cercopis vulnerata) at Linford Lakes by Paul Lund

Quiz and Fish & Chip Supper at Linford Lakes NR 1 February 2017 19:00.

Tickets £7.00 each, available for sale on Work Sunday and Open Sunday.

Register your interest by emailing gjgevents@gmail.com

The Woodland Trust has recently publicised the work they are doing to fight the threat of disease in our woodlands. Click here to read the article and see the video.

We should all read what we can do to stop the spread of disease amongst trees and woodlands

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

On Wednesday 6^th January I arrived at Campbell Park Pavilion to be greeted with the news that a RSPCA officer wished to speak to me about an otter that had been picked up in Ouzel Valley Park. ‘Great’, I said, ‘another dead otter – a great start to 2016’. However, for once this was not the case – the creature was very much alive.

A quick conversation with the RSPCA officer, Sam, revealed that the young otter cub had been found by a couple walking along the Ouzel between Walton Hall and Woughton on the Green on the afternoon of Tuesday 5^th. The cub had been lying, apparently lifeless, right next to the gravel path. The good Samaritans bundled it up and took it home where they warmed it up in warm towels before Sam came to collect it at 6pm. She then took it directly to Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital near Aylesbury where it remains.

When first found the cub, which we now know is female and no more than 5-6 weeks old, was very lethargic and could only produce faint squeeks and slowly open its eyes. It was probably not far from death. Speaking to staff at Tiggywinkles yesterday I was delighted to hear that she is now a bundle of energy, guzzling down milk (still not fully weened) and a real handful! Apparently they very rarely get otters brought to the hospital, certainly not cubs. The youngster has a long road ahead of her before, if ever, she can be released into the wild. Teaching otters to hunt and feed themselves is a major challenge, but at least her chances of survival have sky rocketed.

My guess is that with the heavy rainfall over the first weekend of 2016 and the rapid rise in river levels, the mother otter was forced to move her young from her holt or den and somehow this little one was left behind in the panic. I wonder if she knows how lucky she is!!

Marine wildlife expert Dr Emily Baxter urges urgent action to set up conservation zones off the north west coast

Source: What is being done to save the wildlife of the Irish Sea? – Wildlife – Lancashire Life

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be hosting a talk on Food for Birds – Eat in or Take-away on 14Jan16. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

The People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) has awarded an ecological grant towards an innovative project headed by PhD researcher Emily Howard-Williams at Moulton College in Northamptonshire.

Her team will train Tui, a flat-coated retriever, to learn to detect the scent of harvest mice, making tracking their presence in the countryside easier and more efficient.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article. Wildlife Extra News – A novel way is developed to sniff out how many harvest mice live in the UK

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Whether a pair of birds will divorce or stay together after they first breed is influenced by the social environment in which the relationship is formed, according to a new study by researchers from Oxford University.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Divorce in birds is affected by their social group

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

It has been known for decades that some birds are able to sense the Earth’s magnetic field and set their direction as if following a compass heading, which is an extremely useful ability for birds migrating long distances. The ability is believed to be linked to the availability of light and it is thought that specialized molecules in the birds’ retinas allow them to literally see the magnetic fields, which appear as patterns of light and shade superimposed over the regular image from light. Now a new study shows that the internal compass also depends on the birds having clear vision in their right eyes.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Sharp-eyed robins can see magnetic fields

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Overlooked WIldlife talk BCNWT poster

South Beds. Wildlife Trust Local Group are hosting a talk entitled “Overlooked Wildlife” by Brian Eversham, CEO of the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire Northamptonshire WIldlife Trust. The talk is on Wednesday, 11 January 2017 at Dunstable Community Fire Station Lecture Theatre at 7.30pm. Please note: doors open 7.15pm.

