Local Wildlife Sightings, July 2025

 Back from holiday early on the 3rd and with an enormous amount of sleep to catch up on, I nevertheless managed a short evening walk on the same day along the Greenwich Meridian Trail, south of Royston, where I knew that I would find hundreds of Essex Skippers. Most had clearly been on the wing for a few days and were looking rather ragged, but I did manage to get a few photos of decent specimens in what is a very large colony. As expected, Chalkhill Blues and Gatekeepers had emerged (the first Chalkhills were reported on the 25th of June, the day I left the UK). Marbled Whites were still flying on The Heath when I visited on the 4th. Chalkhill Blues were seen in relatively small numbers, but very large numbers of Gatekeepers were seen. The first of the second generation of Brown Argus were already on the wing, very early but in line with other butterfly species that have emerged early in what promises to be a long, hot summer.

Essex Skipper, Royston, 3 July

Brown Argus, Therfield Heath, 4 July

Male Chalkhill Blue and Hoverfly on Knapweed, Therfield Heath, 4 July

A visit to Phillup's Lake on the 7th was rewarded by seeing families of four Little Grebes and three Coots. A handful of moulting Mallards and a single female Tufted Duck were also present. Nearby, I saw my first local Small Copper butterfly of the year, as well as an Emperor Dragonfly and several Common Blue Damselflies (images to follow).

UK Wildlife Sightings, July 2025

 I'll post here when I've been somewhere in the UK other than Hertfordshire and South Cambridgeshire - watch this space.

Local Wildlife Sightings June 2025

 After an impressively warm and sunny spring, it was back to changeable weather in June with a few warm, sunny days interspersed with showers and longer periods of rain. I took the opportunity on the 2nd (a warm, sunny day) to visit local fields and Therfield Heath, looking mainly for butterflies. Numbers of first generation Common Blues and Brown Argus butterflies were falling now on The Heath, whilst I failed to find any Adonis Blues there. However, on the small wild flower patch in the field that is behind our estate, which has proved quite productive in the past, I was lucky to find a recently emerged male Common Blue, which flew conveniently towards me and perched on top of a flower bud, allowing me to take some nice photos. If only all insects were so obliging!

Male Common Blue Butterfly, Royston, 2 June

After changeable weather in the first week, high pressure built again with plenty of sunshine and temperatures building to a climax between the 18th and the 21st, with an official heatwave and a maximum temperature in Royston of 31C (or possibly higher - I'm relying on the temperature gauge in the car!). It has been a disappointing spring migration period locally for birds, with no sign of Wheatear, Garden, Sedge or Reed Warblers. Spotted Flycatchers were not encountered in Fox Covert during the month, although to be fair I didn't spend much time looking for them. There was some joy, however, on two late evening owl walks. On the 12th a Barn Owl crossed the GMT trail in front of me, heading SE from Flint Hall Farm towards and then beyond Half Moon Plantation, less than half a mile from the house. Further down the track two Tawny Owl chicks (one seen) were squeaking away. There were no Barn Owl sightings on the 18th, but the two Tawny Owl chicks were still present and I also saw a Badger, a Fox and a few bats. Unfortunately there was no sign of Little Owl activity on either walk.

It was necessary to be out early or late to find much bird activity on the hot days. Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps, Whitethroats and Lesser Whitethroats were all singing again in the second half of the month (well, the Chiffchaffs never really stopped) and were presumably having successful breeding seasons, the first juvenile Goldfinches appeared at my feeders early in the month and juvenile Blackbirds, Great Tits and Blue Tits were also seen in the garden. All four resident species of pigeon and dove were seen in the garden, both hoovering up spilt bird seeds and drinking from the terrace pond. Jackdaws and many species of small bird were also using the garden ponds to drink from. On The Heath, another Grey Partridge was seen on the 16th.

