Local Wildlife Sightings, August 2026

 Drought conditions continued into August, with daytime temperatures varying a few degrees either side of 28C and no sign of rain. Locally, many crops had already been harvested by the end of July - ripe, but with lower than average yields. The Heath was slowly turning from brown to yellow, with hardly any flowers and, consequently, very few insects other than the ubiquitous but declining Chalkhill Blue butterflies, most of which were looking decidedly tatty, and second generation Meadow Brown, Common Blue and Small Heath butterflies. I say 'second generation' Meadow Brown advisedly, because there is really only one generation, but I have noted more than once that there seem to be two emergences, one in June and one in late July, with a gap in between. Also, more of the larger form (females?) are seen in the second emergence. With the exception of the ubiquitous Jersey Tiger Moths, which regularly popped out of nearby vegetation when I was gardening, and a host of smallish grasshoppers, very few other insects were seen on or near The Heath. Hoverflies, in particular, seemed to be doing very badly in the drought, although the largest species, the Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) was seen regularly.

Hornet Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria, Royston, 1 August

Local dragonfly numbers were well down on recent years, probably at least partly due to ponds drying up and a shortage of insect prey. A few Migrant Hawkers were seen on and around The Heath and a beautiful male Emperor Dragonfly posed briefly for me when I visited Phillup's Lake on the 6th.

Male Emperor Dragonfly, Phillup's Lake, Reed End, 6 August

Little Grebes (adults and juveniles) were still present on Phillup's Lake, as were a host of moulting Mallard ducks and a single moulting Tufted Duck. An adult and juvenile duck, which I had assumed were Mallards and did not bother to photograph, turned up very blurred on one of my photographs of the Tufted Duck and may have actually been Gadwall - I will have to return to check this out, as breeding Gadwall on the lake would be a local 'first'. I assumed that another photo, of another small bird that was seen to dive at the far side of the lake, would be of a Little Grebe. However, the bill of this bird was far too broad. Having ruled out the possibility of an extreme rarity (juvenile Pied-billed Grebe, an American species) on common sense grounds, I came to the far more logical conclusion that this was in fact a juvenile Coot (Coot do dive and, as readers of this blog know, they do breed on Phillup's Lake). Anyway, the image is below.

Juvenile Coot (I assume), Phillup's Lake, 6 August

Having seen a report (Rupert Evershed) of Caspian and Yellow-legged Gulls at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits, I visited on the evening of the 5th. Water levels were very low, but I managed a few shots of large gulls both on the exposed mud and on the lake itself. One of the paler mantled gulls (not Lesser Black-backed) on the mud had yellow legs (so, I assume Yellow-legged Gull) whilst a number of juveniles on the water appeared to be Yellow-legged or Caspian Gulls. The image below shows some of the gulls - what a motley selection!

Some of the Gulls on the main Lake at Tyttenhanger Gravel Pits, 5 August

I took a photograph of a Small Heath butterfly whilst visiting the Henry Moore Foundation at Perry Green (near Bishops Stortford) with my partner on the 9th. Although it is a small, brown butterfly on a brownish background, I quite like the photo and may get a print of it in the future.

Small Heath Butterfly on Grass Stem, Perry Green, 9 August

I had been waiting for a couple of weeks for the emergence of the second generation of Adonis Blues on The Heath and finally, on the afternoon of the 10th, they appeared - and in good numbers - on the Eastern Heath (between Lankester Hill and the Sporting Clubhouse). I saw perhaps 30 - 40 males and one or two pristine females (although these could have been late emerging Chalkhill Blue females - the females of these two species are hard to separate). Also seen were good numbers of Meadow Brown, Small White and Small Heath butterflies, a few Common Blues and Brown Argus and a single Clouded Yellow, which refused to settle and allow me to take its photograph (this has been the best year for migrant Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady butterflies since 2009).

