This is our second year of recording the wildlife seen in a small local area.  We chose different times of day for the visits and in order to see waders aimed for a time when the tide left mud exposed in the river.  We were lucky on all our outings to have dry weather, although one was damp at the start.  We had received permission to visit the newly formed lake at Creeksea but this didn’t provide much wildlife.  We hope in the future with the extensive tree planting nearby it will encourage more wildlife to visit this area.

It was a good year with plenty of birds sighted each month; in February a lone Meadow Pipit, in March & April we heard the unmistakable call of the Cetti’s Warbler and in May spotted a Cuckoo calling from its perch, Golden Plover in October and Red-legged Partridge October & November.  An exciting new sighting was of Marbled White Butterflies.  In all we identified 52 bird species (the same as last year but with some variations).  This year we recorded 14 species of butterfly, 5 up on last year and they arrived in May, one month later than last year and were last seen in September, one month earlier than the previous year.

Throughout the year we built up our knowledge of flowers although we were unable to identify a few of them. It was the flowers that sometimes made our progress slow, as we spent a lot of time discussing them and consulting our books; outings usually took us around 2 hours.  93 flower varieties were identified, 19 more than 2015 and we identified 10 grass varieties.

Diane Caulkett

Birds	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Blackbird
Blackcap
Chaffinch
Chiffchaff
Cormorant
Crow, Carion
Cuckoo
Curlew
Dove, Collared
Dunnock
Egret, Little
Geese, Brent
Geese, Canada
Goldfinch
Grebe, Little
Grebe, Great-Crested
Greenfinch
Gull, Black-headed
Gull, Herring
House Martin
Jackdaw
Kestrel
Lapwing
Linnet
Magpie
Mallard
Meadow Pipit
Moorhen
Oystercatcher
Partridge, Red-legged
Pheasant
Pied Wagtail
Plover, Golden
Redshank
Reed Warbler
Robin
Skylark
Sparrow
Starling
Swallow
Thrush, Song
Tit, Blue
Tit, Long-tailed
Tit, Great
Warbler, Cetti's
Whitethroat
Whitethroat, lesser
Wood Pigeon
Woodpecker, Green
Wren
Yellow Wagtail
Birds	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Flowers	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Agrimony
Bellbine
Bindweed
Bird's Foot Trefoil
Black Horehound
Blackthorn
Bramble
Bristly Ox-tongue
Buttercup
Buttercup, Celery-leaved
Buttercup, Creeping
Campion, Bladder
Campion, Red
Campion, White
Cat's Ear
Celandine, Lesser
Chickweed
Cleavers
Clover, Red
Clover, Strawberry
Clover, White
Cow Parsley
Crane's-bill, Dove's-foot
Crane's-bill, Small-flowered
Creeping Cinqhefoil
Curled Dock
Daisy
Dandelion
Deadnettle, Red
Deadnettle, White
Dog Rose
Dog Violet, Common
Elder
Fat Hen
Field Forget-me-Not
Fleabane, Common
Fumitory
Goat's-beard
Gorse
Grass Vetchling
Groundsel
Hawkbit, Autumn
Hawkweed, Beaked
Hawthorn
Hazel Catkins
Hedge Mustard
Hoary Cress
Honeysuckle
Horse Chestnut
ris, Yellow Flag
Ivy
Lady's Bedstraw
Mallow, Common
Marsh Marigold
Mayweed, Scented
Meadow Vetchling
Medick, Black
Medick, Spotted
Nightshade, Woody
Nipplewort
Ox-eye Daisy
Plantain, Greater
Plantain, Ribwort
Poppy, Field
Pussy Willow
Ragwort
Ragwort, Oxford
Reedmace, Common
Rowan
Salsify
Scarlet Pimpernel
Sea Beet
Sea Lavender
Self Heal
Shepherd's Purse
Smooth Hawksbeard
Snowdrop
Sorrel
Sowthistle, Prickly
Sowthistle, Smooth
Speedwell, Common Field
Stinging Nettle
Stitchwort, Lesser
Teasel
Thistle, Creeping
Thistle, Marsh
Thistle, Spear
Thrift
Vetch, Common
Wall Lettuce
Wild Carrot
Wild Pansy
Willowherb, Broad-leaved
Willowherb, Great
Yarrow
Flowers	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Grasses	jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bent Grass
Cocksfoot
Couch Grass
Great Reedmace
Lesser Cat's Tail
Meadow Barley
Meadow Brome
Meadow Foxtail
Rye
Wild Barley
Grasses	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Wildlife	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Beetles & Flys
Beetle, Longhorn
Blowfly
Crane Fly
Devil's coach Horse
Dragonfly
Grasshopper
Hoverfly
Ladybird, Two-spot
Ladybird, Harlequin
Ladybird, Seven-spot
St Mark's fly
Wasp
Bees
Bumble Bee, buff-tailed
Bumble Bee, red-tailed
Bumble Bee, white-tailed
Carder Bee, Common
Honeybee
Butterflies
Blue, Common
Brimstone
Comma
Gatekeeper Butterfly
Marbled White butterfly
Meadow Brown Butterfly
Orange Tip butterfly
Painted Lady Butterfly
Peacock Butterfly
Red Admiral
Skipper Butterfly
Small Heath
Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly
White, Small Butterfly
White, Large Butterfly
Other
Rabbit
Black Slugs
Caterpillar
Caterpillars (Brown Tail Moth)
Bracket fungus
Oak Gall
Mole Hills
Wildlife	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec