Coombe Hill (31 July, contributed by Andy Jayne)
The highlights at Coombe Hill Meadows today were one Teal, a Little Grebe, five Little Egrets, 120 Lapwing, seven Snipe, a Greenshank, 12 Green Sandpipers, a Common Sandpiper, a Kingfisher and male Redstart.
Cleeve Hill (23 July, contributed by Peter Fitchett)
A range of butterflies seen in the evening included ten Dark Green Fritillaries (top left below), plenty of Marbled Whites, Small Skippers and Meadow Browns. There were also 6-Spot Burnet Moths (bottom centre below) in abundance. The Pyramidal Orchids were still in bloom but going over with a new element to the summer colour palette added by a few Harebells (top right below).
Coombe Hill (12 July, contributed by Andy Jayne)
Sightings today included three Teal, a Little Grebe, four Little Egrets, three Little Ringed Plovers, c.65 Lapwing, a Dunlin, a Snipe, two Greenshanks, five Green Sandpipers, two Common Terns and a Turtle Dove.
Painswick Beacon (12 July, contributed by Peter Fitchett)
Peter’s pictures below show a nice variety of species to be found in the Cotswolds in early July. They are: top left – Marbled White (Melanargia galathea); top right – Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis); bottom left – Musk Orchid (Herminium monorchis); bottom right – Silver-washed Fritillary (Argynnis paphia).
Severn Hams (8 July, contributed by Mike Smart and Les Brown)
At Coombe Hill this morning, the water level in scrapes was fairly low, with good muddy edges for waders. Still very little hay cut, because of the recent wet weather.
There was a good showing of passage waders: about 11 Green Sandpipers, one Greenshank, one Redshank, one Common Sandpiper, one Oystercatcher, two Lapwings; but no Wood Sandpipers (one recorded on 2 July). Also a singing Turtle Dove. Seven Teal, one Shoveler. Still the odd Lesser Whitethroat singing, some Sedge Warblers and a few Reed Warblers.
In the evening, there were yet more migrant waders: a very excited flock of 15 Black-tailed Godwits, flushed by a Peregrine and doing the “grutto” display call before flying off; two Greenshanks were there compared to only one this morning. They also flew off at dusk. The entirely fearless Common Tern chased off the Peregrine; I wonder if it had taken a chick? The pair of swans that nested at The Wharf have seven cygnets, and are eating duckweed further down the canal. The air at dusk was full of low-flying swifts; you could hear the whirr of their wings as they whistled by.
At Ashleworth in the morning, there has been but little hay cut either; a Quail still singing late morning on the Hasfield side.
Coombe Hill (7 July, contributed by Andy Jayne)
Today there were three Little Egrets, 50 Lapwing, a Black-tailed Godwit, a Greenshank, a Green Sandpiper, two Common Terns, a Turtle Dove displaying, 50+ Sand Martins, a Yellow Wagtail and singing Lesser Whitethroat.
Severn Ham, Tewkesbury (2 July, contributed by Andy Jayne)
A pair of Corn Buntings was present today, with the female feeding two fledged juveniles. This is a very welcome record showing that the species is still present at this traditional site.