Here’s the latest Marston Vale’s Nature News (18th May), which includes news and a great photo of an osprey seen over the park on 17th May:

https://www.marstonvale.org/blog/nature-news-18th-may

News of a busy Cotoneaster in Willen

One of the joys of late spring in our garden is the blooming of the Cotoneaster horizontalis.  This plant produces small pink flowers which, unless you inspect closely just seem to be buds that never open.

Even on a day like today, when the air temperature is around 10 C, the plant is alive with bees.  On a hot day, their humming is almost louder than the traffic on the M1.  All cotoneasters are good for nectar but this species is the best.  This plant is not more than 2 feet in height but about 5 feet across and, in a quick count today, there were at least two dozen bees on it.  The majority were the workers of the tree bumble bee, Bombus hypnorum and the spring bumble bee, Bombus pratorem.  Also present, a single honey bee – well it is a cold day.

The small flowers of the plant are well suited to the short tongued bumble bees.  It is well known that bees do not bother to visit a flower that has been recently visited by another individual bee. I read in Dave Goulson’s book, A Sting in the Tail, that it has been shown, by clever research which involved washing the feet of bees, that each bee leaves a smelly footprint on the flower which can be detected by another bee.  The smell declines over time so the insect can determine when the flower was last visited.  Different plants refill their nectaries at different rates, borage being a notable plant that refills very quickly, in about two minutes, compared with comfrey which takes upwards of forty minutes.  So out I go with my stopwatch and observe a single flower.  I took three readings all under ten minutes, the average time between visits being 6 minutes.  Considering that this single plant must be covered in thousands of flowers, it explains why it is such a good nectar source.

Our plant is one of a large family of cotoneasters which originate in India, Tibet or China. Horizontalis is the one that is most recognisable and has acquired a common name, the Fishbone or Herringbone cotoneaster.  Originally found in China, it was brought to the west in the 19^th century by that saviour of deer, Pere David.  Considered by some to be too invasive, our plant arrived by chance about 20 years ago and established itself on the edge of our north-facing patio where, apart from when we trip over it, it has become most welcome.

As the year progresses, other species make the most of this shrub.  This week, when the song thrush chicks fledged, their parent took them right under the branches into its heart to hunt for snails.  Throughout the rest of the year, the wren is most active in it and the dunnock uses it as a hidey hole to escape from the aggressive robin.  We often see glimpses of bank voles rushing into cover under it and frogs and toads live under it as well.  Occasionally, a grass snake makes an appearance.  On one memorable occasion, many years ago, a mink appeared from under it.

Once the berries form in the autumn, it becomes of great interest to other species.  In the past, this would have been blackbirds, thrushes, sometimes redwings in the depths of winter but these days, the resident wood pigeon gobbles them up quite early in the autumn, a bird so fat it seems to waddle.

Ann and Mark Strutton
May 2020

Just like everyone else, I still find it hard to believe I am actually living through what feels to me like a bizarre disaster movie.  I feel the same mix of negative emotions – fear, anger, anxiety, loneliness – that I am sure we all do so I won’t rehearse them all again.  I’ll just say we are all in it together in every way except actually being able to be together.

So, how has my lockdown been going?  First, I’ve been reading my copy of Wonderland: A Year of Britain’s Wildlife, Day by Day by Brett Westwood and Stephen Moss on a daily basis.  The 22^nd April entry reminded me of the joys of the dawn chorus walk.  We duly went for ours on 22^nd April and came home to a full cooked breakfast, just as in the book.  The dawn chorus is a magical thing, even if you can’t get outside to experience it, I urge you to open a window about half an hour before sunrise at this time of the year and enjoy it while you can.

Andrew and I came to a decision very early on that in a world where all of a sudden “Everyday is Like Sunday” (as Morrissey sang in the 80s) we had to make a new normal and try to shape our time.  We resolved that we would walk every day whether we felt like it or not.  We are fortunate that we live in a small village (Gawcott) surrounded by miles and miles of fields and hedgerows.  These were previously totally unexplored by us but we have now subjected them to intense scrutiny.  And some amazing and unexpected finds have been made.  Firstly, the field that I can actually see from my study is absolutely alive with yellowhammers yelling their “little bit of bread and no cheeeeeeeese” song, and skylarks pouring out their incessant song while I search for the little black dot they have become.  My neighbour called out to me one day from his window: “Did you see it?  Did you see the snowy owl?” He’s not much of an ornithologist as he obviously meant “barn owl” but he’s seen it and I haven’t!  It’s on my “most wanted” list though and I keep looking.  There was one fantastic evening when we saw a hare zooming over the field.  We were amazed we had hares so near to us.  I’ve picked 4 trees and have been taking a daily photograph of them all since 31^st March to look back later and be reminded of the “lost spring”.  I can’t help wondering if I’ll still be photographing them as the leaves turn to gold and fall.

We’ve done lots of ordinary walks but a couple of crazy ones too. On 8^th March we walked at 3:30am to see the much hyped “pink moon”.  It was a fantastic full moon but it wasn’t pink!  I discovered later that it’s called “pink” for some vague extraneous reasons, nothing to do with colour.  Our village Facebook page also advertised times of the ISS (International Space Station) passing and we made a point of looking out for that too. Yes, I know it’s been going for over 30 years but I’d never somehow found the time before.

The President of Bucks Bird Club, Dave Ferguson, very kindly sent a copy of the local Butterfly Conservation group’s magazine to a large email group as a neighbourly gesture in the lockdown.  He said please pass it on to anyone who may be interested so I am pleased to do just that. I enjoyed reading it and there are a lot of interesting ideas for enjoyable things to do.  I was particularly interested in the article titled “Enjoying moths at home without a light trap” and plan to give it a go.

I know when it’s Saturday because I’ve been joining in with an initiative started by Si Nicholls, that well known MK birder! He calls it the #biggardensit. The idea is for birders to record as many species as they can in the hour between 8am and 9am STRICTLY from their own living spaces. A species can be counted if it is seen visiting, flying over, heard, seen distantly (even if 2 miles away sitting on a puddle). Good optics and great birding skills are useful aids!  It started on 28/3/20 with mainly Bucks birders.  By 18^th April it had grown to 56 birders over 11 counties who between them clocked 90 species.  I’m sure Si would be delighted to welcome more participants and the project is set to continue for every Saturday in May.  If interested, email si.nich@yahoo.com  And if you’re curious, on 25^th April my score was a modest 18 while the top score was 40 (shared by a Bucks birder and a Cornish birder).

Finally, I will share one of my concerns about the pandemic.  I am sure we are all aware the virus originated in Wuhan, China, in the so called ‘wet markets’ where all sorts of live animals, wild and domesticated, are killed in dirty conditions and sold for consumption.  These markets were supposed to be banned and many of the wild animals are in theory protected by law.  The virus probably originated in bats and passed along a chain of other animals until it mutated and jumped to humans.  The science journal “Nature” reported the most likely vectors were some illegally smuggled pangolins.

Covid-19 is not the first disease that has originated in wildlife and spread to humans – a couple of other examples are the SARS epidemic and MERS.  Voices are beginning to be raised calling for the UN to add a new Article – Article 31 – to the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, recognising the right to a healthy environment. It certainly gets my vote.  Enough is enough.

Sue Hetherington
26 April 2020

The fantastic butterfly season during 2018 was always going to be a difficult act to follow and although some species were down in 2019 the year still held some great success stories. Among 2019’s achievements was a very welcome spike in Peacock numbers, a Painted Lady invasion, the continued colonisation by Dark Green Fritillaries and the incredible news of the first Chequered Skippers to emerge in the wild in the county for nearly half a century.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Wildlife Trust Logo

The Wildlife Trusts are disappointed that the new report from the Committee on Climate Change fails to recognise the full array of natural solutions available in the UK, and their immense value for achieving net zero emissions.

Click here for more information.: New report from Committee on Climate Change doesn’t go far enough | The Wildlife Trusts

Harlequin Ladybird ©Peter Hassett at Preston Montford 4 August 2015

While climate change and habitat loss seem to keep making all the headlines when it comes to environmental damage, invasive species are still chugging along comfortably as the second biggest threat to our planet’s biodiversity. New cases are popping up all the time, with the Burmese python, Crucian carp and the emerald ash borer beetle recently reaching new levels of notoriety.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Breaking Down the Social Stigma of Invasive Species with Professor Helen Roy | Ecology for the Masses

Looking back over the urban birding scene since edition 1, it is swifts that have dominated, more on them below.  I have no more news about our urban peregrine falcons.  I have seen from the numerous webcams and twitter feeds that the very numerous other sites nationwide have done extremely well.  It is very disappointing that we in Bucks have been deprived of the webcam from County Hall that we had grown to know and love. I am not exactly sure of all the reasons but know a major difficulty is that the Aylesbury pigeon racing fraternity are doing their utmost to have the County Hall birds and their platform removed and are seeking to litigate to achieve this.  In my opinion, it would help the peregrines if all who care about them could take the time to write to Bucks County Council to register their support of the project. Meanwhile, I am going to have to consider enduring another football match and making a visit to the MK Dons to see if I can what’s going on there!

Turning to the swifts, over the last 2 or 3 weeks they seem to have become very active – definitely in the north Bucks village where I live at least. Parties of what I take to be non-breeders have been zooming around in devil-may-care groups screaming their heads off.  Younger non-breeding birds appear to be checking out potential breeding sites for next year by flying up to places and briefly clinging on – if this happens at wooden nesting boxes, it can make quite a bang, leading to some people calling such birds “bangers”.  For the last few years, I have been attempting to supply BMERC with a list of exact nesting sites in Bucks.  This is something that Bucks Bird Club reporting system does not lend itself to – nest sites can be difficult to see for sure and knowing how many are in a particular building is similarly tricky. Most difficult of all, I have been reporting exact addresses e.g. “43 Acacia Avenue” which is something that would be inappropriate on Bucks Bird Club’s systems, even if marked as confidential. My purpose in recording these details is not to make life difficult for householders but to try to help swifts. If a planning application came in at a property with known swift nests, it would help to make sure that work is carried out in the off season and also would give an opportunity to have a conversation with the property owner to see if they could do anything to mitigate any potential negative impact on swifts. If anyone is able to supply any data about breeding swifts, please email me on hetwend@dircon.co.uk

The last week of June also saw the second annual “Swift Awareness Week” with over 100 events taking place nationwide.  They were an eclectic assortment – from walks and talks to garden parties and pop-up mini displays of information.  Princes Risborough was fortunate to have a talk by Andrew Lack, son of the David Lack, the eminent ornithologist from Oxford.