Male Adonis Blue Butterfly, Therfield Heath, 10 August

Male Adonis Blue Butterfly, Therfield Heath, 10 August

On the way home, I passed a field that was being ploughed and saw my first big local gathering of gulls (the vast majority Lesser Black-backed, with a few Common and Black-headed Gulls) of the autumn. Also present were seven Red Kites and a large number of corvids, making the most of a rare opportunity to look for large invertebrates beneath the parched ground. I was hoping to see my first local Caspian Gull (there had been a big influx into the country in the previous few days). One possibly interesting gull did turn up, an immature bird with long wings and tail that made it look like a small vulture, but my photos, looking in to the sun, did not pick up enough detail for me to try to identify it. It's on the right of the image below.

Gulls 'following the Plough', Royston, 10 August, with mystery gull on the right. The remaining gulls are all Lesser Black-backed: the gull second from the left looks paler due to a trick of the light.

Gulls (and a Jackdaw) with mystery bird second from the right, Royston, 10 August

From the 11th we braced ourselves for another heatwave (the 5th of the year), and the 13th turned out to be the hottest of many hot days this summer, with the temperature in Kew Gardens reaching 38.2C. For once, I heeded instructions to keep indoors!

UK Wildlife Sightings August 2026

 Hyde Hall Gardens (RHS) in Essex incorporate a number of ponds, which are good for dragonflies. On a visit with my partner and her brother I saw several species and was able to photograph (for the first time) mating Small Red-eyed Damselflies. Willow Emerald Damselflies seemed to be appearing everywhere in early August, and several were seen here.

Small Red-eyed Damselflies Mating, Hyde Hall RHS, Essex, 2 August

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Hyde Hall RHS, 2 August

My attention in August slowly turned back to birds and, on yet another hot and humid day on the 4th, I drove up to the North Norfolk coast, arriving at RSPB Snettisham just in time to catch the high tide. Although this was not a particularly high tide, the water was covering the mud flats. Many waders roosted briefly on the southernmost lake before flying back on to the mud. It was fascinating to see huge groups of hundreds of each species (Bar-tailed Godwits, Oystercatchers, Knots, Dunlins and Redshanks) occupying separate areas on the mud or on the lake. Somewhere in amongst them was a White-rumped Sandpiper, but I failed to connect with this bird. Several terns were also roosting on the mud - these included a handful of Little Terns. Hundreds of Sanderlings were back from their Arctic breeding grounds and I saw a flock of perhaps 400, some in summer plumage but most in various stages of moult, on my way back north along the coastal path. Back at the Snettisham Coastal Park I finally caught up with my first Turtle Dove of the year. Since 2023 I have relied on the Snettisham area for my sightings of this now very rare species. Apparently, numbers of migratory Turtle Doves are very slowly increasing in England following a moratorium on shooting in some European countries, but I think that it will be a long time (if at all) before they become regular again in the Hertfordshire area.

Some of the 400+ Sanderlings seen at RSPB Snettisham on 4 August

Terns (and a few gulls) on The Wash, Snettisham, 4 August. A Little Tern can just about be seen at the back, left of centre.

Turtle Dove, Snettisham Coastal Park, 4 August

Unlike these waders, I moved on to RSPB Titchwell. The reserve was quiet, but I did see my first Curlew Sandpiper of the year (a moulting adult) on the Freshmarsh. A single Spoonbill was also seen here.

Moulting adult Curlew Sandpiper (front row, 3rd from right) with Dunlin, Lapwing and Gulls, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 4 August

There had been a noticeable change in dragonfly populations when I made a return visit to Paxton Pits. The Ruddy Darters that I saw on my first visit had been largely replaced by Common Darters, and many more Willow Emerald damselflies were on the wing. The darters seemed to prefer perching on man-made objects (particularly barbed wire) to the more natural objects (e.g. twigs, berries etc.) that would have made for better photographs. Still, you can't have everything.

