July is one of the warmest months; it is also a ‘crossroads’ with many songbirds falling quiet, as they are busy feeding their newly fledged young.  We were lucky to hear a blackbird singing in the car park, as with few exceptions we will not hear them again until February.  The skylarks were singing joyously, one to the north of the railway line and one to the south near the river.  Even with mud exposed the river produced nothing of interest.  However many flowers reach their peak in July so we were kept busy identifying them and also the insects feeding on them, although we struggled with many of these.  On the saltings the sea lavender glowed in the late afternoon sun and seemed to be at its peak.  A lone little egret fed there where last month we had seen five.  Both the dyke and the marina were empty of bird life save for the sighting of one common tern that flew above the latter.

Birds: Blackbird, House Sparrows 8 (4), Goldfinch 2 (2), Swallow 12 (7) Magpie 4, Wood Pigeon 21 (4) Crow 3 (2), Little Egret, Black-head Gull 26 (17) and Common Tern – numbers in brackets are those sighted at one time.

Heard: Wren, Skylark (2), a Warbler, Greenfinch and Pheasant.

Flowers: Ragwort, Bindweed, Bellbine, Red & White Clover, Fleabane, Yarrow, Bristly Ox-tongue, Wild Carrot, Ribwort & Greater Plantain, Bird’s Foot Trefoil, Smooth Hawk’s-beard, Bramble, Black Horehound, Mallow, Stinging Nettle, Broad-leaved Dock, Sow- Thistle, Spear Thistle, Hedge Mustard, Red Campion, Field Poppy, Great Mullein, Great Burdock, Scentless Mayweed, Great & Broad-leaved Willowherb, Lady’s Bedstraw, Sea Lavender, Creeping Buttercup, Elderflower, Woody Nightshade, Mugwort, Honeysuckle, Teasel and Common Knapweed

Other: White-tailed & Red-tailed Bumble Bees, Seven-spot Ladybird, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Large White & Skipper Butterflies, Hoverfly and Grasshopper.

Next Meeting – Thursday 27^th August 16.00 meet in the Marina Car Park