As I write in mid July, it will not be long before our swifts depart, so if you are lucky enough to have any near where you live, don’t forget to appreciate them while you can.

Sue Hetherington

Good Urban Birding until next month, Sue Hetherington

The month of June began with the appearance of some old moth friends showing their faces for the first time this year.  It is always reassuring to see them, to see that they have survived the rigours of the past year and are in good shape to continue. Things have rather slowed down over the past week with the heavy rain, winds and sometimes cool temperatures.  My mothing has been confined to the garden in Newport Pagnell and Linford Lakes Nature Reserve using Robinson Moth Traps (See previous notes of for information about traps).

On the night of June 1^st, 294 moths of 76 species visited the trap at Linford Lakes and amongst the catch was a lovely Oak-Hook-tip.  It is one of seven Hook-tip moths to be found in Britain and as the name suggests its caterpillars feed on the foliage of oak trees and the Hook part refers to the wing shape.  It is able to complete its life cycle twice in the year and will be on the wing again in late July to mid September.  

Another on the 1^st at Linford Lakes was one of the carpet moths, a Green Carpet.  There are 54 species of Carpet moths and none of them eat carpets.  They are named so because of the delicate patterns on their wings. It too has 2 generations in a year and the caterpillars feed on Bedstraws and Cleavers.

June 3^rd was not quite as busy as the June 1^st with some 221 moths of 50 species at Linford Lakes.  One that took the eye though was the Cream-bordered Green Pea.  A friend of mine observed that it sounded more like something that should be on a restaurant menu rather than the name fora moth. It is a nationally scarce moth whose caterpillars feed on Willows and Sallows and seems well established at Linford Lakes.  

The China-mark moths are emerging and have been visiting the trap too.  There are 4 species:  Small China-mark, Brown China-mark, Beautiful China-mark and photographed here, the Ringed China-mark.  They have aquatic or sub-aquatic caterpillars.  The Ringed China-mark caterpillar feeds on Pondweeds, Canadian Waterweed and other plants and spins leaves together and lives in an open web.

In the garden this week it was good to see the return of the Orange Pine Tortrix.  It is a micro-moth whose caterpillar feeds on Scots Pine where it makes a silk tube along a twig.  The moth was first recorded in Britain in Surrey in 1945 so it has been here just 3 more years than me.

Text and photos kindly supplied by Gordon Redford. Click here to read the previous edition of Moth Notes

I was very interested to read all about the activities of MK Swifts in the Summer 2019 “Magpie”. Living at Gawcott, near Buckingham, I am a little too far outside MK Swifts’ catchment area to make a meaningful contribution so I operate as Buckingham Swifts. I find that the most productive study is that carried out on one’s home patch and thus I am getting to know Gawcott’s swifts really well. Gawcott has an unusual “problem” with swifts – we have a huge main colony and at least one secondary colony BUT the big colony is in a horribly dilapidated property. This property is occupied by an elderly couple who have lifetime rights of occupation but there is a messy legal tangle to come when they pass away. The property is falling down around their ears and the assumption is that when they do pass on, the property will be sold for millions to a developer and torn down and redeveloped (yes, it has been reported to BMERC but at best this could only mitigate, not stop, redevelopment). Gawcott swifts thus have plenty of nest sites, they don’t really need my nestbox and accordingly I have not yet succeeded in getting it occupied.

I network with other swift enthusiasts nationwide and use the website Swift Conservation a lot. This is a not for profit organisation run by Edward Meyer.  The site is packed with useful information and has a section for “local experts and groups”. You will see that both Milton Keynes Swifts and Buckingham Swifts are listed here.

Back in summer 2018, I was surprised to be contacted by a lady who asked me “in your capacity as Secretary of Buckinghamshire Swifts” could I design her some swift boxes to install in her church tower. This came as rather a surprise, particularly since there is no such thing as “Buckinghamshire Swift Group” and I would not even be able to put a shelf up! However, through a Swift Conservation affiliate group called Action for Swifts (AfS), I knew of a genius designer called Dick Newell who I put the enquirer in touch with. I did very little else than “signpost” (and organise a crowdfunding appeal to fund the materials) but off they all went and produced a fantastic result at Dinton (near Aylesbury) church.
I have included the text of the report that was eventually posted on the AfS webpage.

Thursday, 28 March 2019
Dinton Church
This is a job particularly well done, so should be an inspiration to others. Back in August 2018 Sue Hetherington got in touch about swift boxes in the belfry of Saints Peter & Paul in Dinton, Bucks. The belfry has large louvres, more widely spaced than normal, meaning that 2 levels of entrances could fit between each pair of louvres. (We did something like this in St Mary’s, St Neots).

After batting photos and measurements back and forth we, AfS, suggested a configuration (see below) which has been very competently adapted and implemented by carpenter Nick Deschamps, resulting in 16 new nest boxes in the belfry. Rosemary Jackson takes up the story:

The Church of SS Peter & Paul, Dinton

“The idea for installing swift nest boxes in our village church was triggered by three incidents in 2017.

We went to the Rutland Bird fair in August 2017 and there we saw the Action for Swifts display. An enthusiastic carpenter had brought the front of a bank of nest boxes which he told us fitted in his church tower and had attracted a new colony of swifts to his village.

Also, in 2017 there was a study group amongst the churches in my area about the idea of the Eco Church and how we could make our churches more environmentally friendly.

The next summer I found out that the only nest site for swifts in my area had been blocked up and we were then very concerned that we would not get swifts back in the village. Happily, one pair nested somewhere because we had five swifts screaming around the village in August and giving us such great pleasure as they always do.

I decided that I would act to promote swifts somehow. I wrote a book about a family of swifts for young children and an artist friend illustrated it. By amazing serendipity her husband had just retired and was looking for a project to pursue and the challenge of making swift nest boxes and installing them in the church tower fired his imagination.

The Church of SS Peter & Paul, Dinton – 16 boxes installed

We realized very quickly that this was no straightforward project. After examining the Action for Swifts website and contacting a Bucks Bird Club friend we were put in touch with Dick Newell who developed a plan of 16 nest boxes to fit our very ancient church louvres inside the bell chamber. Nick set to work on the carpentry and all the winter of 2018/2019 worked on 4 banks of 4 nest boxes. Eventually when the weather got warmer, we were able to try a model in the bell chamber, and eventually mid-March fitted the real things, even putting chicken feathers in the nesting cups to get the swifts started on the soft furnishings.

At the beginning of May we plan to start playing the screaming swift family calls to alert swifts coming back from Africa that there are nest boxes here inviting occupancy.

We also plan that, should we be fortunate enough to attract out own family of swifts we will fit a camera into the nesting box and arrange a CCTV so that we can have a birdwatching day with the local school children, setting up telescopes and a laptop with live pictures and information on this amazing miracle bird.

British wildlife is truly wonderful!

Rosemary Jackson, Church warden

Funnily enough, this project did have an effect on MK Swifts. Martin Kincaid had been approached by Newport Pagnell church where they also wanted to put swift nestboxes in the tower. Martin came along and looked at the Dinton project and was suitably impressed (the carpenter had done an incredible job) He tried to contact Newport Pagnell again but the interest seemed to have withered on the vine. However, he knew that the school opposite The Cock at Stony Stratford wanted to put boxes up so he took up this project instead. He asked Andrew Hetherington to construct 4 boxes which he was pleased to do (and to kindly donate). These boxes, plus, I believe some purchased ones are now installed at the school, as reported in the MK Swifts report.

To date, I am not aware of any take up by swifts of any of the new boxes but this is to be expected. It would normally take a minimum of 2 years before swifts will take to new boxes – even with a calling system in operation.

Speaking of AfS, the group have organised the second annual Swift Awareness Week (SAW). This is taking place from 22^nd to 30^th June 2019. An eclectic series of events will be taking place nationwide and some national publicity will hopefully begin soon – maybe even Chris Packham will be kind enough to mention it again on “Springwatch”! Click here for the Swift Conservation  events map

There will be a small pop up display at the Bucks County Museum in Aylesbury which some of you may care to have a look at if you find yourself in the town during the period.

I’ve not listed “The Crown” at Gawcott as a SAW event but I’d be pleased to meet anyone there during the swift season for a “swift half”. The big colony at the next door building can be observed from there. Late evening on a fine summer’s evening is a recommended time, leading up to around 9pm.

Text by Sue Hetherington 6 June 2019

Click here to read Sue’s article on Swift Awareness Week 2019

Photo at top of page  – Swift at Willen Lake ©Chris Ward

All other photos ©Action for Swifts

Oxford Natural History Museum Swift webcam

Linford Lakes NR BioBlitz by David Easton. 24 June 2016

Britain is very lucky to have a rich history in biological recording. Natural history was a popular pastime in Victorian Britain and our taxonomists were (and still are) responsible for the description and recording of species across the world. As a result of this history, the UK has a well developed network of organisations involved in biological recording. Getting your head around what these recording organisations do and how they can help you can be confusing, so we hope this will provide some clarity. This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it will be useful to both those new to biological recording and those already involved.

Click here for more information.: Who’s who in the world of biological recording? | Biodiversity Projects

A glance at my notebook in which I record moths in my garden in Newport Pagnell shows very clearly that there have been some cold nights and not many moths recorded.  Moths do not like cold, wind and rain and we have had some of all three since I last wrote.  I was wondering what am I going to write about in these notes when a fellow mother came to my rescue.  Andy Harding has permission from the owners (Bucks, Berks and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust) and the Warden of Little Linford Wood to trap and record moths there and he asked if I would like to join him at opening up time on April 17^th.

I am not sure either of us was expecting much judging by our results at our homes but what a surprise was in store for us. The white sheet upon which the trap had been placed had one on there to make us gasp.  It was a Lunar-marbled Brown (pictured above).  It is nationally regarded as a common species but in my 24 years of mothing in this area I have recorded it just 7 times.   It’s caterpillars feed on Oaks of which there are plenty at Little Linford Wood.

There was better to follow because on an oak tree adjacent to the trap was a Frosted Green whose caterpillars are also oak feeders.  This was a new moth for me.   

There were 2 other moths that had us salivating, neither rare, but both rather nice to see.   The first was a Water Carpet which I first saw in Northumberland in the 1980’s.  The caterpillars of this moth feed on bedstraws. 

The second was a Purple Thorn, a beautiful moth that manages to get through the life cycle of egg-caterpillar-pupa-flying insect twice in the year so watch these notes in August for a re-appearance.  