Common Darter Dragonfly, Paxton Pits, 7 August

Willow Emerald Damselfly, Paxton Pits, 7 August

Not all my trips end in success, but I can rarely have been on a more frustrating visit than the one to Wilstone on the 11th. I had hoped to see Water Rail, Greenshank and Black-tailed Godwit (all seen on the 10th) at the reservoir, before moving on to the Grand Union Canal to photograph damselflies and dragonflies. However, as I drove up the slip road to join the M25 the traffic ground to a halt and was stationary for half an hour. After that, we started inching forward, with frequent stops. The cause of the delay (which added two hours to my journey time) was, apparently, a vehicle fire. At Wilstone Reservoir I could not find any of my target birds and only a handful of damselflies were seen on the canal. Migrant Hawker dragonflies were the dominant species here and I ended up trying to photograph one or two in flight. My best effort is shown below: to see some top quality images of dragonflies in flight I can recommend the Herts. and Middlesex dragonflies Facebook page - truly excellent photos by Allan Burrows et. al. Anyway, I at least made it home in one piece.......

Migrant Hawker Dragonfly in Flight, Grand Union Canal, Wilstone, 11 August

Local Wildlife Sightings, July 2026

 Early in July, we received the very sad news that a developers' appeal had successfully overturned the council blocking of a 280 home development on fields adjoining my estate. Along with the inevitable major traffic disruption that the building work will entail and the further dilution of local services, this will mean the loss of a lovely wild flower meadow near the house - very bad news indeed, and another kick in the teeth for conservation and green field sites.

Back from holiday, I visited Therfield Heath (east side) on the morning of the 5th. Initially everything was quiet, but as soon as the sun came out clouds of butterflies emerged from the grasses. Foremost amongst them were Chalkhill Blues - I reckon that I must have seen at least 200. I also saw my first Gatekeeper butterflies of the year: these tend to congregate around the bushes on The Heath. A few Dark Green Fritillaries were still flying and I actually managed to get a few photographs of one - quite a challenge, as this fast flying butterfly never seems to stay still for more than a couple of seconds.

Male Chalkhill Blue, Therfield Heath, 5 July

Male Chalkhill Blue Variant (Smaller or Incomplete Spots, c.f. the Butterfly above), Therfield Heath, 5 July

Gatekeeper Butterfly, Therfield Heath, 5 July

Dark Green Fritillary, Therfield Heath, 5 July

Closer to home, a new (for my local patch) micro-moth, Pyrausta purpuralis, was recorded.

Pyrausta Purpuralis, Royston, 5 July

The hot, dry summer continued with another heatwave, starting around the 5th and lasting for at least 10 days with temperatures reaching 34C (so not as hot as in June!). After that the weather cooled somewhat, with an easterly wind bringing in early morning cloud, but not a drop of rain was to be had until the morning of the 26th, when 2.5mm fell - hooray! After that it was back to heatwave conditions, with the temperature reaching 34C on the 29th. July became the second hottest month ever in England and also one of the driest. Plants withered and crops were harvested early. By the middle of the month thousands of Chalkhill Blues had spread all over The Heath and a few males were seen a mile or two away from the nearest colony, although they would have been frustrated at being unable to find any of the far more sedentary females. I spent a lot of time in the evenings photographing roosting 'blues' (second generation Common Blue and Brown Argus butterflies were on the wing from the middle of the month), because they were too active in the hot, daytime temperatures. However, the females emerge from their chrysalises in the morning and immediately mate with whichever passing male is lucky enough to find them. I was therefore lucky to find a mating pair on a rare morning visit to The Heath (just east of the Therfield Road) on the 11th (image below). On a later morning visit to the Old Rifle Range (24th) I counted eight mating pairs in quite a small area.

Mating Chalkhill Blue Butterflies, Therfield Heath, 11 July

Following the emergence of Chalkhill Blues and Gatekeepers, I had only one 'regular' butterfly species left to see on The Heath - Silver-washed Fritillary. This butterfly was seen for the first time in the Fox Covert / Jubilee Wood area six or seven years ago and has since colonised this woodland, albeit in very small numbers. I now know their favourite areas, and saw my first butterfly on the 9th. I returned on the 11th, when I saw at least three, including both a male and a female, and on the 14th when, perhaps getting tired of being pursued by me, I was able to photograph two different males and a female, whilst a fourth butterfly (another male) was seen. Hopefully more females were around, and this colony will (continue to?) grow. Silver-washed Fritillary was the 28th butterfly species to be seen this year on my Local Patch and six days later the 29th, a Clouded Yellow, was seen on The Heath (Old Rifle Range). This was no big surprise, as several were reported elsewhere in Hertfordshire in July. Of the 29, only Clouded Yellow and Painted Lady are not resident, although in good summers the latter goes through a full breeding cycle here, but neither species can survive our winters - yet! There were no further sightings of Silver-washed Fritillaries on subsequent visits to The Heath, although another Clouded Yellow was seen on Church Hill on the 27th.