Click on this link for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Imidacloprid, a nicotine-like pesticide used on crops, led to loss of bee colonies in England and Wales, according to government-backed research

Source: Oilseed rape pesticide linked to UK honeybee deaths, study finds | Environment | The Guardian

Birds that eat at feeders more likely to get sick

Source: Birds that eat at feeders more likely to get sick, spread disease<

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016

Work Sunday at Linford Lakes NR 8 January 2017 10:00-13:00hrs.

Willing hands will be made welcome today.

There are lots of jobs around the reserve in the winter.

Cutting back overgrowth, trimming hedges, clearing paths.

Refreshments available.

Consensus builds among scientists though review of evidence also finds there is not enough data on whether pesticide causes population decline

Source: Neonicotinoids: new warning on pesticide harm to bees | Environment | The Guardian

Global wave of extinction lapping at UK shores’ as latest list of endangered species classifies birds alongside African elephant and lion

Click on the link to read the rest of the article:  Puffins and turtle doves at risk of being wiped out, say experts | Environment | The Guardian

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Research into Blue Whale distribution around one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and analysing their fatal collisions with ships has led scientists to offer a simple solution to the deadly threat.

Source: Wildlife Extra News – Simple solution proposed to save Blue Whales from being struck by ships

Corinna has provided a link to this article on the impact of weather on British wildlife.

National Trust survey shows how sunny winter and wet and windy summer affected British flora and fauna

Source: Jellyfish flourish but wasps wobble in year of climate confusion

Wildlife conservationists studying rare Little Terns nesting on Chesil Beach in Dorset have discovered that two of them have notched up more than 60,000 miles each during their annual African migrations.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

“To help them cope with climate change birds are grow bigger beaks, new research suggests. The scientists, led by Dr Matthew Symonds from Deakin’s Centre for Integrative Ecology in Australia, have discovered a pattern between increased climatic temperatures and an increase in the size of the beaks of parrot species in southern and eastern Australia.”

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Wildlife Extra News – Bigger beaks help birds combat global warming

A remarkable new aid to birdwatchers has been developed that enables computers to identify hundreds of US and Canadian bird species in photographs.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Wildlife Extra News – New American website can identify birds from photographs

Common Lizard by Peter Hassett

While there is no doubt that climate change is affecting many organisms, some species might be more sensitive than others. Reptiles, whose body temperature depends directly on environmental temperature, may be particularly vulnerable. Scientists have now shown experimentally that lizards cope very poorly with the climate predicted for the year 2100.

Source: Climate change threatens survival of common lizards — ScienceDaily

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be visiting Willen Lake on 01Jan16. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

With its eight tentacles, large eyes and intelligent demeanour, it has been likened to an alien form of life. Now scientists have decoded the genome of the octopus and have discovered just how different it is to other intelligent creatures both on land and sea.

Read on: Armed with 10,000 more genes than humans: Scientists hail the intelligence of the octopus – Science – News – The Independent

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Click on this link for an interesting article in research in how to protect habitat used by wading birds.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Firecrest at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve

Firecrest at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve

Firecrest spotted and snapped by Society Member Janice Robertson at Linford Lakes on Wednesday 9th December

Corinna has kindly supplied this link Naturalists are becoming an endangered species detailing the decline in Naturalists in Britain.

The winning photographs in the British Wildlife Photography Awards competition can be viewed by clicking this link. When you reach the website, you need to click the “eye”  icon at the top right hand side of the screen.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Scottish hen harriers are being tracked via satellite tags so scientists can better understand the threats these rare birds face and identify the places they are most at risk.

Click on the links below to read more about the projects:

RSPB – Hen harriers tagged in landmark project
Wildlife Extra News – Hen harriers tagged in new conservation project

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Professional wildlife photographer David Tipling shares his images of a pair of otters that set up camp in the Norfolk town of Thetford.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article:  In focus: Otter gallery by David Tipling

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Results from the 2013 Woodcock Survey show that breeding numbers and breeding range have both declined considerably since the previous survey in 2003. The rate of decline varied regionally but was least pronounced in areas that contained large tracts of continuous woodland.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: British Woodcock show declines in breeding population size and range

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Brian Eversham has produced a guide to identify British Slugs. Click ere to download the PDF file.

