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!

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

Local Wildlife Sightings, June 2026

 For as long as I can remember, Britain has been known for its endlessly variable weather and the British people have been known for endlessly talking about it. However, the variability is becoming more and more extreme. Following the record-breaking heatwave in late May, we were plunged into a fortnight of 'unsettled' weather in June, with frequent showers (sometimes thundery) or periods of rain and daytime temperatures in the mid-teens. By the 4th, more rain had fallen in my garden than in April and May combined, and by the 10th more rain had fallen than in the whole of spring (March, April and May). This reflects how dry those months were, because the rainfall for June was only average at this point. Whilst the rain was welcome news for farmers (and my garden), it did restrict my activities and the activity of much of the wildlife that I watch, in the month that provides the most general wildlife interest of the year. After a week of gradually improving weather, the gods decided that we should then have another heatwave, with temperatures rising into the mid-30s and the UK June highest recorded temperature being exceeded on three successive dates (the 24th, 25th and 26th). Just as it is not pleasant to watch wildlife on cool, wet, overcast days it is not much fun to try to watch it in the baking sun, particularly when elderly souls such as myself are being encouraged to stay indoors! Still, I did get out and about, as you will see here.

Invertebrates

Butterflies can be on the wing for weeks or just a few days, depending on weather conditions. The vigorous activity prompted by the late May heatwave probably limited the lives on the wing of many butterflies to just a couple of days. By the 1st I was only able to find a single Adonis Blue on Church Hill. No other 'blues' were seen here, although I did encounter my first Marbled White butterfly, also on the 1st. A few Common Blues, including a 'blue' female, were seen on a local field early in the month. A Large Skipper, seen near the hospital on the 9th, was my first local sighting of this species. Otherwise, only a handful of Meadow Browns, Small Heaths and (rapidly declining now in numbers) Painted Ladies were seen up to the 11th.

Male Common Blue, Royston, 1 June

Azure and Large Red Damselflies, probably emergent from local garden ponds, were seen near the house, but in what has been a slow season for dragonflies, none were seen on my local patch in the first half of June.

Large Red Damselfly, Royston, 1 June

One puzzling sighting was of three apparent shield bugs, in different places, which I photographed but was unable to identify from 'Brock', or by looking online - one image is shown below. I checked back through my image archives from previous years and discovered that I had photographed an individual in 2024: again, I had been unable to identify it. Further investigation suggests that they may possibly be an invasive 'introduced' species, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, which is a crop pest. However, this awaits further investigation.

Unidentified Shield Bug, possibly Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Royston, 1 June

As June progressed, Marbled White numbers grew, until hundreds were flying, at both ends of The Heath. I love photographing these butterflies, with their distinctive black and white markings, and went out on three evenings in mid June to try to get some decent images that could be used in competition. Although many individuals roost in the grass, some end up on grass stems, sitting on top of Ox-eye Daisies etc. Here is one resting on a flower.

Male Marbled White Butterfly, Royston, 14 June

After a short break in Dorset, I returned at the start of the late June heatwave and spent over three hours on the 21st walking around my local area, including the eastern end of The Heath, finding four new species for the Royston area in 2026, including White-letter Hairstreak along the Icknield Way (several individuals) and the first Essex Skippers to be reported in Hertfordshire for 2026. Indeed, all three species of skipper were seen in big numbers. Also seen were some attractive (to my eyes, at least!) Ichneumon Wasps - all fodder for my macro lens.

Essex Skipper ('Dipped in Ink' Antennae), Royston, 23 June

Large Skipper, Royston, 21 June

Small Skipper, Royston, 21 June

Ichneumon Wasp, Royston, 21 June

Birds and Mammals

The wet weather was welcome news for ground feeders, particularly Blackbirds and Song Thrushes, which had found food hard to come by in spring due to the rock hard ground. Their ecstatic songs were noticeably more enthusiastic as the rain fell! Blue Tits often fledge their young at the beginning of June and two families (around 16 birds) were noted as I walked back from Hatchpen Farm on the 4th. On the same day I was delighted to note a Little Grebe with three tiny little chicks swimming on Phillup's Lake. Indeed, it was a family day there because a female Mallard had five young in tow and two pairs of Coot had five young (3+2) between them. The Coot, which are notoriously territorial, appear to have nested at opposite ends of the lake - I haven't seen any aggression between them to date.

