Harry and volunteer Tim led a Butterfly Walk on the 2nd. Seven people joined them, and they recorded 13 species including Small Tortoiseshell, Small Copper, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White, Comma, Ringlet, Marbled White, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Small Skipper & Peacock. Around the Flo Pond there was an abundance of Golden-ringed Dragonflies, Beautiful Demoiselles and Large Red Damselflies. A flock of 50-60 Linnets took off from the old crop. On the 3rd Harry and Josh finished the roofing on the 3rd Field Shelter in North Park.
An early evening walk on the 3rd saw 80-100 Linnet flying in and around the old bird crop feeding on last years Forage Rape seed. Several Stonechat were calling in the new crop which is bright yellow with Corn Marigold. Some Corn Chamomile, Borage Cornflower and Poppies were visible in the nectar strip and some Sunflower plants could be seen breaking through the Corn Marigold. The Fodder Radish was forming its seed pods.
Moth trapping in Kiln Close on the 4th recorded Privet hawk, Single-dotted wave, White point, Peppered, Dark arches, Buff tip, Knotgrass, Common footman, Buff arches, Buff ermine, Common wainscot, Mottled rustic, The uncertain, Bright-line brown-eye & Large emerald. All the Moths were subsequently released. Later that day Harry and volunteers Steve and Eliza carried out work on the 3rd Field Shelter, adding the final boards and fascia boards They also erected 2x Kent style bat boxes, 2 small bird boxes and ta Barn Owl perch at the back. A large flock,100+ Linnet were around again early evening as were the Stonechats in the new crop.
The weekend Butterfly Walk on the 5th was postponed due to the weather forecast, however by the time it was due to start the rain hadn’t materialised.
Harry and 10 volunteers from ‘The Exeter’ bracken bashed all of Kiln Close, and a good chunk of the roadside edge on the 9th and on the 10th Harry continued bracken bashing around the solar panels. A Barn Owl emerged from the Main Field pole box around 10pm. The Swallow in the Top Field Shelter successfully fledged on the 14th and there were 100+ Linnets in the old bird food crop. On the 16th a juvenile Grey Heron was seen flying upstream, a Buzzard was perched on Barn Owl Pole Box, the Swallows were starting a second nest, there were a pair of Stonechat near the allotments, and a Sparrowhawk was hunting Linnets in the old bird crop. A Grey Heron flying off from the river was being mobbed by the Herring Guls which seem to have become permanent residents in the valley.
It was great to hear that there were at least 3 Green Woodpeckers around on the 18th, they have been noticeable by their absence. Harry was joined by 18 Dartmoor Youth Rangers on the 20th. They were thistle pulling and bracken bashing, alongside some insect surveys. At the end of their day, they found a very small Hedgehog in the open in the orchard in broad daylight. Despite providing food it was found dead the next day. On the 21st a Goshawk flew out of the Holly behind the First Field Shelter.
Harry mowed some of the paths on the 23rd. The trail camera on Swallow Pond was still picking up the usual suspects – Magpie, Stock Dove, Wood Pigeon, Carrion Crow, Swallow. A rabbit was also seen for the first time around the pond. On the 24th David finished mowing the paths. A chiffchaff was in the Pennsland Lane hedge on the 25th and there were 100+ Linnet between the new and old crop on the 28th and 10 Swallows were counted hunting. On the 30th we recorded our first LLP record of a Sedge Warbler. A Nightjar was heard churring in the neighbouring felled Larch plantation, the 5th record and first since 2016. There were 2 Tree Pipits calling over Main Field. An overnight moth trap caught Hummingbird Hawkmoths, Common Rustic, Elephant Hawkmoth, Pale Prominent, Poplar Hawkmoth, and Coronet. We finished the month with a Hobby over the Main Field being mobbed by a Swallow. Daniel filled up the mud scrape with water and trimmed vegetation around pond and the team had a lunchtime picnic in the orchard to mark the retirement of Gill, our Office Manager.
The mean temperature for the month was 17.6°C, significantly above our 20-year average of 16.47°C. Rainfall for the month was 25.6mm over 10-days, well below average here of 76.32mm.