Numbers of puffins breeding in a large puffin colony on Fair Isle has halved, from 20,000 to 10,000 individual, a new study shows. The research, published by the scientific journal, PLOS ONE, covered a period of nearly 30 years, starting in 1986.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article Wildlife Extra News – Puffin colony numbers halves in 30 years

If you thought bees only cared about flowers, think again. Some of them also farm fungus to survive – meaning that fungicides could harm them

Source: Bees found farming fungus for first time to feed larvae | New Scientist

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Top 10 new species for 2015 announced

Source: Wildlife Extra News – Top 10 new species for 2015 announced

The British Trust for Ornithology bird of the month is the Jay. Click this link to download their PDF document.

I recommend that you read this very interesting article. The presentation is stunning.

Essay on Rewilding the Scottish Highlands by Alan Watson Featherstone, Founder of Trees for Life

Source: Rewilding in Scotland | SCOTLAND: The Big Picture

Evidence for ecological intensification | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London – Biological Sciences

Source: Wildlife-friendly farming increases crop yield: evidence for ecological intensification | Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

BIRDS

Woodcock in Linford Wood (4th Dec)
Goldeneye (2 male, 2 female) at South Willen Lake (7th Dec)
Starlings still murmurating at Willen Lake North
Ring Necked Parakeet – seen at Walton Lake today (8th)
Sightings Martin Kincaid

Egyptian Goose over Tattenhoe Park (Friday 4th)
Siskins – Oakhill Wood
Lesser Redpolls – Oakhill Wood and Kingsmead Wood
Marsh Tits – Oakhill Wood and Oxley Park
Red Kites – Bletchley and Tattenhoe
Sightings Harry Appleyard

MAMMALS

Roe Deer tracks in Oakhill Wood (Harry Appleyard)
INSECTS – Lepidoptera
Red Admiral flying on Redway @ Tongwell (4th – Steve Brady)

Brimstone male in Bancroft Garden (8th – Brian & Val Ellis)

7 goshawk facts you need to know.

Source: 7 goshawk facts you need to know | Discover Wildlife

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

10:00- 16:00hrs

With Xmas Craft Making Event.

Suitable for people of all ages, each session includes full tuition and all materials to enable you to make and take home traditional Christmas Decorations, using natural materials.

The Christmas Craft sessions will run from 

11am to 12.30pm and from 1.30pm to 3pm.

The Christmas Craft Sessions cost £5.00, which includes all materials and instruction.

Please note Children under 16 are welcome, but must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.

There is also the usual Open Sunday opportunities.

Walk the reserve and spend time in the hides watching our

winter wild fowl and other seasonal visitors.

If you fancy some warmer wildlife watching, then why not use the viewing gallery

in the Centre, where you will also find:  Crafts, Gifts, Second-hand book stall,

bird seed for sale and warming refreshments including mince pies and home-made cakes.

Family and friends welcome.

Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

“Weasels are an elusive and endearing member of our native wildlife community.”

Click on the link to read more: Wildlife: The secret world of a weasel – Wildlife – Derbyshire Life and Countryside

Despite its Despite its cute appearance, this familiar and much-loved garden bird is highly territorial.

Source: Everything you need to know about the robin | Discover Wildlife

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be hosting a talk on the North Norfolk Coastal Path on 10Dec15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Here are 5 facts you need to know about this most Christmassy of plants.