Grey Partridge, Therfield Heath (Old Rifle Range), 16 June

Some butterfly first sightings were, at least for my own records, very early. Dark Green Fritillaries were seen on The Heath from the 6th, both Small Skipper and White-letter Hairstreak from the 16th (with specimens of the last being seen at the bottom of my road on the 19th). Only Large Skippers, which only appeared in any numbers from the middle of the month, bucked the trend by appearing at the 'right time'. Common Blues kept appearing in ones and twos throughout the month, but I saw no Adonis Blues after the 4th, although they were reported later by others. Small Tortoiseshell Butterflies seem to be slowly recovering after some disastrous recent years: I saw six together near my house on the 10th and another four on a walk between Wallington and Clothall Common. Painted Lady butterflies have also been seen in greater numbers than in the last couple of years, but the biggest butterfly surprise this year to date was to see a Clouded Yellow in pristine condition on the 16th, which put in a brief appearance (too brief to get a photo) on my local wildflower meadow before flying off strongly to the west. I presume that this specimen had hatched recently in the UK, from eggs deposited by an early continental migrant.

Dark Green Fritillary (Side View!), TH, 6 June

Large Skipper, Royston, 16 June

Small Skipper, Royston, 16 June

Small Tortoiseshell, Royston, 10 June

Ringlets appeared from the 16th and were quite numerous when I visited Fox Covert and Jubilee Wood on the 25th. Essex Skippers were seen locally from the 24th. A visit to Scales Park on the 24th provided a brief glimpse of a Silver-washed Fritillary, but no sign of Purple Emperors (reported on the 22nd) - I'll try again later. Huge numbers of Marbled Whites were on Church Hill on the 25th, having switched their favoured plants for taking nectar from Privet (nearly finished) to the large clumps of Knapweed and Field Scabious flowers. At least four Dark Green Fritillaries were seen here (image to follow), with many more at the east end of The Heath, but there was no sign here of Silver-washed Fritillaries, which I haven't seen on The Heath since 2023. A White Admiral was seen when I visited Balls Wood nature reserve (Hertford Heath) on the 18th.

Essex Skipper, Royston, 24 June

Other invertebrates seen in June included Hummingbird Hawkmoth (one was feeding on my Valerian on the 16th), Summer Chafer and a new (for me) longhorn beetle, Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, seen near to the house. A (presumably Jersey) tiger beetle was seen in flight. A visit to Clothall Common on the 20th yielded no 'blue' butterflies, but surprisingly large numbers of six-spotted Burnet Moths were seen, considering that I hadn't seen any elsewhere on my travels (they usually appear in July). A Dock Bug was the first Shield Bug that I had seen locally this year, after shield bugs had a vintage year in 2024.

Six Spot Burnet Moth, Clothall Common, 20 June

Dock Bug, Therfield Heath, 10 June

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, Royston, 10 June

Hummingbird Hawkmoth on the Ground, Royston, 24 June

It has been a poor year generally for orchids, although there was a good display of Pyramidal Orchids when I visited Clothall Common on the 20th and I also found a couple of Pyramidal Orchids on my local wildflower meadow. Common Spotted Orchids seem to have been particularly badly hit, with none seen by me locally. Very few were seen last year either, making me think that the dry, hardened ground in 2025 is not the only reason for this species' apparent demise. Fragrant Orchids appeared on Church Hill, but only small, wizened spikes were seen on my visits. Other plants fared better and I saw lots of the parasitic plant, Common Broomrape.

Common Broomrape near Wallington, 20 June

Pyramidal Orchids, Clothall Common, 20 June

My last visit to The Heath before a planned holiday abroad saw me on Church Hill on the morning of the 25th, when highlights included a female Dark Green Fritillary that allowed me to get close enough to get a decent photograph (males are rarely so obliging, being constantly on the move looking for females to mate with and fighting other males), and a mating pair of Dock Bugs.

