Friday 27 November 2015

Wednesday 18 November 2015

Tuesday 27 October 2015

Otmoor.

The "Ashgrave Fallow Deer." Still happily living a bovine lifestyle.


Friday 16 October 2015

Oxon 16th October.

Bramble (still in bloom).

Stump Puffball.

Himalayan Balsam.

Hornets Nest.

Monday 12 October 2015

Appeal for 2015 dragonfly records

With the 2015 season nearing a close, as the British Dragonfly Society's Recorder for Oxon (VC23), this is an appeal to anyone with un-submitted dragonfly records.

With the notable exception of the colony of Variable Damselflies found by Martin Wackenier near Abingdon way back in May, this hasn't been a great year for dragonflies or their recording in the County.

Variable Damselfly, Barton Fields, Abingdon (c) Stephen Burch

I'd be particularly interested to hear from anyone who has found any Emerald Damselflies this year. So far there have been no records at all, not even from Otmoor - their usual stronghold.

Records can be either sent to me - for contact and other details see http://www.stephenburch.com/dragonflies/oxondnews2015.htm or via the BDS iRecord portal at http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ (although this does require creation of an account).

All records for 2015 will be submitted to the BDS around the turn of the year. It would be good to have some more to submit! As things stand the 2015 total isn't great, with only a tiny handful of observers sending in records, especially recently.

Friday 2 October 2015

Thursday 1 October 2015

Saturday 26 September 2015

Monday 21 September 2015

Sunday 20 September 2015

Shellingford Pit 19 September

Despite the worryingly low water levels, there were c. 6 Migrant Hawkers present, including one pair in cop.

Thursday 10 September 2015

Harwell Lab

Common or Smooth Newt. Previously misidentified as a Common Lizard. (With thanks to Roger Wyatt and Gareth Blockley) A salutary lesson in lazy ID for me, this newt was at least half-a-mile (as the crow flies) from the nearest pool, and a very newt-unfriendly half-mile at that! The area where the newt was found is also home to Common Lizards. There are however no excuses for misidentifying by a whole order! So, when I call a Merlin on the downs, bear in mind that it may actually be a Tench....

Friday 28 August 2015

Tuesday 25 August 2015

Otmoor.

Wasp Nest (destroyed by a Badger hunting grubs).

Grass Snake (about to shed its skin).

Wednesday 19 August 2015

More from Otmoor - 19th Aug

Pyrausta Aurata moth

Meadow Grasshopper ?
(confirmation please)

Ruddy Darter

A study in white

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Otmoor.

Lesser Water Plantain.

Lesser Water Plantain.

Southern Hawker.

Friday 14 August 2015

Otmoor Flowers.

Purple Loosestrife.

Devilsbit Scabious.

Upright Hedge Parsley (in the rain).