Source: 5 things you didn’t know about holly | Discover Wildlife

BIRDS

Starling murmuration still at Willen Lake North – attracting Sparrowhawks (Ann Strutton)

2 Ravens over Linford Lakes (26th)

Stonechat at Linford Lakes (26th)
Sightings Martin Kincaid

2 Mistle Thrushes by River Ouse (27th – Brian & Val Ellis)

Large groups of Fieldfares in and around Tattenhoe Park

Red Kites – Bletchley and Tattenhoe

Sightings Harry Appleyard

MAMMALS

Roe Deer reported from Linford Wood (27th)

Water Shrew found under wooden board at Linford Lakes N.R. (29th)

Sightings Martin Kincaid

Zebra finches squawk at each other if someone is shirking its duty

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Video: Birds observed arguing over parental duties for first time | Science/AAAS | News

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The use of neonicotinoid pesticides may be contributing to the decline of butterflies in the UK, a study has revealed.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Butterfly Conservation – Neonicotinoid pesticides linked to butterfly declines

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be visiting Summer Leys Reserve on 5Dec15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Drowning is the mysterious cause of death amongst groups of young common starlings according to a team of scientists led by ZSL.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Drowned starlings puzzle scientists | Zoological Society of London (ZSL)

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Discover 6 fascinating facts about the Buglife November Invertebrate of the Month: Two-spot ladybird

Source: 6 two-spot ladybird facts you need to know | Discover Wildlife

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

BIRDS

Redwings – St.Giles Church meadow and Tattenhoe Park
Fieldfares – Tattenhoe Park
Lesser Redpolls – Tattenhoe Park
Siskins – St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe
Red Kite – Tattenhoe
Common Buzzard – Water Spinney, Tattenhoe
Tawny Owl calling – Howe Park Wood (Sunday 22nd)

Sightings Harry Appleyard

MAMMALS

Daubenton’s bats still roosting under M1 bridge at Pineham – probably now safe to say they are hibernating here
Roe Deer buck at Elfield Park (20th)
Otter seen from Far Hide at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve. Also a Weasel crossing road into reserve (24th)

Sightings Martin Kincaid

Hummingbird Hawkmoth

Something to help you remember summer, a video of a Hummingbird Hawkmoth

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Conservation Officer Caroline Kelly reveals a breakthrough for one of the UK’s rarest butterflies.
The highly threatened Heath Fritillary has recovered this year after struggling following a series of cold springs to record a fantastic 2015, Butterfly Conservation (BC) are delighted to reveal.

The butterfly has responded well to targeted management at a number of its UK strongholds with high numbers reported.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article Butterfly Conservation – Good news for the Heath Fritillary

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Wild About Gardens have produced a guide on how to help hedgehogs. Click here to read the guide.

Hundreds of wildflower species are still going strong in the unusually mild conditions…

Click on the link to read the rest of the article Blooming late | Blog | About us

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Ouch – nettle sting. Let’s look for a dock leaf. But will it actually work?

Source: Do dock leaves really soothe nettle stings? | Discover Wildlife

Transition MK invite you to join us at our MK Climate Change Gathering
Saturday 28th November, 1 – 2pm, meeting at MK Rose in Campbell Park

Click on this link for more information.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Scientists can now monitor the health of coral reefs, even in the most remote regions scattered around the globe where it is otherwise difficult to see changes, thanks Earth-observing satellite data.

Click in the link to continue reading the article Wildlife Extra News – Satellites allow scientists to monitor health of coral reefs

Click this link to download The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme Annual Report for 2014 (PDF document) .

A special design of miniature ‘beetle cottage’ is helping to promote the survival of one of the UK’s rarest beetles.

Click here to read the rest of the story.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Butterfly Conservation’s report on Moths “Mothy Mutterings” for October 2015 can be downloaded by clicking here.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

A BBC Earth article on the plight of hedgehogs and how we can help them. Click the link to read the article.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Wed 18^th November.

BTO presentation.

Doors open 19:15hrs for 19:30 start.

 Kenny Cramer, BTO Bird Ringer.

A presentation on bird ringing.

Free to Friends of LLNR,

Contributions to BTO welcome.

 Refreshments and home-made cakes available.

Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be hosting a General Knowledge Fun Quiz Night on 20Nov15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Ian has produced another of his excellent site descriptions, this time covering Linford Lakes Nature Reserve.

