Diary

August 2005

Weather

August's rainfall of 34mm as against the average of 60mm means that we have now had 7 of the last 8 months with below average rainfall. The total for the year is now just 53% of the average for the first eight months of the year. The wettest day was the 21st with 8.8mm of rain.

Minimum temperatures were close to the average for most of the month except for a six day period between 4th and 10th when they fell below the average with a lowest recorded value of 5.5°C on the 8th. Maximum temperatures were above average for most of the month.

Birds

August was a good month for warblers with sightings of Blackcaps, Garden Warblers and a couple of Lesser Whitethroats together in an Elder tree searching for caterpillars and insects. A photograph of one of these Whitethroats which are normally very illusive birds is reproduced here. Whilst watching the warblers a Yellowhammer dropped in for a bath and a preen - a rarely reported species for the beds. The Benson Environmental Survey Team (BEST) had their summer picnic on the grass outside the Watercress Centre and were treated to the sight of a Hobby causing mayhem amongst the Swallows and House Martins.



Butterflies

The number of butterflies and the number of different species is dropping off now and Des tells me that he only found 5 species this month. I saw my first "Ewelme" Small Heath for the year on the 7th and a high count, albeit only 4, of Speckled Woods on the 23rd.



Etc.

BEST completed their Water Vole survey of the Ewelme Brook below the watercress beds and down to the Thames but with negative results - not a sign of recent activity anywhere. I might have suspected the return of the mink except that the young Mallard and Moorhens seem to be surviving and Des has his traps out permanently without result.

Still a number of dragonflies hawking over the beds but too quick for me to identify - anyone help?

This, not very good photo, is of a Picture Wing Fly (Icterica westermanni) - at least I think it is, but am awaiting confirmation from someone who knows. They are, apparently fairly rare, or at least little reported as the records indicate that they only occur in 31-100 10km squares in Great Britain.!



Our chief Crayfish controller tells me that he has, so far, removed about 150 "Signal Crayfish" from the stream below the beds with no sign whatsoever of our native species. If he eats all those he will begin to look like one!