Female Dark Green Fritillary, Church Hill, 25 June

Mating Dock Bugs, Church Hill, 25 June

UK Wildlife Sightings June 2025

 On the 2nd I made my annual pilgrimage to Glapthorn Cow Pasture NR (near Oundle in Northamptonshire) to see Black Hairstreak butterflies. Impressive numbers were on the wing, indicating that this species, at least, has not been adversely affected by the poor weather in 2024. I also saw my first Large Skipper of the year here.

Black Hairstreak Butterfly, Glapthorn, 2 June

On the 4th I returned to Bempton Cliffs to spend time with my brother and his family, who were holidaying in the area, and introduce them to the wonders of this RSPB reserve. My brother is a keen and very good photographer, but rarely photographs wildlife. However, whilst we were there he took 900 (admittedly, bracketed) images whilst I took very few! Here are a couple of my images.

Gannet at Bempton Cliffs, 4 June

Immature Gannet in Flight at Bempton Cliffs, 4 June

On the 8th the final RSPB Local Group coach trip of the season took us to Snape Maltings (Suffolk), from where we explored both sides of the river Alde. I enjoyed close views of House Martins picking up mud from the river as the tide went out. Very few dragonflies were seen. Baby Lapwings and (I think) Redshanks were seen on the marshes to the north of the river, perhaps indicating a successful breeding season for these waders. A number of digger wasps (Colytes spp.) were photographed near the Maltings.

House Martin picking up mud for its nest, Snape Maltings, 8 June

Digger Wasp (Colytes sp.), Snape Maltings, 8 June

A gruelling day out bird watching on the 11th started with a visit to RSPB Titchwell Marsh. The freshmarsh was dominated by breeding Avocets and Black-headed Gulls, whilst numerous Sandwich and Common Terns were commuting to and from colonies on (presumably) Scolt Head Island. A single, distant Little Tern was also seen here. Sanderlings were still foraging along the beach, stopping off to feed before heading north to enjoy the brief Arctic summer. There can be very few weeks in the year when you don't see a Sanderling at Titchwell!

Baby Avocet, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June

Avocet in Flight, RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June

Sanderling on the Beach at RSPB Titchwell Marsh, 11 June

On the way back from Titchwell I called in at Cavenham Heath and Mayday Farm to do a reconnaissance for an RSPB spring walk that I was leading on the 17th. Curlew, Hobby, lots of Stonechats and (eventually) a Stone Curlew (target species) were seen at Cavenham, but the best was saved to last. When I arrived at the viewing area at Mayday Farm I was surrounded by Nightjars, some of which landed close to me on the ground, allowing me to take a few very grainy (ISO 6400) photos. I reckon that I recorded eight different birds, but there could have been more. This was quite a thrill - possibly my best bird watching experience of the year to date.

More Stone Curlews, a Woodlark and Nightjars were seen on the 17th when the group walk (an impressive 17 members) was held, but this time the 'Nightjar experience' was more routine.

Curlew, Cavenham Heath, 11 June

Two Nightjars, Mayday Farm, 11 June

'Record Shot' of a Stone Curlew, Cavenham Heath, 17 June

Earlier in the day I visited Santon Downham, hoping to get some great photos of Dragonflies and other insects along the river. The dragonflies were dominated by Banded Demoiselles (about 99% of those seen) and, as usual, they proved difficult to photograph as they moved about and kept their distance on a hot day. One of my better efforts is below. Whilst the photography did not live up to hopes, I was lucky to see a family of Crossbills as they passed me on the river, uttering their distinctive 'chip chip' calls. A family of Mandarin Ducks was also seen here.

Female Banded Demoiselle, Santon Downham, 17 June

My partner and I spent a weekend in Hampshire on the 13-15th. A walk in the New Forest was notable for the presence of hundreds of Silver-studded Blues: the New Forest is obviously a stronghold for this butterfly, and we visited at just the right time as many individuals were in good condition, some recently hatched. I also added Small Skipper butterfly and Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly to my year list during the weekend.