The new page can be found on the Wildlife Sites section of the website, or by clicking this link. Enjoy!

 BIRDS
5 Common Snipe outside bird hide at Willen Lake (7th – MK)
Barn Owls hunting over Stanton Low Fields (9th – MK)
Merlin reported from Leckhampstead (8th)
Black Redstart at Broughton (8th)
SNOW BUNTING reported over CMK this morning! (10th)
Mistle Thrush – St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe
Redwings and Fieldfares – Tattenhoe
Siskins – St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe
Lesser Redpolls – Tattenhoe
Yellowhammers – Tattenhoe Park
Red Kites – West Bletchley, Westcroft and Tattenhoe

Sightings Martin Kincaid & Harry Appleyard

INSECTS

HYMENOPTERA

Buff-tailed Bumblebee queen Bombus terrestris – Stanton Low fields (9th )

ORTHOPTERA

Oak Bush-cricket – 2 females at Campbell Park Pavilion (6th)

FUNGI

Beefsteak Fungus Fistulina hepatica on mature ash in Linford Wood (6th)

Insectile and Fungal sightings – Martin Kincaid

10:00- 16:00hrs.

Introduction to Birdwatching Event

With Keith Gander

Walk starts at 11:00am.

(Meet at centre at 10:30am)

Families welcome.

Also 

Crafts, quizzes, second hand books,

Home- made Cakes.

Come and explore our reserve.

Your families and friends are welcome.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Source: Seven things worth knowing about mosquitoes

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be visiting Paxton Pits Nature Reserve on 15Nov15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

The revelation that the UK’s oldest tree is showing signs of switching sex has sparked much excitement in the world of horticultural science. The Fortingall yew (main image) in Perthshire, Scotland, having apparently spent 5,000 years as a male tree, has suddenly produced female berries. So what is going on?

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Can trees really change sex?

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Click on this link to download David Domoney’s Complete Guide to Making Your Own Insect Hotel in PDF format.

Click here if you are interested in other guides by David Domoney.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be hosting a talk about wolves on 12Nov15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

BIRDS

• Marsh Tits – Howe Park Wood and Oxley Park
• Redwings – Tattenhoe
• Fieldfares – Tattenhoe Park
• Siskins – Tattenhoe
• Lesser Redpolls – Tattenhoe
• Woodcock – Tattenhoe Park (Sunday 1st November)
• Mistle Thrush – St. Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe (Sunday 1st November)
• Great-Spotted Woodpecker drumming – Howe Park Wood (Monday 2nd November)
• Tawny Owl calling – Willen Lake South (Sunday 1st November)

(all Harry Appleyard)

• Red Crested Pochard drake at North Willen Lake (1st Nov, Martin Kincaid)
• Starling murmuration growing at North Willen (Ann Strutton)
• Yellowhammers in hedgerows outside Little Linford Wood (1st Nov, Martin Kincaid)
• During this month we have had the pleasure of almost daily visits by up to 20 Goldfinches, 2 Greenfinches, 2 Long Tailed Tits, 4 Chaffinches and a Wren (Val & Brian Ellis Bancroft)

INSECTS

LEPIDOPTERA

• Peacock Butterfly – St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe (Sunday 1st November)
• Commas – Tattenhoe (Sunday 1st November)
• Brimstones – Howe Park Wood (Sunday 1st November)
• Red Admiral – Howe Park Wood (Sunday 1st November)
• Larva of Grey Dagger moth found in bat box at LLNR (1st Nov, MK)

ODONATA

Common Darters – Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

ORTHOPTERA

• Roesel’s Bush-crickets still at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (1st Nov, Simon Bunker)
• ¡Oak Bush-cricket at Campbell Park Pavilion (30th Oct, MK)

Sightings Martin Kincaid and Harry Appleyard

PLANTS – ANGIOSPERMS

Harebells still in flower at Stonepit, Great Linford

New research from RSPB Centre for Conservation Science has found that UK Dotterel numbers have fallen by 57%

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Wild About Gardens www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk have produced a booklet on how to help hedgehogs. Click this link to download the booklet in PDF format.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

How to make a frog hibernaculum.