Female Silver-washed Fritillary, Therfield Heath, 14 July

Male Silver-washed Fritillary, Therfield Heath, 14 July

Silver-washed Fritillaries were also seen on two visits to Scales Park in the first half of the month, whilst three second generation Small Blues were seen when I visited Clothall Common (Baldock) on the 15th. The colony of Chalkhill Blues at Clothall must have numbered well over 100.

Small Blue, Clothall Common, 15 July

Local dragonflies were rather thin on the ground. It was surprising not to see Common Darters by the middle of July: have all the local ponds dried up? I visited Panshanger Park (between Hertford and Welwyn Garden City) on the 17th, hoping to see a reported Southern Migrant Hawker (still a rare dragonfly, although expanding in numbers and area - another beneficiary of climate change). I missed this, although there were plenty of the commoner dragonflies about, with Black-tailed Skimmer being the commonest. I saw lots of Ruddy Darters there, but no Common Darters. As the month wore on, Migrant Hawkers (first seen on the 14th) started to appear locally. This smallish hawker dragonfly tends to become very common here in August.

Black-tailed Skimmer, Panshanger Park, 17 July

Record Shot of a Migrant Hawker, Therfield Heath, 14 July

Hereabouts, bird activity dies back to practically nothing in July, as nesting finishes for most and I take a break from the delights of failed gull identification (there aren't any gulls to identify). However, after a Herts. Bird Club report (Paula Moore) of Spotted Flycatchers in Fox Covert on the 13th I realised that I had been neglecting this species. An investigation on the 14th revealed at least five birds in two areas of the woodland that were separated by a few hundred metres. One adult bird was feeding at the edge of woodland. I managed to photograph it (after putting my arm on to barbed wire and losing a fair bit of blood) and noted it feeding a juvenile at one point. Whether the birds were from one family or from two separate ones, it was good to know that they have successfully bred again in the woods. Other bird sightings of interest were of a family of seven Grey Partridges (two adults and five tiny chicks which were, nevertheless, able to fly for cover when they saw me approaching) on the Old Rifle Range on the 24th and a family of at least five Chiffchaffs with recently fledged young, near Royston Hospital on the 27th.

Adult Spotted Flycatcher, Therfield Heath, 14 July

'Record Shot' of an Adult Grey Partridge (one of a family of seven), Therfield Heath, 24 July

The path that loops round Phillup's Lake from the road between Therfield village and the A10 had become impassable, being blocked by brambles, nettles, thistles and various other stinging and cutting plants. I don't know who is responsible for maintaining it, but they are not doing a very good job! I decided to cut a swathe through this jungle on the 14th. It took 25 minutes and I ended up covered in cuts and scratches (I was wearing shorts). My reward was to see at least six Little Grebes on the lake - at least three adults and three tiny young - suggestive of two pairs having bred on the lake. It is so difficult to count the grebes, because as soon as they sense my presence they dive under the water and head for cover at the side of the lake. However, the baby grebes apparently can't dive at an early stage and don't swim very fast, which makes it easier to count them!

I finally saw my first local Common Darter in Fox Covert on the 27th. Its photo is below, together with a few other images taken locally during an intense period of butterfly photography.

