As July nears its conclusion a small influx of Warblers are arriving on the Park, as are the bird ringers collecting data for the BTO, they had captured over the last couple of days Garden Warbler and Sedge Warbler, Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Warbler, and today a Melodious Warbler was caught, this warbler has a noticeably longer beak than most others.
Out near the Large Copse more Willow Warblers were flitting through the branches, their bodies quite yellow compared to the Chiffchaffs that have been resident all summer. In amongst this group was a flock of Long-tailed Tits and a few Blue Tits.
Down in the gully on the long grass was a magnificent female Tiger Beetle, the striped body in the centre of her fascinating web, while also on the same web were two male Tiger Spiders. These look nothing like the female lacking the stripes, colour and size!
The sound of grasshoppers whirring in the grass, the long wings of the Field Grasshoppers noticeable as they perched, the orange undersides seen when they flew. Meadow Grasshopper, Common Green Grasshopper and Dark Bush-crickets also spotted.
Nibbling on the leaves of the Ragwort was an orange and black hooped Cinnabar moth caterpillar, while on the Wild Parsnip were 7-Spot Ladybirds and the larvae of the Parsnip Sawfly.
A wonderful selection of flowers including the yellow flowered Dyer’s Greenweed, Kidney Vetch, Hop Trefoil and Black Medic. The purple Greater Knapweed, Lesser Knapweed, Bush Vetch, Tufted Vetch, Selfheal and Teasel, plus both Field Scabious and the darker Small Scabious.
The most common umbellifers are the white Wild Carrot and the yellow Wild Parsnip, while Upright Hedge Parsley and Corky-Fruited Water Dropwort are also in flower.