Mid Bucks Wildlife: July 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

31st July..... Chiffchaff & Frog.

It’s good to have the young Chiffchaffs back searching through the fennel just 5 mtrs from the back door. So busy feeding and completely ignoring me. Later walked along the Misbourne to Shardeloes Lake and watched a young Spotted Flycatcher catching flies at the west end of the lake.

Chiffchaff


Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Stewart.

As I ate my dinner a Frog leaped along the drive, resting in the middle, after half an hour it still remained in the same spot. Preventing it becoming the dogs dinner, I went & helped it on it's way, after grabbing the following images.

Don.

Sunday, July 29, 2018

28th July.... Pitstone Hill.

This afternoon Stewart & myself visited Pitstone Hill, leaving the car park we headed off towards the escarpment & into the wind, disturbing a Fox that was lying up under some bushes, that seemed to flush out a Whitethroat as a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew to a dead branch. A Small group of Goldfinches were sat nearby.

Chalk Hill Blues.

This bloke kept gettin' in my way!!

After we photographed the mating Chalk Hill Blues we came across a Bee's nest which had fallen to the detective skills of a Badger, with the honeycomb split open.

A small group of Fallow Deer sheltered in the lea of a hedge, 2 Swifts, a Sand Martin, a Couple of Swallows & 15 Starlings all passed over, while a Yellow Hammer called from some bushes.

Carline Thistle.

Chalk Hill Blue.

Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Onwards over the summit, where a Kestrel took full advantage of the strong wind.

Dropping down out of the wind towards the fence line we came upon a Sky Lark carrying food, which descended into the long grass to feed it's young. Further along the track Linnets were perched up on bushes posing nicely. A few Meadow Pipits rose up from the grass. Then we came across another Sky Lark carrying food, so two pairs still breeding. Over the crop field below the fence line at least forty Swallows were hawking insects. On returning to the car park, six Meadow Pipits flew up from the grass along with a handful of Sky Larks, sure I heard a Corn Bunting nearby, but didn't have time to look.

Linnets

Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Scabious Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Don.

27th July.... Darter.

The Ruddy Darters that have been emerging from the pond recently I now think are Common Darter. Have just read that Ruddy darter have all black legs where a Common Darter’s legs have a yellow strip along the outer edge and I think mine have the stripe.... confusing.
A tiny species, the larva just over a centimetre long.

Both Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Stewart.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

25th July.... Silver Y Moth.

This little chap is not really using it's camouflage to it's best advantage here sticking out like a sore thumb on our window, when it should blending in nicely on a tree trunk out of sight of predators.

Don.

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Thrushes

With this hot weather (31 degrees in the shade & 36 degrees in the full sun at 5pm)baking the soil rock hard it must be extremely testing times for Song Thrush & Blackbirds who find a high percentage their food source in the earth, but some how they are managing to find food as our resident birds are still feeding young in the nest in neighbouring gardens & can be seen on our lawn gathering food & flying up & over the hedge. Still best to leave them uncut 'til the end of August, to offer the young in the nest protect from predators.

Song Thrush on the parched earth, may have trouble finding worms, but is still doing well on the snail front judging by the number of broken shells on it's two regular 'anvil' sites.

Don.

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Lunar Eclipse, 27th July.

A reminder to have your cameras ready for Fridays Total Lunar Eclipse. The show starts early around 6.30pm but the full eclipse starts around 8.30 and full eclipse ends at 10.13. All finishing just after midnight. The photos were taken by my front door, very early in the morning of the eclipse Sept.27^th 2015. Be interesting to watch it in day light.

All Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Stewart.

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Camel.

https://www.aylesburyfriars.co.uk/index.html

24th July.... International Space Station, tomorrow night.

Today found a partially decapitated Ruddy Darter by my small pond answering the question of who’s larva has been crawling out of the pond. Also a few of these micro moths.....Pyrausta Purpuralis....busy feeding from the flowering oregano.

With the nights slowly drawing in, International Space Station sightings are becoming available at more sensible times. For example, tomorrow the 25^th it will be visible (weather permitting) from 9.37 pm, coming in from the SW and disappearing at 9.46 in the East. Quite low in the sky max. height 55 degrees. It will pass close to Jupiter in the SW.

Ruddy Darter Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Pyrausta Purpuralis Copyright : Stewart Dennis.

Stewart.

Just after 7am a Small White & Holly Blue were both on the wing in the garden, don't recall seeing Butterflies in the air that early in the day before.

Don.

23rd July... Vapin' at Sunset

Heard yesterday's Tawny calling just after 9pm, grabbed the camera & went after it, only to see it fly off along the tree line.
Turned & saw the trail in the sky, I know, not very nice, but could see it coming together nicely with the chimney.

Don.

22nd July..... Pond Life.

During the afternoon I decided to clear the grass roots from the pond's edge, hoping to stop the water draining down to fast, this disturbed a tiny froglet. I've always wanted to get the classic Frog on a Lily pad photo, so dashed in to grab the camera, thought it had gone on my return, but being so small ( the size of my thumb nail) I had over looked it. There were about half a dozen in total.

Pond Skaters creating more Pond Skaters.

A short while later Sprawky our resident Sparrow Hawk dropped by for a quick bathe, departing to the trees to dry off, a female Bullfinch took a bath along with Blackbirds, Blue & Great Tits. Two Common Blues were dancing over the front grass, while a Holly Blue, Gate Keeper, Meadow Browns & Small Whites were at the back of the house.
Around nine o'clock the juvenile Tawny Owl was chased through the garden by seemingly every Blackbird in the area, what a racket!!

Don.