Female Common Darter, Therfield Heath, 27 July

Female Common Blue, 'mariscolore' Variant, Therfield Heath, 24 July

Roosting Chalkhill (Upper Butterfly) and Common Blues, Therfield Heath, 20 July

Painted Lady Wing Detail, Royston, 27 July

On my way to a garden centre I popped in to Dernford Farm Reservoir (Stapleford, Cambs.) on the 30th to look for birds and dragonflies. It was no surprise to see that the lake had almost dried up. A single Redshank was probing the mud here and a group of Lapwings were present, but no other waders could be seen. However, a pale yellow dragonfly on the perimeter path caught my eye and turned out to be a Red-veined Darter. This dragonfly is another continental immigrant, which is becoming more common as a result of climate change. However, numbers vary greatly from year to year. The species is unusual in that if adults mate and drop eggs in the spring, dragonflies can emerge in the same year. Also seen here were several other species, including a mating pair of Common Blue Damselflies, where the head of the female is, unusually, coloured yellow.

Red-veined Darter Dragonfly, Dernford Farm Reservoir, 30 July

Mating Common Blue Damselflies, Dernford Farm Reservoir, 30 July

UK Wildlife Sightings July 2026

 I spent the last few days of June and the first few days of July on holiday with my partner, in the North of England. We visited a couple of Dipper haunts, and I was lucky to see an adult with a recently fledged youngster in Hawes (North Yorkshire) and another adult in Wasdale, Cumbria. I had hoped to have a go at looking for Black Grouse from the road between Keld, in Swaledale, and the Tan Hill Inn, but unfortunately the road was closed on the day of our visit. However, there was a bonus in the form of a couple of Whinchats, birds that I had not expected to see, in Nether Wasdale.

Adult Dipper, Hawes, North Yorkshire, 29 June

Recently-fledged Juvenile Dipper, Hawes, 29 June

'Record Shot' of a Whinchat, Nether Wasdale, Cumbria, 2 July

On the 8th I paid a return visit to the Great Bustard Project on Salisbury Plain. This was my third visit (I go every couple of years). Only a single female Great Bustard was seen from the hide on this occasion and it was only briefly visible, so I didn't get any photos (memo to myself: this is the worst time to visit, because the grass is so high that the Bustards are not easy to see. Next time I should go in early spring or autumn). However, I did purchase a rather nice and very appropriate 'Fat Bustard' T-shirt! On the way back, I called in at Wilstone, visiting the Grand Union Canal and the reservoir, looking for dragonflies. The dominant damselfly along the canal was the (hoped for) White-legged Damselfly. Blue-tailed and Small Red-eyed Damselflies, as well as a handful of Banded Demoiselles, were also seen. Brown Hawker and Emperor dragonflies were patrolling the canal and I also saw a female Lesser Emperor laying eggs here. Several Lesser Emperors (a recent addition to our Odonata, spreading north through the country accompanying Climate Change) were at the reservoir and, judging by their rather tatty state, had been present for some time. Black-tailed Skimmers were also common here.

Male White-legged Damselfly, Grand Union Canal, Wilstone, 8 July

Female Lesser Emperor Laying Eggs, Wilstone Reservoir, 8 July

Male Lesser Emperor, Wilstone Reservoir, 8 July

Small Red-eyed Damselfly, Grand Union Canal, Wilstone, 8 July

Continuing the dragonfly theme, on the 10th I drove up to Dersingham Bog near Snettisham in Norfolk, which holds, as far as I am aware, the closest population of Black Darter dragonflies to my home. Several mature males were seen, as were some male Keeled Skimmers (another acid heathland species). I also looked for Grayling butterflies here. A few large, strong flying butterflies were seen distantly, but I couldn't confirm their identification as being Graylings.

Male Black Darter, Dersingham Bog, Norfolk, 10 July

I continued up to Snettisham, where in previous years I have been lucky to see Turtle Doves. Frustratingly, on this occasion a Turtle Dove was heard shortly after I arrived at the RSPB reserve, but could not be seen. On yet another very hot day I did a circuit of the southern-most lake. Several hundred Dunlin and Black-tailed Godwits were roosting there and a dozen or so Mediterranean Gulls were seen, including one with a (begging) youngster. It was too hot for me to carry a telescope as well as my camera, so I was unable to confirm the earlier sighting of three Curlew Sandpipers, which were presumably in amongst the Dunlin.