Source: How to make your own frog hibernaculum | Discover Wildlife

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be visiting Caldecotte Lakes on 4Nov15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

10:00- 13:00 hrs.

Refreshments provided.

Jobs in hand; cleaning bird boxes.

General cutting and trimming of vegetation,

other ‘household jobs’ as required.

Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Throughout September and October, award-winning arts charity Create brought together disabled and non-disabled students from White Spire School and Milton Keynes Academy to create artwork to enhance Milton Keynes’ redway network. Although access to the natural environment is widely understood to be beneficial, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs found that those with learning disabilities and young people are much less likely to access it despite health and social benefits being particularly advantageous to these groups. The wildlife living within the redway network has provided fruitful inspiration for these young artists including lapwings, woodpeckers, bats and buzzards.

Guided by Create’s professional visual artist Daniel Lehan, the young people have produced some clay birds, built a ‘bird hotel’ and producing models of other wildlife which they have painted and collaged. These designs will be used as inspiration by a professional artist, being commissioned by intu Milton Keynes, for a new artwork to be included in the redways. The young people’s original artwork will be displayed at intu Milton Keynes during January 2016 after being included in a two month exhibition at KPMG in Canary Wharf London.

The project has been designed by Create in consultation with intu Milton Keynes to enable local young people with and without disabilities to collaborate creatively and, in the process, feel welcomed into these green spaces by involving them in the decision-making around their improvement.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Create, Nicky Goulder, commented, “It’s fantastic to see this project bringing together young people from different backgrounds and fostering relationships between those with and without disabilities. Not only that but we’re seeing how the creative arts can be used to get young people engaging with their local natural environment and experiencing the benefits.

Shelley Peppard, general manager at intu Milton Keynes, added: “We are delighted to be involved in this project; it’s lovely to see these young people working together to create something so positive for the local community. This artwork will vastly improve areas of Milton Keynes’ redways; we want these green areas to be somewhere that we can all be proud of and that will attract more people to enjoy being outdoors, and the benefits that come with that.”

Join Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas Officer Emily Cunningham for a virtual tour of our local seas – snorkel not required

Source: The weird and wonderful creatures of the Irish Sea – Wildlife – Cheshire

A map has been produced of Starling Murmurations.

This map will be updated with sightings of Starling Murmurations throughout the UK. These are just the actual roost sights and not groups of Starlings flying overhead. If you see any murmurations at roost sites, then please let us know, thank you

Source: Starling Murmurations In The UK

You may also like to read Paul Manchester’s excellent description and video of murmurations in Wolverton in 2014

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Bonfires lit at 5pm, fireworks at around 6.00pm.

Celebrating fire, the magic of autumn and all things Pagan, arrangements will be similar to last year with a shuttle bus running from Prospect Place, Newport Rd, Emberton, MK46 5JQ from 4.45pm to 5.45pm. Return shuttle 7.30pm-8.30pm.

Only limited car parking is available so spaces (£10 per car) MUST be pre-booked via info@hollingtonwood.com or Philip on 07762 441275.

In order to cover our costs, donations will be expected. We suggest adults £10, children £5, families £25.

Refreshments including home-made soup, home-grown sausages and mulled wine & cider will be available.

Not for the faint-hearted, but for the reckless and brave fireworks lighting up the trees is an unforgettable experience!