Silver-studded Blue, The New Forest, Hampshire, 14 June

June is a very quiet month for birds, with very few new arrivals or departures, so on the 23rd I jumped at the chance to see a Collared Pratincole, a wader that breeds in Southern and Eastern Europe, that had turned up at RSPB Frampton Marsh, near Boston. Unusually, Collared Pratincoles catch their insect prey in flight, but this individual preferred to sit on a scrubby section of one of the islands, with its back to me. It made only one brief flight in over an hour, although it did occasionally walk around a bit, revealing its unusual markings. I have recently seen Collared Pratincoles on migration in Georgia and on their wintering grounds in The Gambia, but this was my first UK sighting for over ten years. I wandered around the reserve a little and found a Little Ringed Plover sitting on a nest (which appeared to be just a hole in the mud of a low-lying island). Every time it was threatened by larger birds walking nearby and coming dangerously close to walking on the nest (Avocets, Greylag Geese) it would get up and flap its wings vigorously to try to ward them off. Unfortunately, my photographs kept missing this 'decisive moment'. Eventually the bird was relieved of its nesting duties by its partner (image).

Little Ringed Plovers at the Nest Site, RSPB Frampton Marsh, 23 June

Most of the remainder of June was spent abroad: I'll post about this holiday in due course.

Local Wildlife Sightings May 2025

 The hot weather continued into the start of May, with temperatures reaching around 27C, before declining dramatically as north-easterly winds set in from the 3rd. By the 4th the temperature in mid-afternoon was just 13C with a significant wind chill factor making it feel even colder, and I had gone from a light polo shirt to three layers, with a fleecy jacket on top. Whilst the weather was still hot on the 2nd I visited Church Hill and was encouraged to see at least ten (presumably) male Brown Argus butterflies flying over the low-cut grassy slopes, after this species did so badly in 2024. The cutting of the grass here in late summer last year should benefit this and other 'blue' species. Also seen were two Small Heath butterflies and small numbers of Peacock, Brimstone, Red Admiral, Comma, Orange Tip and Green-veined White butterflies.

Small Heath, Church Hill, 2 May

The warm weather soon returned, with prolonged sunshine during the middle of the month. Back on Church Hill on the 7th I couldn't find any Brown Argus butterflies (they only live in the adult stage for a few days), although a single Common Blue butterfly was seen at the bottom of the hill, a very early Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly was seen nearby and a Mother Shipton moth (also seen on the 2nd) was photographed. This attractive, day-flying moth has a beaky 'face' marking on each wing, presumably giving it its name: see if you can make it out on the image (below). I was pleased to see that two male Spotted Flycatchers were 'singing' (a few high-pitched, squeaky notes) in Fox Covert on either side of the Therfield Road. This is a very early return for a species that can turn up as late as the beginning of June, but there had already been several reports of this species before 'my' birds were seen.

Mother Shipton Moth, Church Hill, 7 May

Singing Spotted Flycatcher, Therfield Heath, 7 May

Ox-eye Daisies, generally a flower of early June, were already flowering when I walked up onto The Heath on the 13th. I noticed that a fly was apparently sitting on one flower head. Closer inspection revealed that it had been captured by a predatory Crab Spider (stealth killers - they don't make webs), which was smaller than the fly (image below). On The Heath, three male Adonis Blues were flying on the Old Rifle Range, and looked to have been on the wing for at least a couple of days. This is fairly early for Adonis Blues, and was no doubt due to the fine, sunny weather in April and May.