Little Grebe Family (one chick out of shot), Phillup's Lake, 4 June

 Bird migration is over by the beginning of June, so local bird watching involves finding species that have escaped me to date in my local area. Having established in late May that my local Tawny Owls had once again bred successfully I returned to the area where they nest on the late evening of the 8th, armed with a camera in the hope of getting some photographs. The two juveniles duly obliged, although even with an ISO of 5,000 I was only able to manage one or two slightly blurred record shots (one below). They were still being fed by at least one adult bird. A welcome bonus was to find a Little Owl nearby, having first seen it being pursued by an angry Song Thrush. This was my first local record of Little Owl for over a year. There has been no evidence of successful nesting in recent years, although it is possible that the nest site is well away from public areas. A very active Badger sett is nearby and a Muntjac Deer was also seen here - what an evening hive of activity!

Distant 'Record Shot' of Little Owl, near Royston, 8 June

'Record Shot' of juvenile Tawny Owl, near Royston, 8 June

The following day I ventured to Hertford, where a summering female Goosander was being regularly reported. I found it on a weir in the centre of town, sharing its space with Mallard Ducks and Moorhens. When somebody started feeding the ducks with bread, it flew over apparently to join in (Tufted Ducks sometimes do this, although they probably just enjoy being part of a tribe and don't necessarily eat the bread). The bird was quite tame, presumably having been habituated to people. I wonder whether it is partially blind (no evidence from my images) or has some underlying physical problem (none seen) that prohibits it from 'normal' behaviour. Anyway, I wish it well! Whilst I was there I visited King's Meads, where a very active male Cuckoo was present and Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers were all singing occasionally.

Female Goosander, Hertford, 9 June

Female Goosander, Hertford, 9 June

 On The Heath (Lankester Hill), several Whitethroats and a single Lesser Whitethroat were singing when I walked across on the morning of the 11th and alarm calls from one particular group of bushes suggested that the young of one pair of Whitethroats may already have fledged.

A report of a Ruddy Shelduck at Amwell on the 23rd encouraged me to visit. Ruddy Shelducks have something in common with Black Swans in that they originate from escapes from wildfowl collections and, despite having been 'at large' for several years, their numbers don't seem to be increasing. Despite this I count them on my year lists and, furthermore, had never seen a Ruddy Shelduck in Hertfordshire before. I was pleased to correct this and had decent views of the bird. It wasn't reported after the 22nd.

Ruddy Shelduck, Amwell NR, 23 June

Flora

June is usually 'Orchid Month' on The Heath, but at the start of the month I could only see a handful of White Helleborines, which had 'gone over'. The rock hard ground did not give me hope for a good orchid season at the start of the month. However, after the heavy rain a single spike of Fragrant Orchid (image) had appeared on Church Hill on the 4th. Then on the 8th I saw a single spike of Lizard Orchid in the same area that had hosted two plants in 2025, which got me to wondering whether Lizard Orchids had always been present, but just missed by me.

Fragrant Orchid, Church Hill, 4 June

Other plants benefiting from the wet weather included Agrimony, Wild Candytuft, Wild Mignonette, Red Clover and Hogweed.

Local Wildlife Sightings May 2026

 April's dry, warm and sunny weather continued until the night of the 3/4th, when the first significant rain since late March arrived. There followed a couple of cool days, then pleasant, warm weather from the 7th to the 9th. However, after this the weather turned much cooler and more changeable, with showery outbreaks of rain and temperatures that struggled to reach 10C on some days.

A trip to Amwell on the 3rd was rewarded with views of Reed, Sedge and Cetti's Warblers. A male Cuckoo gave me the run around as it moved round its territory, but I eventually got a distant view (image below). A couple of Swifts, seen over the house on the 5th, signalled their arrival back in Royston and a single House Martin was seen on the 12th over Hatchpen Farm, the only place on my local patch that I am aware of where this declining species still nests. Juvenile birds were represented by the local Rooks and families of Long-tailed Tits (both species nest early in the year).

Distant 'Record Shot' of a Cuckoo, Amwell NR, 3 May

The generally colder weather resulted in a decrease in insect sightings, although I did see my first Common Blue of the year near Phillup's Lake on the 10th. Small numbers of Brown Argus, Small Heath and Small Copper butterflies were seen in a variety of places on the warmer days. There was a modest influx of European Painted Lady butterflies into the country in late April, and one or two were seen on my local patch, alongside larger numbers of (the also migratory) Red Admiral. Orange Tips, Holly Blues and various 'Whites' were still on the wing in good numbers. Amongst the other insects seen during the first part of May were a couple of Wasp Beetles.