More details here.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Discover Wildlife has produced a handy guide to identify 12 wild fruits this autumn.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

Chris Ward of the RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be presenting a talk about waders. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

PLANTS

Royal Fern found close to lake, Stockgrove Country Park (MK – 18^th)
Field Poppy still in flower along grid roads.
Fleabane still in flower, North Bucks Way  (MK – 19^th)

INSECTS

Common Darter dragonflies flying at Tattenhoe (Harry Appleyard) and Willen Lake (MK)
Feathered Thorn moth in trap – Gordon Redford’s garden, Newport Pagnell (GR – 18^th)
Roesel’s Bush-crickets still stridulating at Linford Lakes (MK – 20^th)

BIRDS

Raven seen at Little Horwood (HA – 17^th)
2 Stonechats reported from Manor Farm pits (19^th)
4 Green Sandpipers and 3 Black Swans at North Willen Lake (MK – 20^th)
Redwing numbers building up across MK

MAMMALS

2 Brown Hares at Oakhill Wood (MK – 20^th)
2 Common Pipistrelles found in bat box, Linford Lakes N.R. (MK – 16^th)
Common Pipistrelles and Noctule bats at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (MK – 20^th)

Sightings Martin Kincaid (MK) and Harry Appleyard (HA)

If you mix with circles interested in astronomy, you may be hearing some excited talk about the Orionid shower. What is it, and why should you care? Here’s everything you need to know.What is the Orionid shower?

Source: Orionid shower: Keep an eye to the sky on Wednesday | Alphr

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group will be visiting Farmoor Reservoir on 25Oct15. Click here for more details.

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

Stuart Skeates from the British Mycological Society introduces six species that can be spied out on a country ramble this month.

Source: Six types of fungi to find in October

It may not have been a bumper summer for butterflies, but the UK public defied the cold, wet weather to make big butterfly count 2015 the biggest ever.

Impressive new records for big butterfly count participation were set. Over 52,000 people took part in the 2015 event, smashing the previous high of 46,400 in 2013. For the first time over 50,000 counts were submitted (map of 2015 counts) via the website and free smartphone apps, from St James’s Park in central London to Sutherland. We also had the highest ever big butterfly count effort on a single day during this year’s event – over 5,300 counts were completed on Saturday 8 August. A huge thank you to everyone who took part this year!

In the six annual big butterfly count events that have taken place so far, over 208,000 counts have been undertaken, each a 15 minute survey for 20 target species of butterflies and moths.

As usual, Sir David Attenborough led the publicity for this year’s big butterfly count with interviews on television and radio, as well as widespread coverage in the newspapers and online. As a result, almost 108,000 people visited the big butterfly count website between April and August.

Clich here to read the full article: big butterfly count

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

A picture of a red fox standing over the bloodied body of an Arctic fox wins the prestigious 2015 Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.

Source: Warring foxes take top wildlife photo prize – BBC News

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites.

BIRDS

1 Peregrine, 1 Kestrel, 1 Red Kite and 2 Buzzards at Little Linford Wood (11th)

2 Green Sandpipers and 1 Dunlin at Manor Farm quarry (12th)

Redwings – Tattenhoe

Siskins – Tattenhoe

Lesser Redpolls – Tattenhoe and Oakhill Wood

Skylarks – Tattenhoe

Grey Wagtails – Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

MAMMALS
2 Dormice, 1 Pygmy Shrew and numerous Woodmice found in boxes – Little Linford Wood (11th)

Roe Deer seen on edge of Little Linford Wood (Dormouse Group members).

Water Shrew at Linford Lakes N.R. (12th)

American Mink at North Willen Lake (Phil Marsh – 11th)

LEPIDOSAURIA
3 Slow Worms – Elfield Park (9th)

2 Grass Snakes – Walton Lake (11th)

AMPHIBIA
Common Toads – Tattenhoe Park
Common Newt – Tattenhoe Park

INSECTS
LEPIDOPTERA
Comma butterflies – Tattenhoe

HYMENOPTERA
Hornets – Howe Park Wood

ODONATA
Southern Hawker – Howe Park Wood
Migrant Hawkers – Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

TREES
Fantastic autumn colours along grid roads now. H5 between Willen Lake and City Centre is particularly good.

Scarlet Oaks in Campbell Park.
Sightings Martin Kincaid and Harry Appleyard