Friends of Fineshade
Wildlife Diary
For over two years we published a regular diary that reported on the wildlife that could be seen in Fineshade at that time of the year,
Below is a list of the diary entries that were published between January 2016 and June 2018. Click on the icon of the relevant month to read the diary entry.
February 2016 >>>
2nd February: It’s a raptor fest. Kites and other birds of prey
15th February: Joy for travellers. Old Man’s Beard
22nd February: Confusing Tits. Marsh Tit and Willow Tit
29th February: Two confusing names. Spurge Laurel & Green Shieldbug
March 2016 >>>
7 Mar: What’s going on down there? Badgers
14 Mar: No trouble with lichens. Lichens
21 Mar: The screamer of the wood. Jays
28 Mar: Spring arrived before the storm. Chiffchaff & Yellow Star of Bethlehem
April 2016 >>>
3 Apr: The flight of the bumblebee. Bumblebees
10 Apr: Good newt news. Palmate Newt
18 Apr: Here come the migrants. Willow Warbler & Blackcap
25 Apr: The cruellest month? Cowslips & False Oxlips
May 2016 >>>
2 May: Frightened and out of its skin. Adder
9 May: Strange croaks and tweets. Woodcock
16 May: The oak and the embattled Ash. Trees
23 May: Westhay – the regrowth begins. Flowers and shrubs
20 May: two more white flowers. Woodruff & Ramsons
June 2016 >>>
6 Jun: Many bees and an unusual insect Honey bees & Scarce Chaser
12 Jun: Bees do it. Tree Bumblebees
17 Jun: The MP and the Orchid. Bee Orchid
28 Jun: Lizard skins and toes. Common Lizard
July 2016 >>>
3 Jul: Two unusual insects. A Longhorn Beetle & a Hoverfly
8 Jul: Crossbills and cranesbills. Common Crossbill & Meadow Cranesbill
13 Jul: Glow-worm, Long-eared Owls and dragonflies.
17 Jul: Butterfly walk. White-letter Hairstreak & Marbled White
21 Jul: An unusual hoverfly. Volucella inflate
30 Jul: What’s coming up in Westhay. Common Cudweed & Lesser Centaury
August 2016 >>>
1 Aug: Two Ravens. Raven
5 Aug: Another rare beetle. Red Longhorn Beetle
7 Aug: Twice girdled teasels. Common Teasel
9 Aug: Now a rare migrant. Spotted Flycatcher
14 Aug: Scarce plants. Yew, Round-leaved Fluellen, Trailing St. John’s Wort
26 Aug: Seed dispersal Woolly Thistle & Lords and Ladies
September 2016 >>>
2 Sep: Another probable Dormouse nest. Dormice
6 Sep: Secretive bird of prey breeding. Hobby
11 Sep: A giant caterpillar. Privet Hawk-moth
16 Sep: In search of Belladonna. Deadly Nightshade
24 Sep: A curious fungus. Shaggy Bracket fungus
October 2016 >>>
10 Oct: Shaggy Inkcaps and a furry dormouse.
22 Oct: Winter thrushes. Fieldfare & Redwing
28 Oct: A buzz in the wood pile. European Hornet
31 Oct: Some remarkable fungi. Fly Agaric and Magpie Inkcap
November 2016 >>>
2 Nov: More new arrivals. Brambling, Siskin and Redpoll
5 Nov: A slimy mess on the grass. Dog’s Sick Slime Mould
13 Nov: Even more agaric. Fly Agaric
27 Nov. Stump Puffball, Bracket fungus, Common Funnel, Bonnet Mushroom
December 2016 >>>
1 Dec: How many fewer Woodcock? Woodcock
10 Dec: Spendid Crossbills. Common Crossbill
19 Dec: Snowberries Snowberry
31 Dec: Mammals at the hide. Fox & Bank Vole
January 2017 >>>
3 Jan: Buds not flowers New Year Plant Hunt
