St Nicks

Throughout the month, construction work on the Cycle Track prevented us from monitoring wildlife from the Kingfisher Culvert up to the Sluice Bridge Weather: After a very wet start on 2nd, when six soggy observers only managed an hour in the field, conditions improved and ended with a lovely sunny day on 30th. However, heavy […]

Winter Thrushes During October, the UK will see the start of a mass invasion from overseas, as hundreds of thousands of birds move in from Scandinavia and other parts of Continental Europe to escape from the harsher winters. These include common garden birds, such as Robin and Chaffinch, but our focus this month is on […]

This is a new format for the Wildwatch Group’s contribution to the St Nicks blog. We’ve decided that, instead of posting weekly, we’ll do a monthly roundup of our observations, focusing on the highlights of the month for birds, mammals, plants & flowers, invertebrates and all the other rich diversity of wildlife at St Nicks. […]

  If you have a garden or backyard with a few plants you will almost certainly see, between March and October, small yellow stripy flies hovering over your flowers. Most of these will be hoverflies, called ‘flower flies’ in the USA because of their attraction to wild and garden flowers. Their stripy appearance makes them […]

Weather: Cloudy, with occasional sunny intervals. Light breeze. 15 to 21 C Observers: Amanda, Cliff, Declan, Ian, Janetta, Kaye, Linda, Paul, Preeyus The run of dry weather continues, although the downpour a week ago has refreshed the flow of water in both becks. Although the weather remains warm, there are signs of the approaching Autumn, […]

Weather: short but heavy showers clearing to sun; breezy Observers: Amanda, Carrie, Cliff, Kaj, Kaye, Linda, Mike, Paul, Tracy The reserve is looking increasingly autumnal, with far more seed heads than flowers, and fruits ripening on a range of trees. The birds are still skulking, but the insects (like this one) are amazing. Mowing was […]

Weather: 15C to 21C A cool start to the day, but it warmed up later. Sunny intervals, light SW breeze Observers: Amanda, Doug, Hanna, Ian, Janetta, Kaj, Kaye, Linda, Mike, Paul, Preeus, Tracy Wow! What a huge turn-out this morning! There were twelve of us setting out from the Environment Centre – and it was […]

  Wild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum Teasels can be found all year, the full-grown plants often standing tall above the surrounding vegetation.  They are biennials, and start off  in their first spring as neat, almost flat rosettes of leaves. The tall flowering stems grow in the second year.  Late July to August is the time to […]

Weather: Mainly sunny, cloudier later, occasional light breeze, 13C to 21 C Observers: Amanda, Cliff, Declan, Ian, Kaye, Linda, Megan, Mike, Nicole, Paul, Preeyus Another good turn-out of Wildwatchers. Ian took newcomers, Megan, Mike & Nicole round, to be joined later by Declan and Preeyus, with an emphasis on birds and butterflies. Kaye led the […]

Weather: Warm (17C to 21C), overcast, but with sunny intervals. Occasional light SW breeze. Observers: Amanda, Declan, Ian, Janetta, Kaj, Kaye, Linda, Preeyus With eight of us on the Wildwatch today, we decided to split into two groups. Ian and Linda took Declan and Preeyus round, aiming to record birds and butterflies, whilst Kaye and […]