Nature Reserves and land owned and managed by the Wildlife Trusts are very important for moths because the plants and trees upon which they rely during their life cycles should have some measure of protection.  Moths themselves are very important not least because all parts of their lives provide food for other wildlife.

I need not have worried really about having moths to show and talk about because today, Good Friday, at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve, a Chocolate-tip.  Just right for Easter I thought.

Text and photos kindly supplied by Gordon Redford.

Photos:

• Lunar Marbled Brown and Frosted Green
• Frosted Green – side and top views
• Water Carpet
• Purple Thorn
• Chocolate-tip

Click here to read the previous edition of Moth Notes

Red Banded Polypore fungus (Fomitopsis pinicola) ©Justin Long, Linford Lakes NR 26 January 2019

It is a rare occasion when I find the opportunity to dedicate a really good period of quality time to photography. And when I do, there’s not much I like more than to take a bimble round the woods with camera in hand, finding some fungi to shoot.

And so it was, on a cold but bright January morning, that just such an opportunity presented itself.

My lovely wife was away on a girlie weekend, and nothing else had managed to creep, or even barge its way to the top of my to-do list, so I decided to head up to Linford Lakes Nature Reserve to see what was about.

I had in mind getting some shots of the very photogenic Flammulina velutipes– the Velvet Tough Shank, which grows on hardwoods at this time of year. I already have a photo of this species from a few years back, but it’s not tack sharp, and besides which, my photographic skills and equipment have developed somewhat since then, if you’ll pardon the pun.

Linford Lakes is a good location for another early vernal species too – the Scarlet Elf Cup, and I did indeed find this species, but more about that another time perhaps…

A little technique I have developed over the years is to walk through an area looking for likely specimens or habitats, taking note along the way of anything interesting, and returning to the best spot once I have had a good look around.  I have learned through bitter experience not to spend too much time on the first half decent mushroom that I come across, only to then find a much more photogenic specimen, and no time to do it justice!

And it was on this pre-photo recce that I came across this rather striking bracket fungus that I immediately recognised as Fomitopsis pinicola– the Red Banded Polypore. I say that I immediately recognised it, but in fact I had only ever seen this on the Continent before – in France and in Germany, so I had my suspicions that it might just be something a bit more common masquerading as a rarity.

So I took a number of photos from differing angles, including (importantly) the spore-bearing surface, showing the pores or tubes, from which the spores are ejected. I didn’t take any samples, as if it was indeed the Fomitopsis, I was unsure as to whether it had protected status.

Anyway, with that I headed home to do some research, bumping into Jane Grisdale on the way, and also stopping to get some photos of the aforementioned Scarlet Elf Cup. I mentioned to Jane that we might just have something a bit special here, but didn’t get too over enthusiastic, as identifying species on site, without reference material is always risky – especially for a potential rarity.

It turns out that there are 50 records for Fomitopsis pinicolaon the Fungal Records Database of Britain and Ireland (FRDBI), so I figured that we might be in with a chance of a first for the County. So, with excitement mounting, I checked the locations of each of the records on the database, starting with the first record from 1938.

Liverpool, Gloucestershire, Scotland, Durham… Kershope Forest, Kielder Forest, Wark Forest, Greenham Common…

With each record from a location other than Bucks, the chances of finding a county first at Linford Lakes increased, and before long I had reached the end of the list – all 50 species! But, alas, and you can imagine my disappointment, there it was, on the very last listing in the database – the 50th – a record from 2016, from Burnham Beeches, Buckinghamshire…

There was still a chance of course that my identification was wrong, but after conferring with friends at the Bucks Fungus Group, and further confirmation from the National Herbarium at Kew, it is now listed as a good record – the 51st.

So a second for the county, and only the second time this has been recorded on alder, it is still a great find for the Reserve, and, I think, time well spent.

Photos and text kindly supplied by Justin Long

Howe Park Wood Nature Day by Julie Lane 1 July 2016

The Parks Trust has published a series of self-guided walks.

Click here for more information.

National Tree Week started on Saturday 24^th November and finishes on Sunday 2^ndDecember, so you still have time to get involved!

The Parks Trust has produced a factsheet about the notable tress in Milton Keynes. Click here to download the factsheet.

The Publications section of our own website has details of Top Trees and Top Orchards in Milton Keynes.

The Woodland Trust has released an interactive map which shows the locations of the UK’s oldest trees. The Ancient Tree Inventory can help you find the UK’s oldest trees by location, by tree species and by status.

On the map each tree’s marker includes an ‘A’, ‘V’ or ‘N’ to indicate if the tree is of ancient, veteran or notable status. Ancient trees are those that are in the third and final stages of their life. The age of this final stage varies for different species of trees, as some species live longer than others. Oaks, yews and sweet chestnuts can live to over a 1,000 years old. Veteran trees are old trees which haven’t quite reached ancient status. Notable trees are usually mature large trees which for some reason stand out in their local environment.

Anyone can add ancient, veteran or notable trees to the Ancient Tree Inventory. The Woodland Trust has a recording guide which provides instructions on how to measure a tree and how to record different tree forms.

This link will take you to a copy of the map centered on Milton Keynes

Otter on bridge ©Martin Kincaid, Linford Lakes NR 29 July 2017

The results of a post mortem conducted on an otter found dead in Irthlingborough a year ago have just been released – and reveal, shockingly, that it was shot several times at close range

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Otter shot in Northamptonshire | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

Floodplains occupy only 5% of the land area in the UK, yet deliver disproportionately for people in terms of flooding and nutrient retention. The lack of semi natural habitats and poor functionality in floodplains reduces our resilience to floods and drought, reduces the abundance of pollinating insects and natural pest control agents, and reduces the potential for carbon sequestration and water quality improvements.”

Click here for more information.: Natural Capital Synthesis Report Project – Clare Lawson | Valuing Nature Network

The Buckinghamshire Bird Club have published a very interesting article on theSpotted Crake at Willen Lake

A few regular visits to Willen Lake (north) by Mike and Ted Wallen turned up trumps when they found a Spotted Crake early on the bank holiday Monday. Unfortunately it was rather distant at about 350 metres range! News was soon out and the bird was seen by many local birders as well as others from further afield. The bird remained all day and was again present on 28th August. Hopefully it will stay around for a while.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

We have been colour ringing black-tailed godwits at the Nene and Ouse Washes to help us understand more about the birds’ movements in the breeding and non-breeding season. Godwits are known to undertake long and often complex migratory journeys, and the marking of individual birds provides valuable information about the remarkable journeys these birds undertake.

Click here for more information.: Report a sighting – Project Godwit

Over the past few years I’ve posted several pieces about how colleagues, students and myself have been monitoring one aspect of the environmental impact of the University of Northampton’…

Click here to read the rest of the article.: The impact of building a new university campus on urban bird diversity and abundance: a seven-year study | Jeff Ollerton’s Biodiversity Blog

My daughter and her partner live in Cumbria and have starlings and swifts nesting in the eves of their house. Last year the starlings nested first and then the swifts moved in once the starlings had fledged. This year as normal the starlings are busy bringing up their babies in the usual place.

However last Saturday 12th May Susies partner heard a cacophony outside the house and saw a starling and swift tumbling together down onto the lawn followed by a tussle where the starling clearly had the upper hand and the swift’s life was at risk. He rescued the swift and after a rest launched it from an upstairs window. However after a while he saw the swift attempt to enter the nesting cavity and again the tussle ensued followed by another rescue and relaunch. Now a stalemate is in place where the swifts regularly fly by but the starlings are on high alert and drive them off.

This year they have erected two more swift boxes hoping to establish a small colony but it seems like this won’t be given a chance to happen until the starling family have fledged and moved out. But it leaves you with questions – does this competition happen regularly and do the swifts loose out. Or was it just because the weather was unseasonably hot that the swifts decided to try and get a move on early an start nesting?

Article by Julie Lane

And now an interesting response from Sue Hetherington:

Starling by Harry Appleyard, 20 April 2016

I was interested to read Julie’s article about the nesting territories under dispute by starlings and swifts. I can’t offer any advice about the eaves of the house. However, Andrew and I have had similar worries about the possibilities of uninvited guests grabbing boxes intended for swifts.

Before our box was used, we found evidence that it had been used for roosting by some bird over the winter and realised a problem could arise. What we then did as autumn turned to winter, we cleaned the box out (which we no longer do, it’s not necessary) and we blocked the entry hole with a bathroom (or car washing) sponge.

We reckoned our swifts came back like clockwork on 3rd – 5th May so about half way through April, we removed the sponge. We always meant to attach a bit of cord to the sponge so it could be pulled out with having to start going up ladders, but of course we always forgot. It always appeared to us that the starlings wanted an earlier slot than the swifts so our sponge method always seemed to work.

I have heard of swifts having savage territorial disputes amongst themselves but hadn’t realised that a swift/startling fight could be so vicious. This competition for nesting sites sounds like yet another problem swifts are struggling against.

Sue Hetherington

The baby otter was rescued from a garden after getting lost in bad weather.

Click on the link for more information: RSPCA officer otter-ly surprised | Discover Wildlife

Silver-washed Fritillary by Harry Appleyard, North Bucks Way 21 July 2016

Local blogger, Ashley Beolens describes what he considers to be the top 5 butterfly sites in Milton Keynes – Source: 5 Best Butterfly Sites in Milton Keynes – Views From An Urban Lake

Water Vole ©Peter Hassett, WWT Arundel 19 July 2011

The UK’s longest running water vole recovery project, led by the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust, is reporting a significant and steady increase in water vole activity over the last 10 years.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Water voles thriving in Oxfordshire and Berkshire and given a helping hand in Buckinghamshire | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

Greater Spotted Woodpecker by Peter Hassett, College Lakes 18 June 2017

Animals—including conservation biologists—use acoustic signals to recognise and track individuals. The majority of research on this phenomenon has focused on sounds generated by vocal organs (e.g., larynx or syrinx). However, animals also produce sounds using other parts of the body, such as the wings, tail, legs, or bill. In this study we focused on non-syrinx vocalisation of the great spotted woodpecker, called drumming. Drumming consists of strokes of a bill on a tree in short, repeated series, and is performed by both males and females to attract mates and deter rivals. Here, we considered whether the great spotted woodpecker’s drumming patterns are sex-specific and whether they enable individual identification. We recorded drumming of 41 great spotted woodpeckers (26 males, 9 females, 6 unsexed). An automatic method was used to measure the intervals between succeeding strokes and to count strokes within a drumming roll. The temporal parameters of drumming that were analysed here had lower within- than between-individual coefficients of variation. Discriminant function analyses correctly assigned 70–88% of rolls to the originating individual, but this depended on whether all individuals were analysed together or split into males and females. We found slight, but significant, differences between males and females in the length of intervals between strokes—males drummed faster than females—but no difference in the number of strokes within a roll. Our study revealed that temporal patterns of drumming in the great spotted woodpecker cannot be used for unambiguous sex determination. Instead, discrimination among individuals may be possible based on the intervals between strokes and the number of strokes within a roll. Therefore, it is possible that differences in the temporal parameters of drumming may be used by birds to identify each other, as well as by researchers to aid in census and monitoring tasks.

