Wildlife Records for 2018

Jan 2018  Lapwings using fields by the Frome. Lapwing formerly bred on the water meadows but have suffered a decline throughout England.

Jan 2018 The remains of an Earthstar fungus were found in a garden in Cologne Road. ACW / RMP

SPRING 2018

The cold wet weather has meant a late start for spring but the warm sunny weather in mid April has brought things on with a rush. This means that migrants arriving at their usual time have probably had a shortage of food as insects will respond very much according to the temperature. So spring records this year are particularly interesting.ACW

On 4th of April Swallows were seen flying over the watermeadows between the Tank Museum and The Water Barn.

On 7th April a Cuckoo was heard in the same area.

AV

Orange tips, Holly blue, Comma, Brimstone week of 16-22 April

Large red damsel w/o 23-29 April

White tail, Red tail, Buff tail and Common carder bumble bees w/o 23-29

Great crested newt, and Frogbit re-floating w/o 23-29

Chiffchaff singing corner of garden w/o 23-29

Cuckoos in Hethfelton wood, Maggot Hill & Water meadows w/o 23-29

Siskins and 2 pairs of Bullfinches feeding in garden.

At SY837867. BS

27/4/18 Speckled Wood and Green Veined White meadow off Cologne Road.

Brimstone & female Orange tip seen in Cologne Road in the early weeks of April

ACW

2-5-18 Cuckoo to the east of Cologne Road. UG.

1-5-18 2 Hedgehogs in garden at SY837867

1-5-18 House Martins over Purbeck Gate and in the last week Swallows over Morton Road

12-5-18 Swifts over Railway crossing at East Stoke

12-5-18 Azure Damselfly at SY837867

13-5-18 Common Pipistrelle at SY837867

17-5-18 Large Red Damselfly, a male Broad Bodied Chaser and 3 Gt. Crested Newts at SY837867

19-5-18 Swifts over the Railway cottages at East Burton and Swifts and House Martin over SY837867

22-5-18 Privet Hawk at SY837867

BS

At the beginning of May there were Skylarks over the Solar panels just North of Woolbridge

Cuckoo in woodland at Bovington Farm

Hedgehog in Bovington School grounds

Orchids on the road verge in Bovington Lane.

EA

In Late May - Early June a Painted Lady was seen in Cologne Road. These sometimes arrive in huge numbers when there are winds from the south but so far only one!

Possibly a Turtle Dove was heard in Cologne Road, in recent years these have become increasingly rare.

Throughout the hot weather especially on the hot humid evenings bat activity has been high in Cologne Road. RMP

In early June a Grass Snake was found tangled in netting over a garden pond in Cologne Road. It was disentangled with difficulty and released at an alternative pond.

RMP

10-6-18 A Red Kite flew over Cologne Road. There are beginning to be more sightings of Red Kites in Dorset are they breeding here yet?

ACW

16/7/18 During the adjudication of gardens in Cologne Road for the Open Gardens event families of several woodland and garden birds were seen: Goldfinches, Siskin, Greater Spotted Woodpecker, Redpoll and Chaffinch.

RMP

20/7/18 Bovington Park (former Bovington Middle School) Trees in the grounds are to have a Tree Preservation Order. Turtle Dove has been recorded from the grounds.

RMP

July 2018. A Jersey Tiger Moth (above) seen in a garden in East Burton. NJ

August 2018 A Jersey Tiger Moth seen in a garden in Cologne Road. RMP

2/5/18  Cuckoo East of Cologne Road. UG