12 Jan: Hatchet to crack a nut. Nuthatch
22 Jan: A mid-winter delight. Small Teasel
27 Jan: Seen from the wildlife hide. Bullfinches
February 2017 >>>
1 Feb: Snowdrops. Snowdrops
8 Feb: Scarlet signs of spring. Scarlet Elfcaps
13 Feb: Exotic residents. Mandarin
26 Feb: After the storm. Fallen trees and dead wood
March 2017 >>>
4 Mar: Catkins in spring Hazel and Alder
13 Mar: More signs of spring Chiffchaff, Adder, Butterflies
18 Mar: Toads crossing Toads
23 Mar: Anything about? Birds this month
28 Mar: A living fossil in the Miers Great Horsetail
April 2017 >>>
8 Apr: Abundance of flowers Cherry, Wood Anemone, False Oxlip
14 Apr: Crossbills probably bred Common Crossbill
20 Apr: An oak in spring Oak
24 Apr: Its bluebell time Bluebells
May 2017 >>>
1 May: Which elm is Wych? Wych and English Elm
9 May: The smell of Yellow Archangel Yellow Archangel
11 May: Not Berkeley Square Nightingale
18 May: The importance of Dormice Dormouse
24 May: Westhay's wide rides Bugle, Wild Service Tree
30 May: Cockchafer or May Bug Cockchafer
June 2017 >>>
6 June Look out for orchids and beetles Cardinal Beetle
8 June Look or for Bee Orchids Bee Orchids
13 June A significant moth Concolorous moth
July 2017 >>>
4 July How many butterflies this month? Silver-washed Fritillary
6 July Food for free Wild Blackcurrants
10 July More rare beetles Red Longhorn Beetle
17 July Hundreds of tiny flowers Lesser Centaury
30 July 24 species of butterfly Clouded Yellow, Brown Argus
August 2017 >>>
1st Aug: Spotted Flycatchers
8th Aug: More special moths. Birch Mocha and Coronet
14th Aug: A Hobby at the hide
22nd Aug: Angelica and Hoverflies
September 2017 >>>
1 Sept: Fineshade's ants
9 Sept: Seen at the Hide. Kingfisher, kite and hornets
16 Sept: Colourful berries Black Bryony and Snowberry
23 Sept: Dog's Sick Slime Mould
October 2017 >>>
1 Oct: Fineshade Fungi Magpie, Shaggy, Pleated Inkcaps
5 Oct: Raptor at the Hide Sparrowhawk
9 Oct: Anyone for a Penny Bun? Boletus edulis
13 Oct: Historical fungi records M.J.Berkeley
23 Oct: Three birds in flight Buzzard, Jay, Green Woodpecker
27 Oct: Deer at the Hide Fallow Deer
November 2017 >>>
3 Nov: On the brink of winter Hazel catkins
7 Nov: Woodcock Moon Woodcock
13 Nov: Recording Sorbus torminalis Wild Service Tree
17 Nov: Fungi at the tree house Magpie Inkcap
December 2017 >>>
1 Dec: Daylight encounter Badger
January 2018 >>>
2 Jan: Fungus first for Northants Iced Cake or Yellow Porecrust
26 Jan: What a stinker! Stinking Hellebore
February 2018 >>>
6 Feb: Great start for survey Willow Tit
13 Feb: Looking closely at Moss Mosses
26 Fen: The return of the Hawfinch Hawfinch
March 2018 >>>
10 Mar: After the snow Absence of small birds
16 Mar: Spring warms up Adders and early flowers
April 2018 >>>
7 Apr: More signs of spring
9 Apr: Planning a spider survey Spiders
14 Apr: Return of the Ranger Otters
24 Apr: Another new moth Frosted Green
May 2018 >>>
5 May: Praising Bluebells
10 May: Animal, vegetable or slimemould?
June 2018 >>>
1 Jun: What is a "new species"? Biological recording
19 Jun: Wood Warbler and Spotted Flycatcher
27 Jun: Purple Emperor butterfly