Source: Vocal individuality in drumming in great spotted woodpecker—A biological perspective and implications for conservation

Weather wise 2017 proved to be a mixed bag and started with a nice spring which caused many butterflies to emerge early, in fact some of the spring butterfly species emerged two weeks earlier than they had the year before. Unfortunately despite the year being one of the warmest on record the weather took a serious turn for the worst during late June when high winds hit the county and then unsettled conditions dominated as the storms battering the USA made their way across the Atlantic to us.

Click here to read the rest of the article: David James Wildlife Diary: The Butterflies of Northamptonshire in 2017

A rare lacewing, Sympherobius klapaleki Zeleny (Neuroptera: Hemerobiidae) has been found in Milton Keynes by the well known entomologist Mark G. Telfer who has kindly provided this article.

Sympherobius klapaleki is a brown lacewing in which the basal two segments of the antenna are yellow-brown, strongly contrasting with the remaining segments which are all blackish. The first British specimen was reared from a pupa found on dead oak twigs at Silwood Park, Berkshire, in April 1994 (Whittington, 1998). Three further British records are known to the author, from South Essex, Nottinghamshire and Hertfordshire (Colin Plant and David Gibbs, pers. comms) (Table 1). David Gibbs’ Nottinghamshire record was of a female swept from tree foliage in an area of coniferised woodland.

Table 1: Previous British records of Sympherobius klapaleki in chronological order.

Figure 1: Aerial bottle trap outside a branch socket on the veteran oak at Kingsmead Spinney.

Two females of S. klapaleki were captured by an aerial bottle trap during 11 May to 2 June 2017 in Kingsmead Spinney, Milton Keynes (SP82433381; VC 24). The trap was suspended outside a decaying branch socket on the trunk of a hollow veteran oak Quercus on the southern boundary of the spinney (Figures 1, 2). Flight interception trapping in such a position is intended to capture saproxylic insects (especially beetles) which are either emerging from within the trunk, or are attracted towards access holes into tree trunks. This record of S. klapaleki is suggestive evidence for breeding in oaks but not conclusive; though the two females may have been flying out of or heading into the hollow trunk, it is also possible that they were captured incidentally.

Figure 2: The veteran oak on the southern boundary of Kingsmead Spinney.

The Kingsmead Spinney record appears to be the fifth British record and the first record for Buckinghamshire (VC 24), though the records to date are suggestive of a widespread and rather under-recorded species.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Martin Kincaid of The Parks Trust, Milton Keynes, for arranging the survey, and David Gibbs and Colin Plant for sharing records and information.

Reference

Whittington, A.E. (1998). Sympherobius klapaleki Zeleny (Neur.: Hemerobiidae) new to Britain. Entomologist’s record and journal of variation, 110, 288 – 289.

The Daily Telegraph travel section has published an article “Inside Britain’s magnificent Tree Cathedral – and five more arboreal structures” featuring the Tree Cathedral at Willen

Click here to read the article: Inside Britain’s magnificent Tree Cathedral – and five more arboreal structures

A sound installation including wildlife sounds, called ‘City of Things’, has been installed in the arcades of The Shopping Building in Central Milton Keynes (thecentre:mk).

 Local sound artist Caroline Devine has completed a commission to celebrate MK’s 50^th year by recording sounds across Milton Keynes. These include recordings she made with a MK Natural History Society member: they listened and recorded the dawn chorus in Linford Wood from 4.15am on a May morning. She also recorded Swift calls at their Heelands colony and bat sounds at Woughton-on-the-Green. Caroline also took part in a course on bird song led by MKNHS member Martin Kincaid and Peter Garner who is chair of Bucks Bird Club.

 The sound installation includes local choirs, Bletchley Park, poetry, grid-roads and other Milton Keynes sounds, as well as wildlife. All of these are part of ‘City of Things’ which you can hear until 5^th November in Midsummer Arcade alongside John Lewis. You can find out more on Caroline’s website: www.cityofthings.co.uk .

 Caroline Devine was Leverhulme Artist in Residence at the School of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Birmingham and completed another commission, ‘Resonant Spaces’ in Philadelphia earlier in 2017. Her works have been featured on BBC 4 and BBC 3 and at various galleries.

Article written by Mike LeRoy

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

Scarce Chaser Dragonfly by Martin Kincaid, Linford Lakes NR 27 July 2017

On Thursday 27^th July, Martin Kincaid spotted a dragonfly at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve which turned out to be a Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva. This species, once restricted to East Anglia, has undergone a period of range expansion in recent years and has been found across Northants. This however is the first record for this species in Milton Keynes. Similar to the more common Black Tailed Skimmer, this species can be told apart by the blue tinted eyes and slightly thicker abdomen.

Picture and text by Martin Kincaid

Long Tailed Tit by Peter Hassett, College Lake 18 June 2017

Julie Lane has provided details of a local Long-tailed tit retrap record.

I have just had news from my friend Del Gruar that a female long-tailed tit that he ringed at Potton, Cambridgeshire last April was retrapped by Kenny Cramer at the Wildlife Day at Howe Park Wood on 1st July this year. A real coincidence as Del was the ringer at our first Howe Park Day in 2016. What goes around comes around!!

These are the details supplied by the British Trust for Ornithology:

Here are the details of a recovery of one of your birds.
Species: Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) Scheme: GBT Ring no: HRX352

Ringing details
Age: 4 Sex: F Sex meth: B P.ringed: 0 P.alive: 0 Condition: U
Colour marks added: – Metal marks added: N Act1: U Act2: U
Ringing date: 16-Apr-2016 14:20:00
Reg code: – Place code: POTTON Site name: Potton, near Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK
County code: GBBED Grid ref: TL2248 Accuracy 0 Co-ords: 52deg 6min N 0deg -13min W Accuracy 0
Hab1: F2 Hab2: —
Biometrics: Wing: 60.0 mm. Weight: 9.5 g. Time: 14:20:00hrs
Remarks: –
Ringer: D J Gruar, 4538
________________________________________
Finding details
Ring not Verified Age: 4 Sex: F Sex meth: B
Colour marks added: – Metal marks added: – Act1: U Act2: U
Finding date: 01-Jul-2017 (0) 15:10:00
Reg code: – Place code: HWPKWD Site name: Howe Park Wood, Milton Keynes, UK
County code: GBMKE Grid ref: SP8334 Accuracy 0 Co-ords: 51deg 59min N 0deg -47min W Accuracy 0
Hab1: A1 Hab2: —
Biometrics: Wing: 61.0 mm. Weight: 8.3 g. Time: 15:10:00hrs
Finding condition: 8:20 Movement: 9
Subsequent Capture by Ringer Intentionally Taken
Remarks: –
Duration: 441 days Distance: 41 km Direction: 252deg (WSW)
Finder: Northants Ringing Group, 9187

Female Peregrine in the MK Stadium

The Buckinghamshire Bird Club have published a very interesting article on the Peregrine Falcons at Stadium MK.

Click here to read the article.

False Click Beetle Eucnemis capucina by Udo Schmidt (CC BY-SA 2.0)

This year, Mark Telfer, one of the UK’s leading coleopterists, has been surveying Howe Park, Kingsmead and Shenley Woods on behalf of The Parks Trust. Mark has been looking for invertebrates associated with dead and decaying wood. A similar survey, focusing on beetles, was carried out by Colin Plant in 1996 so this is the first survey of its kind in MK for twenty years.

Although the survey is ongoing, Mark says that he is “staggered” by the diversity of saproxylic beetles he has found, and in particular a number of Red Data Book and nationally rare species. One of the most impressive of these if the false click beetle Eucnemis capucina (pictured) which he found in Kingsmead Wood. This incredibly rare beetle is considered a flagship species of ancient woodland. It is known only from the New Forest, Windsor Great Park and Bredon Hill in Worcestershire, so its discovery in Milton Keynes is little short of miraculous.

Atomaria pulchra by Mark Teller

In Shenley Wood, Mark has discovered several beetles new to him – itself very unusual. One of these is a tiny beetle called Atomaria pulchra . Mark shared this information with fellow coleopterist Tony Allen who has the largest beetle list in the UK. Tony has since made two visits to Shenley Wood from Dorset, as he had never before recorded this species. Tony Allen not only saw A.pulchra but also found another Atomaria beetle which may be new to the UK! This specimen has been taken to the Natural History Museum in London to be identified later this summer.

Parks Trust Biodiversity Officer Martin Kincaid said, “The early findings of this survey far exceed our expectations and it’s exciting that Mark has already found so many rare and scarce species. This really highlights the importance of standing dead wood as a habitat and shows that even where there is relatively little dead wood, important populations of invertebrates can survive. The creation of more standing dead wood in our woodlands will help these and other species to expand”.

The full results of this survey will be available in late 2017 and we will provide a further update then.

Author: Martin Kincaid

Entomologists have been assessing diversity and abundance across western Germany and have found that between 1989 and 2013 the biomass of invertebrates caught had fallen by nearly 80%

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Where have all the insects gone? | Hugh Warwick | Opinion | The Guardian

Save Our Magnificent Meadows is the UK’s largest partnership project transforming the fortunes of vanishing wildflower meadows, grasslands and wildlife.

They have produced some useful guides:

• Surveying and monitoring grassland habitats
• Surveying and monitoring grassland species

Click on the link to view the guides: Magnificent Meadows

Picture of the first egg laid in 2017

You can find out more about the Aylesbury Peregrine Project and watch all the activity on the nest by using this link to their Web Cams.

Butterfly Conservation have produced a collection of species factsheets and habitat downloads can be used to provide an overview on species ecology, assist with species identification and advise on best practice management for specific species and habitats.

Click on the link for more information: Butterfly Conservation – Butterfly Factsheets

Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina) by Peter Hassett, Old Warden Tunnel NR, 21 September 2016

The British Heteroptera checklist has been revised.

View the checklist here: Checklist of UK Heteroptera

iRecord Butterflies is a free app that will guide you through the identification of any butterfly that you see in the UK and allow you to add your sighting to millions of other valuable records that inform the work of Butterfly Conservation.