A few of several hundred Dunlin present at RSPB Snettisham, 10 July

Adult Mediterranean Gull with youngster, RSPB Snettisham, 10 July

I have done very little 'twitching' this year, but a long-staying Long-tailed Shrike (the 3rd for Britain) on the Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire border captured my attention and on the 22nd I drove the 119 miles from Royston to see it. The bird showed well at times, albeit rather distantly, and I managed a few 'record shots' of it during my 50 minute stay. Following on from the Turkestan and Brown Shrikes that I saw in 2025, this was my third UK shrike 'first' in less than a year.

Distant Record Shot of the Long-tailed Shrike, Oxfordshire-Gloucestershire Border, 22 July

My journey took me along the M40, so on the way back I stopped off at the Aston Rowant nature reserve to look for Silver-spotted Skipper butterflies. I had, for a change, chosen a good time because several of this rare species were on the wing and I was able to photograph them. Aston Rowant is like Therfield Heath in being unimproved chalk grassland and its remaining butterfly species were very familiar to me. Chalkhill Blues were abundant and I was lucky to photograph a couple of mating Common Blues. I believe that there was an unlicenced introduction of Adonis Blues here, at about the same time that they were introduced to Therfield Heath, but the colony at Aston Rowant appears to have died out.

Silver-spotted Skipper, Aston Rowant NR, Oxfordshire, 22 July

Mating Common Blue Butterflies, Aston Rowant NR, 22 July

During a family meet-up at Newark in Nottinghamshire, my brother and I noticed a small colony of Banded Demoiselle dragonflies on the River Trent. One female rested on a reed in a particularly photogenic position and several photographs were taken of it, of which my 'best' is shown below. Although far from perfect (the lighting conditions were poor) it represents the sort of graphic image that I aspire to create when photographing this and other Dragonfly species.

Female Banded Demoiselle, Newark, 25 July

I finally made it to Thursley Common (Surrey) on the 28th. Normally I visit both in the spring (mainly for birds) and mid-summer (mainly for dragonflies), but didn't make it in the spring this year. With no rain for a month it was little surprise that many of the pools on the heath were drying out or had already dried out. However, I did find dragonflies: Black Darter and Keeled Skimmers (as seen earlier at Dersingham Bog) were present in good numbers and I also had four sightings of the tiny, red, twig-like Small Red Damselfly (this is the only site where I have found this species). A single Emerald Damselfly, my first of the year, was also seen, whilst a female Brown Hawker was laying eggs at the Moat Pond, near the main car park.

Male Small Red Damselfly, Thursley Common, 28 July

Male Emerald Damselfly, Thursley Common, 28 July

Female Brown Hawker Laying Eggs, Thursley Common, 28 July

In the past I have occasionally combined a spring visit to Thursley with a visit to Oaken Wood, near Chiddingford to the south of Thursley, where there is a colony of Wood White butterflies. Having heard that this year's hot weather had encouraged a small second generation of Wood Whites in some places, I decided to take a chance whilst in the area and visit Oaken Wood. I was in luck as, whilst I was trying to photograph a mating pair of Common Blue butterflies, a single female Wood White bounced in to view, as if sent by the gods! It landed in front of me and allowed me to take a few photos. No other Wood Whites were seen during an hour long search.

Female Wood White (Orange Tips to the Antennae), Oaken Wood, Surrey, 28 July

The following day I was on the hunt for more dragonflies, this time at Paxton Pits in Cambridgeshire. A Royston Photographic Society trip there had been cancelled due to the predicted hot weather (35C was subsequently reported nearby) but I decided to go anyway. (Male) Ruddy Darters were still the dominant Darter species seen, but I also saw a few Common Darters, as well as Brown Hawker, Emperor, Black-tailed Skimmer, Emerald and Willow Emerald Damselflies and a variety of smaller damselflies. I concentrated on photographing the darter dragonflies, looking for graphic shapes and clean backgrounds. The following images of (a) male Common Darter and (b) Ruddy Darter on barbed wire are examples of this.

Male Common Darter on Barbed Wire, Paxton Pits, 29 July

Male Ruddy Darter on Barbed Wire, Paxton Pits, 29 July