Wasp Beetle (a Longhorn Beetle), Therfield Heath, 9 May

Corn Buntings finally took the hint that it was time to start nesting, and three singing males were seen in fields within a mile of the house on the 12th. On another visit to Scales Park on the 13th I again failed to record any Crossbills (I only cover a relatively small section of the woodland on my visits, so I would not rule out the possibility of them breeding elsewhere in this area). Compensation came in the form of two newly fledged Ravens that were being fed by an adult. Ravens have nested here for years, but it was nice to confirm successful breeding. A few Speckled Wood and Small Heath butterflies were seen, despite the cold (12C), windy weather.

Corn Bunting, Royston, 12 May

Juvenile Raven, Scales Park, 13 May

On the evening of the 12th I helped my friend John check the owl boxes on his farm. Next to the first box we found a 'just about fledged' Tawny Owl (image). A parent was seen nearby. However, these were the last owls that I saw. Barn Owls are around on the farm: they nest much later than Tawnies, so there is a chance that they will still use one of John's boxes.

Baby Tawny Owl, Rushden, 12 May

The weather changed dramatically in the week from the 18th as, after a couple of unsettled days, high pressure and southerly winds saw temperatures rise from below normal to a record-breaking high of 35C (London) on the 26th. Back from three nights in Northumberland (separate blog post in due course) I visited Church Hill on the morning of the 23rd and was not surprised to see around ten male Adonis Blue butterflies (first generation) zooming around in the heat. Later in the day my partner and I walked across Lankester Hill, at the opposite end of The Heath, and I saw at least two male and two female Adonis Blue butterflies there, too. They had probably been on the wing for a couple of days. The Adonis Blues seemed to disperse over the next few days as temperatures rose still further - photographing them in the heat proved challenging! A visit to Hillbrow (Letchworth) on the 26th was rewarded with views of several Small Blues (image below).

Male Adonis Blue, Church Hill, 23 May

Small Blue, Hillbrow (Letchworth), 26 May

Both Small Blues and Adonis Blues had been reported at Clothall Common (off the A505 between Baldock and Royston) in previous years. Since both species were on the wing, I decided to visit on the 27th to see whether I could detect either. Male Common and Adonis Blues are hard to separate in flight, but all the butterflies that I was able to identify on the ground were Common Blues. However, after much searching I did manage to find a couple of Small Blues - the first that I have seen at this site. There is plenty of Kidney Vetch (their food plant) on Therfield Heath, but I have never detected Small Blues there. Maybe this year?

The extreme heat of late May, both here and in continental Europe, was the likely cause of a major influx of Painted Lady butterflies into the country towards the end of May. I counted around 30 at Clothall Common on the 27th and up to two were feeding in the garden over the last few days of May, with Valerian being the favoured source of nectar. I remember the Painted Lady 'invasion' of 2009: this was perhaps the biggest influx since that year.

Painted Lady on Oxeye Daisy, Clothall Common, 27 May

Two Tawny Owlets were calling from different parts of a local wood, indicating that they had fledged, when I did my first dusk 'owl walk' on the evening of the 28th. I still don't know where the nest site is, but they often appear in this woodland and I hope to be able to see and possibly photograph them in June. A very active Badger Sett was nearby - Badgers are common in the Royston area, but I rarely see them. Here, at least four were snuffling about in the vegetation and one came right up to me. My search for Spotted Flycatchers on The Heath had been less successful - visits to the woodland on either side of the Therfield Road, where they usually appear, drew a blank in the second half of May. However, I did find at least one bird in woodland not far from the golf driving range when I walked east to west across The Heath on the 29th. The thought that this scarce and declining species had abandoned The Heath would have been too much to bear! Also seen on the same walk were a couple of Meadow Brown butterflies (my first of the year), a female Large Red Damselfly not far from the house, an unusual green Beetle (Green Nettle Weevil?) and a few parasitic Broomrape plants. Painted Lady numbers continued to grow, and I had fun photographing them on the Oxeye Daisies in the garden, again on the 29th.

Green Nettle Weevil (I think!), Royston, 29 May

Broomrape Plant, Royston, 29 May

Painted Lady in my Garden, Royston, 29 May