Click here for more information: Butterfly Conservation – iRecord Butterflies

BloomsForBees has produced a video detailing how to identify the seven most common bumblebees in the UK.

Click on the play button to watch the video

Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group

The Buckinghamshire Invertebrate Group have made a number of useful resources available on their website:

Checklists:
Ants, bees and wasps in Buckinghamshire
Caddisflies in Buckinghamshire
Craneflies in Buckinghamshire
Ground beetles in Buckinghamshire

Bulletins covering 1989-2016

Click on this link for more information.

The beginning of the year seems an appropriate time to give an update on the progress of the initial phase of the NBN Atlas and provide broad timescales for some aspects of the work.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: NBN Atlas development update – National Biodiversity Network

INSECTS

Herald moth by Martin Kincaid, Manor Farm cellar

Buff tailed bumblebee queen feeding at Mahonia in garden, Oldbrook (17th)
Small tortoiseshell and peacock butterflies and Herald moths hibernating in cellar, Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (18th)

MAMMALS

Otter at North Willen Lake (16-17 – Mark Strutton)

BIRDS

Great White Egret – one at Floodplain Forest (18th)
Bittern – one roosting high up in willow tree at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (18th) Also Barn Owl and 3 Red Crested Pochard present.
Goosander – various numbers at Emberton Country Park, Tongwell Lake, South Willen, Stony Stratford Nature Reserve and Floodplain Forest.
Woodcock – one flushed in Linford Wood (16th)

(All sightings not otherwise attributed by Martin Kincaid)

MAMMALS

Pygmy Shrew recorded by Linford Lakes Mammal Group on 11^th – plus field sign of 10 other species including badger, mink, otter and Muntjac deer.

Noctule bat over Tattenhoe – 8^th (Harry Appleyard)

BIRDS

Female Scaup and Woodcock at Linford Lakes N.R. (11^th)

Red Kite over Shenley Church End – 11th (Peter Hassett)

Red Crested Pochard – pair still at South Willen Lake (9^th)

3 Stonechats on fence posts – Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (7^th)

FUNGI

Oyster mushrooms Pleurotus spp. on willow stump at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (7^th)

Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain Fungus) – plentiful at Linford Lakes NR (11^th)

(All sightings not otherwise attributed by Martin Kincaid)

MAMMALS

• Pygmy Shrew recorded by Linford Lakes Mammal Group on 11 December 2016 – plus field sign of 10 other species including badger, mink, otter and Muntjac deer.
• Noctule bat over Tattenhoe – 8 December 2016 (Harry Appleyard)
• Otter at Willen Lake North – 12 December 2016 (Mark Strutton)

BIRDS

• Female Scaup and Woodcock at Linford Lakes N.R. 11 December 2016
• Red Crested Pochard – pair still at South Willen Lake 9 December 2016
• Red Kite – Shenley Church End 11 December 2016 (Peter Hassett)
• 3 Stonechats on fence posts – Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve 7 December 2016

FUNGI

• Oyster mushrooms Pleurotus spp. on willow stump at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve 7 December 2016
• Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain Fungus) – plentiful at Linford Lakes NR 11 December 2016

(All sightings by Martin Kincaid unless otherwise stated)

In a recent talk to the Society “Nest-boxes – the case against!”, Martin Kincaid mentioned the longest running bird survey conducted by Oxford University at Wytham Woods. Read on if you would like to learn more about the project:

The Wytham Tit Project is a long-term population study of two woodland bird species – great tits (Parus major) and blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) – based at Wytham Woods near Oxford, UK, and is run by the Edward Grey Institute in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. Although the majority of the work focusses on great and blue tits, there are smaller populations of coal tits (Periparus ater) and marsh tits (Poecile palustris) which are of particular interest for their role in interspecific flocking and information spread. Sadly, as with much of the UK, the willow tit (Poecile montana) no longer breeds in Wytham.

Click on the link for more information
: Wytham Tits

Dr Daniel Cox. a Research Fellow at the Environment and Sustainability Institute of the University of Exeter, has produces a scientific paper entitled “Movement of feeder-using songbirds – the influence of urban features”

The research for the paper  was carried out in Great Linford with the assistance of Martin Kincaid and Parks Trust volunteers.

Click on this link to download the report (pdf).

BIRDS

Chiffchaff calling at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (27th)
Small group of Siskins near St.Giles Church, Tattenhoe (28th)

MAMMALS

Muntjac buck and doe in Howe Park Wood (28th)

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Comma butterfly basking by Howe Park Wood (25th)
Red Admiral basking in Tattenhoe Linear Park (28th)

(All sightings by Harry Appleyard)

BIRDS

2 Scaup, 1 Great White Egret and 1 Woodcock – Linford Lakes N.R. (20^th)
Red Crested Pochard – pair still present at South Willen (19^th)
15 Common Snipe outside bird hide – North Willen (19^th)
7 Goosander reported from Emberton Country Park (Bucks Bird Club – 17^th)
1 Goosander at Caldecotte Lake (18^th)
Red Kites circling over Tattenhoe, Emerson Valley and West Bletchley (HA)
Common Snipe, Tattenhoe Park (20th) (HA)

MAMMALS 

Daubenton’s bats still present at Pineham roost (18^th)
Brown Long-eared Bats roosting at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (18^th)
Dog Otter seen from near hide at Linford Lakes N.R. (Keith Gander – 20^th)
Fox & Scat of Mink LLNR (20th) (Peter Hassett)

LISSAMPHIBIA

20+ Great Crested Newts and 6 Smooth Newts found hibernating at Elfield Park (17^th)

INSECTS

Odonata
Female Common Darter near St.Giles Church, Tattenhoe (16th) (HA)

FUNGI

Purple Jelly Disc  Ascocoryne scarcoides found on dead wood in Howe Park Wood (18^th Nov, )

(All sightings by Martin Kincaid except as otherwiuse noted. HA = Harry Appleyard)

BIRDS

11 Lapwings over Tattenhoe Park (11th)
3 Ravens over Tattenhoe Park (13th)

Ravens Corvus corax by Harry Appleyard Tattenhoe Park 13th November 2016

 
Blackbird singing near Howe Park Wood (13th)
Tawny Owl hooting in Howe Park Wood (14th)
3 Dunlin, 2 Redshank, 5 Common Snipe and 1 Water Rail at North Willen Lake (11^th – MK)
2 juvenile VELVET SCOTERS still present at South Willen Lake (13^th) and Common Scoter female on 12^th.
2 Stonechat at Floodplain Forest NR (12^th – MK)
1 Ring-necked Parakeet over Walton Lake (11^th – MK)

MAMMALS

Brown Hares, Chinese Water Deer and 1 Muntjac at Magna Park (13^th – MK/Harry Appleyard)
Weasel at Linford Lakes NR (10^th – MK)
Roe Deer at Elfield Park (9^th – MK)

LISSAMPHIBIA

Common Toad, Tattenhoe Park (14th)

INSECTS

Odonata

Common Darters active around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park (11th and 13th)

Lepidoptera

Red Admiral basking in Kingsmead Wood (11th)

Hemiptera Heteroptera Pentatomidae 

1 Common Green Shield Bug Palomena prasina and 1 Spiked Shield Bug  Picromerus bidens , Tattenhoe (11th)

Common Green Shield Bug Palomena prasina by Harry Appleyard Tattenhoe 11th November 2016

(MK= Martin Kincaid, all other sightings by Harry Appleyard)

Velvet Scoter by Jim Rose, Willen Lake 7 November 2016

Two ducks more at home on the high seas have dropped in to South Willen Lake for the past few days.

The two juvenile Velvet Scoters, a rare species of sea duck, have been wowing birders since they were discovered on the morning of 7^th November 2016 by former MKNHS member Paul Moon. This is the third time this species has been found at Willen down the years and only the tenth time ever for Buckinghamshire although, amazingly, a third scoter turned up at Dorney Lake, South Bucks on 8^th November 2016.

Scoters are dark, almost jet black in colour but the Velvet Scoter has an attractive white patch around its eye and also a white wing patch, which is very evident when it flies or preens on the water. They are diving ducks, feeding on mussels, snails and other freshwater molluscs and invertebrates. The species does not breed in the UK, being native to Russia and north-east Europe, but each winter up to 30,000 winter around the east and south coasts of Britain. Few ever stray so far inland however.

The two birds, both  thought to be young males (although the jury is still out), are frequenting the southern end of Willen Lake and can be seen from in front of the Lakeside Hotel and LA Fitness gym. They are generally to be found some way out from shore between the orange buoys and solar panels. Scan the flock of coots with binoculars and you should be able to pick out these unusual and very smart visitors.

Article kindly provided by Martin Kincaid.

You can see more photos and a video of the Velvet Scoters on Jim Rose’s blog

BIRDS

Red Kites over Bletchley and the North Bucks Way
Marsh Tit, Howe Park Wood (8th)
Grey Heron eating common frog, Howe Park Wood (7th)
3 Pintail (2 m, 2 f) and  male Red Crested Pochard at North Willen Lake (6th). Also, Short-eared Owl reported from here by several people. (MK)
2 Common Snipe, 2 Green Sandpiper, 2 Red Kite and Sparrow-hawk at Floodplain Forest (7th)  (MK)
2 VELVET SCOTERS on Willen South Lake, in front of the Lakeside Hotel (7th November).(MK)

MAMMALS

Bank Vole, Howe Park Wood (7th)

INSECTS

Speckled Wood butterfly, Tattenhoe (3rd)
Male Common Darter, Tattenhoe (3rd)

(MK= Martin Kincaid, all other sightings by Harry Appleyard)

BIRDS

Large groups of Fieldfares and Redwings around Tattenhoe
Large groups of Lesser Redpolls and Siskins over Rushmere Country Park (29th)
Jack Snipe reported from North Willen Lake (29^th)
Female Scaup at Floodplain Forest (27^th)
2 Bramblings among chaffinch flock at Bow Brickhill (29^th – MK)
Pintail – drake at Stony Stratford Reserve (31^st – MK)
Little grebe, kingfisher and Cetti’s warbler at Emberton Park last Monday 24th October  (Julie Lane)

MAMMALS

Harvest Mouse brought in dead by cat in Stony Stratford recently. Now at taxidermist!
Otter seen at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (25^th – MK)
Noctule Bat seen at 4pm over Howe Park Wood (31^st – Harry Appleyard)

LEPIDOSAURIA

Baby grass snake at Rushmere country park last Sunday 25th October (Julie Lane)

INSECTS

Hymenoptera
Buff-tailed and White-tailed bumblebee queens at LLNR (31^st – MK)