Male Adonis Blue, Therfield Heath (Old Rifle Range), 13 May

Crab Spider with Fly Victim, Royston, 13 May

In 2023 and 2024, Chalkhill Blue butterflies did not emerge on Church Hill, although a few were seen flying there in the late summer of 2024. After only a few Adonis Blues were seen here in the spring of last year, and no second generation was seen, I assumed that the latter species had been lost to the poor weather at this site. However, when I checked the south side of Church Hill on a sunny afternoon on the 16th I was surprised to see several male Adonis Blues and a single female flying. As previously mentioned, Church Hill had been mown in the late summer of 2024 and was now covered in Horseshoe Vetch. Was there an unnoticed, very small second generation of Adonis Blues in 2024, or could the adults possibly have started life as eggs laid by last year's first generation? Another possibility is that they were re-introduced by whoever originally introduced them to The Heath. I guess that I'll never know. Present with the Adonis Blues were several Common Blues (all males) and Brown Argus butterflies, whilst in Fox Covert another Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly was seen. A similar mixture of butterfly species was seen when I returned to Church Hill on the 21st, with slightly fewer Adonis Blues and Brown Argus, but even more male Common Blues.

Female Adonis Blue, Church Hill, 16 May

Roosting Brown Argus, Church Hill, 16 May

Male Common Blue, Church Hill, 16 May

Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonfly, Fox Covert, 16 May

Wasp Beetle, Royston, 19 May

Other sites visited in Hertfordshire during May included Wilstone Reservoir (Shelduck, Hobby, Swift, Common Sandpiper, Dunlin and Little Ringed Plover seen on the 8th) and Amwell, where I saw my first Red-eyed Damselflies and Banded Demoiselles of the year on the 12th.

Common Sandpiper, Wilstone Reservoir, 8 May

Four-spotted Chaser, Amwell, 12 May

Red-eyed Damselfly, Amwell, 12 May

The weather became more changeable towards the end of the month, although still with some warm, sunny days. Another visit to Amwell on the 23rd provided me with sightings of Cuckoo, Cetti's Warbler and a very early Green-eyed (Norfolk) Hawker dragonfly. A Great Crested Grebe caught and ate a large Crayfish whilst I was watching (image). The 26th saw me at Hillbrow (Letchworth), looking for Small Blue butterflies. I did eventually find half a dozen on a very windy day, but there was little else to see until a male Orange Tip butterfly fluttered by and conveniently stopped for me to photograph it.

Great Crested Grebe with Crayfish, Amwell, 23 May

Male Orange Tip Butterfly, Letchworth, 26 May

Small Blue, Letchworth, 26 May

A large flock of Ringed Plovers (12-15 individuals) arrived at Wilstone Reservoir in late May, staying for a few days. These birds, which looked slightly different to the birds that I see on the Norfolk coast, were likely passage migrants, heading to breeding sites in Northern Europe. I went to see them on the 28th. A Little Ringed Plover (resident?) and two Dunlins were also seen. Whilst I was in the area I took a walk along the Grand Union Canal from Wilstone village. A single, female White-legged Damselfly was seen on the bank of the canal, and I also had a bit of fun trying to photograph the very mobile Banded Demoiselle dragonflies on another windy day.

Ringed Plover, Wilstone Reservoir, 28 May

Male Banded Demoiselle, Grand Union Canal near Wilstone, 28 May

Locally, I found what I believe is an 'instar' Speckled Bush Cricket (only about 5mm long) on a walk along the Icknield Way east of Royston on the 27th and three Bee Orchids in a hollow on Church Hill on the 29th. When I came back with my macro lens to photograph the most impressive of the orchids on the 31st I was lucky to see a very early Marbled White butterfly, the first to be reported in the Herts. and Middlesex region and the first that I have ever seen in May. No Adonis Blues were seen on either visit, although they were reported by others visiting The Heath at the end of May and early June.

Immature Speckled Bush Cricket (?), Royston, 27 May

Bee Orchid, Therfield Heath, 31 May

'Record Shot' of Marbled White, 31 May

In the garden, recently fledged birds started to appear towards the end of the month including, surprisingly, juvenile Greenfinches. Blue Tits, Great Tits and Blackbirds also brought their young into the garden, whilst frenetic Starling activity and noise suggested that their young would soon be fledging.