Diary

May 2005

Weather

The serious water situation was not helped by rainfall during May which only amounted to about one third of the long term average. The 17 mm measured, when added to the rest of the year to date brought the total for 2005 up to 140 mm which is only just under 60% of the average for the first 5 months. The wettest day was the 20th with 6 mm of rain.

Maximum and minimum temperatures were generally very similar to the average throughout the month apart from the nights between the 8th and 14th when lower than average temperatures were recorded. Frost was recorded on 4 days with the minimum temperature being -2.5°C on the 11th.

Birds

May was noteworthy by evidence of breeding activity rather than any unusual sightings. Young moorhens and mallards seemed to be everywhere and the tooing and froing of blue tits and great tits feeding young in nest boxes was frantic. The young grey wagtails left their nest located ON rather than IN the nest box provided and young a chiffchaff was seen towards the end of the month. I have not seen the garden warbler this year which is a little disappointing after the successful breeding of this species in 2003 and 2004 but I still hope for sightings.

Butterflies

Another two species added to the total for 2005 making a total of ten. The "new" species were common blue and small heath, the latter spotted by Des but not on my list yet.



Etc.

The lack of activity by Water Voles was slightly concerning but, the hope is, that they are busy tending young underground. A Stout was seen on one occasion just below the mill weir and a family of at least two fox cubs were frequently around in the area of the Trout Pond. On one visit a fox cub appeared dead in a small clearing near the Trout Pond.

However, after several minutes and dozens more photographs it lifted it's head and yawned. Only to lay down and go back to sleep again. It did, though, a little later , wake up again, stretch itslf and wander off into the undergrowth.

On the flower front the Yellow Flag Irises put on a good show and I was delighted to see a spectacular display of Ragged Robin growing from the disturbed soil just in front of the constructed Fox Den.