Lepidoptera
Brimstone butterfly – female flying at LLNR (31^st – MK)

Odonata
Male Southern Hawker, Rushmere Country Park (29th)
Common Darter dragonflies mating at Stony Stratford Reserve (30^th – MK)

FUNGI

Funeral Bell Galerina marginata, Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans and Clitocybe geotropa among species found at Linford Wood (30^th – Bucks Fungus Group – see separate News Item)
Common Parasol mushrooms Macrolepiota procera at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (31^st – MK)

(MK = Martin Kincaid, all other sightings by Harry appleyard unless indicated otherwise)

BIRDS

Short-eared Owl, Tattenhoe (19th)
Redwings and Fieldfares passing through Tattenhoe
Red Kites circling over Tattenhoe
Female Stonechat, Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (24th)

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Red Admirals, Tattenhoe

Odonata

Female Migrant Hawker, Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (24th)

(All sightings by Harry Appleyard)

MAMMALS

1 Common Pipistrelle (male) found using bat box, Linford Lakes N.R. (17^th)

Pipistrelle Bat Linford Lakes NR 17th October 2016 Martin Kincaid

3 Bank Voles in woodpile outside Woodland Hide (17^th)

1 Muntjac deer seen from Woodland Hide (17^th)

BIRDS

Little Owls calling at Floodplain Forest (13^th) Also several Common Snipe

Great White Egret and 4 Stonechats reported from Linford Lakes (14^th)

Peregrine pair seen at Stadium:MK (13^th)

Small groups of Redwings, Tattenhoe

Lesser Redpolls and Siskins passing over Tattenhoe Park

Red Kites circling regularly over Tattenhoe
INSECTS
Lepidoptera

Red Admirals around Howe Park Wood
1 Small Copper, 1 Small White and 1 Comma in Tattenhoe Park (14th)

Small White Tattenhoe Park Harry Appleyard 14th October 2016

Odonata

Male Southern Hawker, Tattenhoe Park (14th)

Large numbers of Common Darters still present around Tattenhoe
At least 2 Willow Emerald Damselflies in Tattenhoe Valley Park (14th)

Willow Emerald Damselfly egg galls Tattenhoe 17th October 2016 Harry Appleyard

All sightings by Martin Kincaid and Harry Appleyard

BIRDS

Red Kites over Newton Longville, West Bletchley and Tattenhoe

Small groups of Redwings moving through Tattenhoe

Redwing Tattenhoe Harry Appleyard 7th October 2016

First Winter Continental Blackbirds, Tattenhoe linear park

Mistle Thrush feeding on common yew, St.Giles Churchyard, Tattenhoe (10th)

Lesser Redpolls calling in flight above Tattenhoe Park (10th)

Common Snipe, Tattenhoe Park

LEPIDOSAURIA 

1 Adder and 8 Common Lizards at Rammamere Heath (9^th – MK/Di Parsons/Carol Watts)

LISSAMPHIBIA

Common Toads in Tattenhoe Park

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Brimstone butterfly, Tattenhoe Park (4th)

Large White, Tattenhoe Park (9th)

Speckled Woods and Red Admirals, Tattenhoe

Convuvulous Hawk Moth at garden trap – Newport Pagnell (4^th – Gordon Redford)

Orthoptera

Oak Bush Crickets coming to lights at Campbell Park Pavilion (7^th – MK)

Odonata

Female Southern Hawker, Howe Park Wood (8th)

Large numbers of Migrant Hawkers and Common Darters around Tattenhoe

Male Migrant Hawker Tattenhoe Park Harry Appleyard 9th Oct 2016

CRUSTACEA

Large Signal Crayfish in ponds at Howe Park Wood (7^th – MK)

FUNGI

Common Deceiver, Amethyst Deceiver, Common Earth-ball, Brown Roll Rim, Jelly Ear, Shaggy Parasol found on Parks Trust foray – Hazeley Wood (8^th Oct) MK

Fly Agaric, Amethyst Deceiver, Russula spp., Brown Birch Bolete – Rammamere Heath (9^th)  MK

All sightings not attributed to anyone else by Harry Appleyard, MK = Martin Kincaid

Male Willow Emerald Damselfly Tattenhoe Park Harry Appleyard 1st October

Female Willow Emerald Damselfly Tattenhoe Park Harry Appleyard 1st October 2016

Lepidoptera

Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Small Tortoisheshell butterflies still on the wing. (MK)

Holly Blues flying at Woughton-on-the-Green (2^nd) (MK)

Small Coppers and Comma at Rammamere Heath (2^nd) (MK)

Red Admirals, Speckled Woods and Commas around Tattenhoe (HA)

Small White by Howe Park Wood (2nd) (HA)

Orthoptera

Dark and Roesel’s Bush-crickets still at Pineham (29^th Sep) (MK)

BIRDS

Red Kite over Mill Lane, Stony Stratford (1^st) (MK)

Common and Green Sandpipers at Floodplain Forest.  (MK)

Chiffchaffs singing at Linford Lakes & Stony Stratford Nature Reserves (30^th Sep) (MK)

Redwings and Siskins passing over Tattenhoe (2nd and 3rd) (HA)

Small groups of Skylarks over Tattenhoe Park (HA)

Tawny Owls calling and hooting in Water Spinney and Tattenhoe Park (HA)

Red Kite circling over Tattenhoe Park (3rd) (HA)

LEPIDOSAURIA

Grass Snakes at Walton Lake (30^th Sep) (MK)

2 Adders and several Common Lizards at Rammamere Heath (2^nd) (MK)

FUNGI

Good variety of fungi at Rushmere Country Park/Rammamere Heath on 2^nd October including Fly Agaric, Common Earth-ball, Brown Birch Bolete, Amethyst Deceiver, Chicken-of-the-Woods. (MK)

(Recorders – HA=Harry Appleyard, MK=Martin Kincaid)

Click on any of the pictures for a larger image.

BIRDS

Meadow Pipits, Tattenhoe Park

Red Kites circling over Tattenhoe Park

2 Spotted Flycatchers, St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe (20th)

Peregrine gliding toward West Bletchley over Tattenhoe (25th)

Peregrine Tattenhoe Linear Park 25th Sept 2016 (Harry Appleyard)

LISSAMPHIBIA

Common Toads in Tattenhoe Park

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Red Admirals and Commas feeding on blackberries around Tattenhoe

Small Copper feeding on ragwort, Tattenhoe Park (20th)

Comma by Harry Appleyard, Howe Park Wood 20th Sept ember 2016

Odonata

Common Darters and Migrant Hawkers in large numbers around Tattenhoe

1 Male Emerald Damselfly (21st)

Female Emperor Dragonfly, Tattenhoe Park (21st)

Female Emperor by Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe Park 21st September 2016

All sightings by Harry Appleyard

Adam Henson by Julie Lane at the Floodplain Forest NR opening opening ceremony on 25 August 2016

Country file presenter Adam Henson speaking at the opening ceremony of the Floodplain Forest Nature reserve on 25th August 2016.

The reserve is now open with good accessible paths and several hides. It is already attracting a good selection of wildlife especially birds for example large flocks of goldfinches can be seen feeding on the seed heads, a great white egret, small numbers of snipe and little owl and barn owl are also present.

Article supplied by Julie Lane

BIRDS

Grey Wagtails, Tattenhoe Linear Park

Small groups of Meadow Pipits in Tattenhoe Park

Tawny Owls calling regularly in Howe Park Wood at dusk

Hobby catching dragonflies over Tattenhoe Park (14^th)

Greenshank, Floodplain Forest NR aka Manor Farm, Sunday 18^th – Peter Hassett

Great White Egret, Floodplain Forest NR aka Manor Farm, Sunday 18^th – Peter Hassett

Great White Egret and Little Egret by Harry Appleyard, Floodplain Forest NR 23 August 2016

Snipe x 5, Floodplain Forest NR aka Manor Farm, Sunday 18^th – Peter Hassett

INSECTS

Lepidoptera
Small Coppers, Tattenhoe Park

Small Copper, Tattenhoe Park (18th Sept 2016) by Harry Appleyard

Clouded Yellow Butterfly, St.Giles Church orchard, Tattenhoe (13th)

Large numbers of Commas and Red Admirals around Tattenhoe Linear Park

Odonata

2 Female Emperor Dragonflies ovipositing in Tattenhoe Park (18th Sept)

Teneral Common Darter, Tattenhoe Park (15th)

Teneral Common Darter, Tattenhoe Park (15th Sept 2016)

Emerald, Common Blue and Blue-tailed Damselflies in Tattenhoe Park

All sightings/photos by Harry Appleyard unless otherwise stated

BIRDS

Tawny Owls calling and hunting near footpaths at dusk in Howe Park Wood
Marsh Tit in Howe Park Wood (1st Sept)

Marsh Tit, Howe Park Wood (1st September 2016)

 
Hobby over Tattenhoe Park (2nd Sept)
Pair of Yellow Wagtails flying over Tattenhoe Park
1 Swift over Tattenhoe Linear Park (4th September)
3 snipe (Floodplain Forest NR – 31^st, Julie Lane)
Flock of at least thirty goldfinches (Floodplain Forest NR – 31^st, Julie Lane)

LEPIDOSAURIA
Young Grass Snake, Tattenhoe (1st Sept)

Grass Snake, Tattenhoe (1st September 2016)

LISSAMPHIBIA
Common Frogs and Common Newts around Howe Park Wood

INSECTS

Lepidoptera
Brimstone, Tattenhoe Park (1st Sept)

Brimstone, Tattenhoe Park (1st September 2016)

Small Whites, Small Tortoiseshells and Speckled Woods in large numbers around Tattenhoe Park
Painted Lady, Tattenhoe Linear Park (3rd Sept)

Odonata
Emperor dragonflies, Tattenhoe Park
Emerald and Common Blue damselflies in Tattenhoe Park
Migrant, Southern and Brown Hawkers present around most ponds in Tattenhoe

Mature Male Southern Hawker, Howe Park Wood (1st September 2016)

BIRDS
Spotted Flycatcher, St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe (8th)

Spotted Flycatcher, St.Giles Church meadow, Tattenhoe (8th August)

 
Willow Warbler singing in Tattenhoe Park (8th)
Red Kites around Tattenhoe

INSECTS
Lepidoptera
Small Copper, Brown Argus and Brimstones by Howe Park Wood (5th)
Silver-washed Fritillaries feeding on brambles by the North Bucks Way (5th)
Female Silver Washed Fritillary var Valezina seen in Shenley Wood (5th) – Possibly the first time this colour variant has been seen in Shenley Wood
White Letter Hairstreaks still on wing at Blue Lagoon (6th) and Oakhill Wood (7th)
Second generation of Holly Blue butterflies strong throughout Milton Keynes.
Red Admirals in and around Tattenhoe
Painted Ladies around Tattenhoe Park and Kingsmead Wood

