Birds and other
wildlife recorded in July 2025
Birds:
A quiet month!
Many birds have now finished breeding and no longer need to keep up their
territorial singing/calling. Some are of course still feeding young and being
careful not to draw attention to the nest sites. And many humans are on holiday
and making fewer visits to the woods! Red Kites were often seen circling and
calling over the woods and nearby areas. The Sparrowhawks bred again this year
and the noisy and plaintive cries of the young can still (early August) be
heard. Stock Doves and Woodpigeons were
common, but nobody recorded a Collared Dove. Great-spotted Woodpeckers were
around, as were the regular Dunnocks and Robins. Song Thrush and Blackbirds
were also recorded fairly often.
Three species of warbler: Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap. Blue
Tit and Long-tailed Tit were noted but nobody recorded a Great Tit! The elusive
Treecreeper was found, however. The corvids were a little more obliging:
Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay (including juveniles) and Carrion Crow, but no Rooks heard
or seen. They have certainly moved to new nests beyond the woods in the last
year or two, but they will still be using the area. Not a single finch of any
species was recorded. People doing garden bird surveys are probably noticing a
similar shortage of birds – but they will return, so keep looking out and
listening for them as the year moves on.
Butterflies: Many sightings of
butterflies have been noted on a casual basis, and the regular butterfly
surveyors have no doubt had a busy time this month. Those noted by observers
not on their actual surveys were: Small Skipper, Brimstone, Large White, Small
White, Green-veined White, Brown Argus, Common Blue, Holly Blue (2nd
brood), Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Speckled Wood, Marbled White, Gatekeeper
and Ringlet - a very good and varied list!
Moths: The moth of the month has
to be Jersey Tiger.
Some interesting plants: Fleabane,
Common Knapweed – loads of it and often covered with bumblebees and other
insects. Meadowsweet. Red Bartsia – an
annual that is parasitic on the roots of other plants for water and minerals –
is common. Very unexpected was Betony, a
plant in the dead-nettle family, with slightly showy reddish/purple flowers;
never found it here before!
We may soon start gathering plants
records on a more regular systematic basis – Watch this space!