Painted Lady, Tattenhoe Park (9th August)

 
Orthoptera
Male and female Speckled Bush Crickets around lights at Campbell Park Pavilion (8th)
Odonata
Large numbers of Migrant and Southern Hawkers around Howe Park Wood
Male Black-tailed Skimmer and Emerald Damselflies in Tattenhoe Park (9th)

Mature Male Emerald Damselfly, Tattenhoe Park (7th August)-1

 
Huge numbers of Common and Ruddy Darters at Blue Lagoon (6th)

FLOWERS
Goat’s-rue still in flower in fields outside Shenley Wood (4th)
Great Burnet in flower along North Bucks Way (4th)
Broad-Leaved Helleborine in flower in Linford Wood and Parsons Spinney, Great Linford (5th)

All photos by Harry Appleyard, all sightings by Harry Appleyard and Martin Kincaid

BIRDS
Pair of Ravens circling above Whaddon (23rd)

Ravens over Whaddon (23rd July)

Red Kites over Tattenhoe and Bletchley
House Sparrows with young, Tattenhoe

INSECTS
Lepidoptera
Silver-washed Fritillaries around the North Bucks Way
Small Copper in Tattenhoe Park (23rd)

Small Copper, Tattenhoe Park (23rd July)

Red Admirals around Tattenhoe and the North Bucks Way
Essex and Small Skippers in Tattenhoe Park

Odonata
2 immature male Migrant Hawkers in Tattenhoe (25th)
Southern Hawkers in Howe Park Wood and Kingsmead Wood

Mature male Southern Hawker, Kingsmead Wood (25th July)

Black-tailed Skimmers in Tattenhoe Park

All sightings and pics from Harry Appleyard

BIRDS
Green Woodpeckers with young, Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Linear Park
Tawny Owlet calling near Milton Keynes boundary walk (9th)
Little Grebes in Tattenhoe Park
Nuthatch in Kingsmead Wood (18th)
Marsh Tits by the North Bucks Way
Red Kites over Tattenhoe Park
Pair of Red-legged Partridge in Whaddon (18th)

MAMMALS
Noctule bats “squeaking” from roosting tree in Kingsmead Wood (18th)

INSECTS
Lepidoptera
At least 4 Purple Emperors over the North Bucks Way (16th)

Purple Emperors over North Bucks Way (16th July)

Silver-washed Fritillaries and White Admirals around the North Bucks Way and Howe Park Wood

Silver-Washed Fritillary, North Bucks Way (13th July)

Gatekeepers in and around Tattenhoe
Summer brood Holly Blue in Emerson Valley (17th)
Scarlet Tiger Moth by Howe Park Wood (16th)
Large, Small and Essex Skippers in Tattenhoe Park
Summer brood Commas in and around Tattenhoe
White Admirals and Silver-Washed Fritillarys around the North Bucks Way
Green-Veined Whites around Howe Park Wood

Odonata
Southern Hawkers and Brown Hawkers around the North Bucks Way and Howe Park Wood

Ruddy Darter, Tattenhoe Park (13th July)

Male Beautiful Demoiselle by the North Bucks Way

Male Beautiful Demoiselle, North Bucks Way (17th July)

Southern Hawkers around the North Bucks Way and Howe Park Wood
Broad-Bodied and Four-Spotted Chasers still present around many Tattenhoe ponds
Male Black-Tailed Skimmer, Tattenhoe Park (13th)

All sightings and pics by Harry Appleyard

BIRDS
2 Kingfisher, 3 Cetti’s Warbler and 1 juvenile Redstart among birds ringed at Linford Lakes (9th)
2 Green Sandpiper and 1 Little Owl at Manor Farm (12th)
1 Hobby – South Willen Lake (10th)

LEPIDOSAURIA
Grass Snake in garden pond, Woburn Sands (Viola Reed)
Slow Worms at Elfield Nature Park (7th)

INSECTS
Lepidoptera
White Admiral butterflies at Shenley Wood (7th) and Howe Park Wood (8th)
Silver Washed Fritillary at Shenley Wood (8th)
4 White Letter Hairstreaks seen on North Bucks Way (5th)
Six-belted Clearwing moths at Howe Park Wood (8th)
Wood Whites in Little Linford Wood (Mike Killeby, 11th)

Odonata
Brown Hawker dragonflies at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve (9th)

Coleoptera
7 Glow worms found on Society Walk at Wicken Wood (5th)

FLOWERS
Goat’s-rue in fields outside Shenley Wood (8th)
Wood Vetch flowering in woodland at Campbell Park (7th)
Pyramidal Orchids in flower at Stonepit, Elfield Park, Lodge Lake and Howe Park Wood.
Broad-leaved Helleborine coming into flower at Linford Wood (10th)

Eyelash Fungus by Peter Garner. Wicken Wood, 5 July 2016

FUNGI
Eyelash Fungus Scutellinia scutellata found on Society Walk at Wicken Wood (5th)

All sightings Martin Kincaid unless otherwise stated.

BIRDS

3 Ravens over Tattenhoe Park (4th July)

Red Kites over Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

Green Woodpeckers with young, Tattenhoe Linear Park

Linnets in Tattenhoe Park

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Ringlets, Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites in large numbers around Tattenhoe

White Admirals by the North Bucks Way

4 White Letter Hairstreaks on elm by the North Bucks Way (First spotted by MK)

Summer brood Small Tortoiseshells in Tattenhoe Park

Small Tortoiseshell, Tattenhoe Park (28th June)

Odonata

Emerald Damselflies around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

Red-Eyed, Azure and Common Blue Damselflies in Tattenhoe Park

Black-Tailed Skimmers in Tattenhoe Park

Male Black-Tailed Skimmer, Tattenhoe Park (27th June)

Immature male Southern Hawker on the North Bucks Way (3rd July)

Immature Male Southern Hawker, North Bucks Way (3rd July)

All Sightings and photos by Harry Appleyard

BIRDS

Pair of Little Grebes in Tattenhoe Park

Red Kite above Howe Park Wood (19th)

Skylarks singing over Tattenhoe Park

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Large Skippers in Tattenhoe Park

Large Skipper, Tattenhoe Park (21st June)

Meadow Browns around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

Small Heath in Tattenhoe Park (19th)

Small Heath, Tattenhoe Park (19th June)

Odonata

30+ Emerald Damselflies in Tattenhoe Park (19th)

Emerald Damselfly, Tattenhoe Park (21st June)

Large Red, Azure, Blue-Tailed, Common Blue and Red-Eyed Damselflies in Tattenhoe Park

Mature male Black-Tailed Skimmer in Tattenhoe Park (20th)

Emperors and Common Darters around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

PLANTS

3 Pyramidal Orchids by Howe Park Wood

Pyramidal Orchids, Howe Park Wood (19th June)

All sightings and photos by Harry Appleyard

BIRDS

Yellowhammers singing in and around Whaddon

Yellow Wagtail, Whaddon

Skylarks singing over Tattenhoe Park

Little Owl at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve/Manor Farm (8th) and near main hide there (9^th) MK

Barn Owls hunting at Linford Lakes (11^th) MK

MAMMALS

Water Shrew found at Pineham (10^th) MK/Harry Appleyard

Otter at Hyde Lane Gravel Pits (private site – 12^th) MK

Brown Long Eared bats roosting in hide at Linford Lakes

TELEOSTEAN FISH

Bullhead (Miller’s Thumb) found in pond dipping session at Linford Lakes (8^th – James Walsh (Parks Trust))

INSECTS

Lepidoptera
Large Skipper, North Bucks Way (8th)

Female Common Blue Butterflies, Howe Park Wood (9th)

Female Common Blue, Howe Park Wood (9th June)

Small Heath, Tattenhoe Park (11th) Kingsmead Wood (9^th – MK)

Small Copper near Water Spinney, Tattenhoe (11th)

Painted ladies appearing throughout Milton Keynes.

Odonata

Broad-Bodied Chasers and Four-Spotted Chasers throughout Tattenhoe

Four-Spotted Chaser, Howe Park Wood (9th June)

Emperor Dragonflies in St.Giles Church meadow and Tattenhoe Park

Common Darters now emerging in Tattenhoe Park

Common Darter, Tattenhoe Park (9th June)

Red-Eyed Damselflies, Tattenhoe Park

Immature female White-Legged Damselfly near Water Spinney

Large colony of white legged damselflies found at Pineham (10^th – Harry Appleyard)

FLOWERS

Sainfoin in flower at Howe Park Wood (10^th – MK)

Wood Vetch in flower at Campbell Park (9^th – MK)

MK = Martin Kincaid., All other sightings and photographs by Harry Appleyard unless otherwise stated

BIRDS

Pair of Cuckoos still very active at Linford Lakes

Lapwing chicks at Manor Farm, Old Wolverton (31^st May)

Oystercatcher chicks at Stony Stratford Nature Reserve (2^nd)

Red Kites, Tattenhoe (HA)

Great Tits, Blue Tits and House Sparrows with young around Tattenhoe (HA)

Coots with chicks, Tattenhoe Park (HA)

MAMMALS

Noctule bat roost found at Linford Wood (2^nd)

6 Badgers – Old Wolverton (5^th)

Mink reported from North Willen (1^st)

Muntjac, Tattenhoe Park (7th June HA)

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Painted Ladies reported from New Bradwell (Tony Wood) and Howe Park Wood/Tattenhoe (Harry A) on 5^th June.

Painted Lady, Tattenhoe Park (5th June)

5 Small Blues – Stonepit Field (Julia Critchley, 5^th)

Common Blue Butterflies throughout Tattenhoe (HA)

Orange Tip Butterflies, Tattenhoe Park (HA)

Hymenoptera

Ruby Tailed Wasp Chysis ignita – Stonepit Field (3^rd)

Orthoptera

Hundreds of nymphs of Roesel’s Bush-cricket – Linford Lakes (2^nd)

Odonata (all HA)

Emperors, Broad-Bodied Chasers, Four-Spotted Chasers and Hairy Dragonflies in Tattenhoe Park

Azure, Common Blue, Blue-Tailed and Red-Eyed Damselflies, Tattenhoe Park

Immature Female White-Legged Damselfly, Tattenhoe Linear Park (6th June)

White-Legged Damselfly, Tattenhoe Linear Park (6th June)

FLOWERS

Pyramidal Orchids – Lodge Lake (3rd)

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Howe Park Wood (John and Margaret Wickham)

Greater Butterfly Orchid, Howe Park Wood (7th June)

Herb Paris, Twayblade, Greater Butterfly Orchids and Common Spotted Orchids – Linford Wood (2^nd)

Meadow Saxifrage – a fine display at Waterhall Park (3^rd)

(HA = Harry Appleyard. Sightings otherwise unattributed reported by Martin Kincaid)

Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK (ARGUK)  and Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC) have jointly produce two photo ID guides for amphibians and reptiles which are intended as a resource to support training courses or to help in responding to enquiries concerning identification.

You can download the guides by clicking on the relevant icon:

Gerrymander Speedwell by Peter Hassett, Pilch Field, 8 May 2011

On the Society’s trip to Fenny Lock on 31 May 2016, members of the Society wondered where “Germander Speedwell” (Veronica chamaedrys) got it’s name. Corinna, with some help from Google, has found the answer:

Speedwell, Germander, is the commonest British species of Speedwell, found everywhere, on banks, pastures, in copses, etc., flowering in spring and early summer.
The name Germander is a corruption of the Latin chamaedrys. Gerard commenting on the name says: ‘The Germander from the form of the leaves like unto small oak leaves, has the name chamaedrys given it, which signifieth a dwarf oak’ – though the likeness is not very pronounced.

Click here for more information.

BIRDS

Male Cuckoo singing at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (26^th)

Yellowhammers and Skylarks singing near the North Bucks Way

Peregrine over Hazeley Wood (29^th)

Peregrine over Hazeley Wood, 29th May

House Sparrows with fledglings, Tattenhoe

Little Egret, Tattenhoe Linear Park (23rd May)

Little Egret, Tattenhoe Linear Park (23rd May)

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Red Admiral, Tattenhoe Park (29^th)

Common Blue butterflies around Tattenhoe Park and Howe Park Wood

Cinnabar Moth, North Bucks Way (29th)

Female Orange Tip, Tattenhoe Park (23rd May)

Female Orange Tip, Tattenhoe Park (23rd May)

Odonata

Large Red, Azure and Blue-Tailed Damselflies throughout Tattenhoe

Broad-Bodied Chasers, Four-Spotted Chasers and Hairy Dragonflies throughout Tattenhoe

MAMMALS

Female Roe Deer near the North Bucks Way (28^th)

Muntjac Buck near the North Bucks Way (29^th)

All sightings and photographs by Harry Appleyard

As you may have heard, our swifts are struggling. It is believed that the UK population of swifts has declined by 35% since 1995. Whilst the reasons for many of our bird declines are still unclear, we can be fairly confident that the main cause in the decline in this species is the loss of nesting sites, as modern housing excludes swifts from roof spaces.

Happily, many organisations including Swift Conservation and the RSPB are working hard to address this issue and to make our urban landscape more swift friendly. There are a number of specially designed swift bricks and swift boxes that can be fitted into new buildings easily and cheaply.  Where these have been installed on a large scale they have been shown to be very successful in establishing new nesting colonies.

I recently met with Rebecca Pitman who is the RSPB’s new Swift Cities Project Officer.  Part of her remit is to develop a network of swift cities across the UK – places where all major development includes nesting opportunities for swifts (and other species). So far, Belfast and Exeter are registered as Swift Cities…wouldn’t it be great if we could add Milton Keynes to the list in time?

For now, the best way to help is to contribute to the RSPB’s database of nesting sites. Some of the older parts of Milton Keynes still support swift colonies. You can help by visiting the website at http://rspb.org.uk/swiftsurvey  and logging your sightings of nesting swifts. Just make a note of date and time of any swifts you see entering or leaving a nest and enter these details with a grid reference.  Remember that the hour before dusk is often the best time to look and listen for swifts, when they emerge from their nest sites and ‘swarm’. You can hardly miss them as they fly overhead in tight formation, screaming as they go!

If any members have a deeper interest in swifts and their conservation and might be interested in becoming involved in a local action group for the species, please let me know.

Martin Kincaid

BIRDS

Swifts, House Martins and Swallows over Tattenhoe Park

Peregrine hunting at dusk at Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (22^nd)

Pair of Goosanders over Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (22^nd)

Pair of Kestrels in Tattenhoe Park (Possibly nesting)

OTHER CHORDATES

Tadpoles and Sticklebacks, Howe Park Wood (23rd May)

INSECTS

Odonata

Broad-Bodied Chasers, Four-Spotted Chasers and Hairy Dragonflies in and around Tattenhoe

Broad-Bodied Chaser and Large Red Damselfly, Tattenhoe

Large Red and Azure Damselflies around Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park

1 Blue-Tailed Damselfly by Howe Park Wood (23^rd)

Lepidoptera

2 Dingy Skippers, 1 Brown Argus and 1 Common Blue by Howe Park Wood (22^nd)

Brown Argus, Howe Park Wood (22nd May 2016)

Holly Blues in and around Tattenhoe

Burnet Companions and 1 Clouded Border in Tattenhoe Park (22^nd)

Hymenoptera

Tree bumblebee Bombus hypnorum – nest in bird box in last year’s blue tit nest in Secretary’s garden, Blakelands. This species, which has arrived in Britain over the last 15 years, is stated in the literature to have a strong preference for hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, a large specimen of which grows outside the Secretary’s gate 10 metres from the nest.

Birdbox with Tree Bumblee nest inside (Steve Brady)

Tree bumblebee nest (Steve Brady)

(All sightings and photographs by Harry Appleyard unless otherwise stated)

Xanthogramma citrofasciatum by Peter Garner at Linford lakes NR, 17 May 2016

Peter Garner has found a female Xanthogramma citrofasciatum,  at Linford Lakes NR on 17 May 2016.

Peter commented that this rather attractive hoverfly is listed in Britain’s Hoverflies (Ball and Morris) as being ‘scarce’, with its main distribution being in the South and South West of England.  It’s the first one I’ve seen!

MAMMALS

Otter spraint  on the footings of Tyringham bridge (17^th – Julie Lane)

BIRDS

1 Cuckoo at Oakhill Wood (14^th) and 3 (2m, 1f) at Linford Lakes (15^th)

2 Black Terns at South Willen (11-12^th), 1 at Linford Lakes (11^th)

4 pairs of Common Tern and 1 Hobby at Stony Stratford Nature Reserve (17^th – MK)

Buzzard on nest at Elfield Park (13^th – MK)

Little Owl calling at Woughton (15^th – MK/HA)

Skylark singing at Stanton Low (16^th – MK)

Pair of Red Kites circling over the river at Tyringham (17^th – Julie Lane)

Huge numbers of Swallows and House Martins twittering over Emberton Park sailing lake (13^th – Julie Lane)

Blue and Great Tits nesting in the dormouse boxes in Little Linford Wood are still sitting on eggs when in a normal year they would have hatched by now (Tony Wood)

INSECTS

 Orthoptera

Roesel’s bush-cricket nymph – North Bucks Way (14^th – MK)

Slender Groundhopper – Pineham (Simon Bunker)

Lepidoptera

Small Copper butterfly – Stonepit Field (16^th – MK)

Red Admirals arriving in number now.

Common Blue, Red Eyed and Large Red Damselflies at Linford Lakes (15^th)

Painted Lady in Olney (16^th – Julie Lane)

FLOWERS

 Meadow Saxifrage in flower at Stony Stratford Reserve (17^th)

Bee Orchids close to flowering at South Willen (17^th)

Common Crow-foot flowering in ponds at Woughton on the Green (15^th)

 N.B. MK = Martin Kincaid, HA = Harry Appleyard

MAMMALS

Bank Voles in Howe Park Wood (HA)

Roe deer by the North Bucks Way (7^th May – HA)

Roe Deer – Shenley Wood (6^th)

Badger seen at Linford Lakes (5^th – MK)

BIRDS

Garden Warblers singing in Howe Park Wood and Tattenhoe Park (HA)

Garden Warbler, Tattenhoe Park (5th May) (HA)

Reed Warblers around Furzton Lake, Tattenhoe Park and North Bucks Way (HA)

Swifts over Tattenhoe and Furzton (HA)

Pair of Spotted Flycatchers by brook in Furzton (4^th May – HA)

Hobby over Tattenhoe Park (5^th May – HA)

Cuckoo, 2 Barn Owls, 2 Hobbies – Linford Lakes (5^th – MK)

8 Red Kites at Newton Longville (8^th – MK)

Goosander with 9 young at Olney Mill

Turnstone at Manor Farm (5^th)

Spotted Flycatchers at Shenley Wood and Linford Lakes

LEPIDOSAURIA (aka “REPTILES”) 

9 Grass Snakes found at Walton Lake (4^th – MK/Ella Cooke)

2 Grass Snakes basking outside Near Hide, Linford Lakes (7^th)

Adder skin found at Rammamere Heath (2^nd – Helen Wilson)

INSECTS

Lepidoptera

Holly Blue and Large White butterflies around Furzton and Tattenhoe (HA)

Holly Blue, Howe Park Wood (6th May) HA

Green-Veined Whites and Orange Tips in most parts of Tattenhoe (HA)

Red Admirals in and around Howe Park Wood (HA)

Dingy Skipper and Small heath butterflies at Blue Lagoon (8^th – MK)

4 Red Admirals on North Bucks Way (8^th – MK)

Pair of Orange-Tips in copula – Blakelands  (15^th May, Steve Brady)

Coleoptera

Great Diving Beetles in ponds at Linford Lakes (5^th – MK)

Hymenoptera

Red Mason bee, Ashy mining bee, Hairy Footed Flower Bee all nesting in walls at Manor Farm Court, Old Wolverton (6^th – MK)

Odonata

Large Red and Azure Damselflies emerging around Howe Park Wood ponds and Tattenhoe Park (HA)

Hairy Dragonflies around Tattenhoe Linear Park and Howe Park Wood ponds (HA)

Female Hairy Dragonfly, Tattenhoe Linear Park (6th May) HA

Four-Spotted Chaser in Tattenhoe Linear Park (6^th May) (HA)

Homoptera

Black and Red Froghoppers in Tattenhoe Park (HA)

FLOWERS

Water Crowfoot in ponds at Woughton on the Green.

Early Purple Orchids in most woodlands.

Herb Paris in flower in Linford Wood

Field Poppies out along grid roads

Sightings reported by HA = Harry Appleyard, MK = Martin Kincaid, or as named

*Sightings cover the past 10 days, unless indicated by individual dates*