============================================ || || Wildnews Bulletin 2nd April 2025 || News of Lincolnshire Wildlife || LNU: http://lnu.org/ || || Please email Editor on: philporterento@outlook.com || ============================================ In this issue... 1. Information, events, news and requests - mostly local. 2. Wildlife Highlights from Rare Bird Alert. 3. Wildlife reports around the county. Contributions welcome... 4. NNRs, RSPB and LWT Reserves : Saltfleetby/Theddlethorpe. 5. Bardney Limewoods NNR: Chambers Farm Wood. 6. Other Reserve Reports - links. 7. Sending in Bulletin Reports - contributors please read! 8. Contact information - recorders and specialists... 9. Notes about these wildlife reports. 10. Bulletin publicity policy. 11. Events Diary - what's on. 12. ...and finally. Mostly national/international wildlife stories. ============================================ New readers, If you are enjoying the Bulletin, have not yet registered (free), and would like to receive it weekly by email, visit the LNU website https://lnu.org/publications/wildnews-bulletin/ Reports here are open. They are available to county recorders of the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union; Lincolnshire Bird Club and Lincolnshire Environmental Record Centre [LERC]. Compare earlier years/months. Past Bulletins archive [in text format] from 2009: http://rogerparsons.info/bulletinportal.html Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union or associated organisations. Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. ============================================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. INFORMATION, EVENTS, NEWS AND REQUESTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editor writes: Today’s Met Office news item states “With 185.8 hours of sunshine throughout the month, England enjoyed 59% more sunshine than its long-term meteorological average, making March 2025 its sunniest March since this series began in 1910, beating the previous record of 171.7 hours recorded in March 1929 by more than 14 hours”. Let’s hope that this dry spell knows when to relent somewhat, as the word is that weather patterns are ‘sitting tight’ more frequently now than ever before, leading to environmental damage through drought or flood, when our climate used to be conspicuously unpredictable. Phil Porter's email is: philporterento@outlook.com Roger Parsons' email is: old.museum@yahoo.co.uk The Bulletin Portal is available again. Maintenance completed. http://rogerparsons.info/bulletinportal.html Past Bulletins archive [in text format] from 2009. http://rogerparsons.info/bulletin2009mar22.txt BTO's tracked Cuckoos 1- Wilfred,Nick, Hafen, Joe and Cleeve are on the way home! https://www.bto.org/cuckoos Lock of the Lowes SWT Webcam - Osprey male at nest - 20/3/2025 https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-webcam/ Learn a new species and boost Lincolnshire’s natural history record! Colin Smith, LNU President-elect writes… A core function of the LNU is to encourage wildlife recording. We would like everyone’s help to fill in the recording gaps for some of the more common Lincolnshire species. Each fortnight we will introduce a species with a link to a current distribution map and details of the species to look out for. Please look out for the species in your area or when you are out and about in the County. You can record what you see on iRecord at https://irecord.org.uk/ This is the LNU’s chosen digital platform for biological recording. It is free to register with and easy to use, but if you have any difficulty get in touch via the LNU website and we will try to help. There is a comprehensive guide to getting started on the iRecord home page above. Click on Help. After a month, details of the records received and an updated map will be Issued here on your Bulletin. On iRecord, you will have access to millions of wildlife records from across the UK, and will be able to organise your own records within its database. Please do join in and record these species and any others you find. Take the best close-up picture you can The next species is Dark-edged Beefly Bombylius major A smallish fly that looks like an all-brown bee, combining hovering with blurred wings in front of flowers to feed, and incredibly fast darting flight which enables it to disappear and start hovering again a little distance away at another flower like a hummingbird. It settles only infrequently to allow sight of a long, needle-thin proboscis and a single pair of wings which are darkened along the front margin. In summer, females flick eggs towards the nesting holes of ground-nesting solitary bee species. The larvae crawl in to each feed on a bee larva and pupate in the bee nest for the winter. The adults start emerging at this time of year. They are only seen in warm sunny places, including gardens and hedgerows. There is a photo and more guidance can be found on the Buglife website: https://www.buglife.org.uk/bugs/bug-directory/dark-edged-bee-fly/ and the current record distribution Map can be seen at https://lnu.org/bombylius-major-dark-edged-bee-fly/ Please continue to record the previous species; Grey cushioned Grimmia moss, Bramble Leaf Miner moth Jelly-ear fungus, Lichen Lecidella elaeochroma and Holly Leaf Miner fly and Springy Turf-moss. *** This week's mostly-local news stories: *** Crash oil tanker to have its cargo of fuel removed https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czjejvjmkrzo Pylon bill discount an 'insult' to residents - Spalding https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgdkw69235o Warning issued after 10 pigeons shot in 10 days - Bourne https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyved0179rno Police visit over mushroom picking alarms forager https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx2xex0mj3mo Call for volunteers to help create coastal habitat - Sandilands https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2094prre9do County lines raid sees 13 arrests and drugs seized - Lincoln https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c07z4kr74x2o Arrests after three people injured by BB gun shots - Boston https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kg6j4rld0o Vote for the beast that may be as ruthlessly predatory as us – the fen raft spider https://uk.news.yahoo.com/vote-beast-may-ruthlessly-predatory-130020061.html *** Weather News and Forecast *** https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#? East Midlands weather forecast Thursday 20th March - Sunday 23rd March Headline: Dry, sunny, breezy inland and windy along the coast. Thursday: Generally sunny, once any early low cloud clears, although later high cloud may arrive. Breezy inland, and cooler and windy for many coastal locations. Becoming rather warm for western areas. Maximum temperature 18 °C. Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Dry and mainly sunny once overnight low cloud clears. Often breezy. Warm or very warm Friday, thereafter temperatures closer to average inland, while coastal areas are rather cool each day. UK long range weather forecast Sunday 6th April - Tuesday 15th April High pressure should prevail for most of the outlook period, maintaining largely settled conditions for much of the time. This should result in lengthy spells of dry and bright weather. There is still a chance of patchy overnight frosts where winds fall light. There is also the chance of some areas of low cloud or fog, especially around some coasts. Towards the middle of April, the weather may turn more unsettled as rain or showers try to push in from the west. It will be breezy at times, especially in the southwest at first. Daytime temperatures will depend on the wind direction and cloud amounts, with potential for warm conditions at times but also cooler interludes. A record-breaking March for sunshine https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/news-and-media/media-centre/weather-and-climate-news/2025/a-record-breaking-march-for-sunshine *** For Astronomers and Sky-watchers *** 'Beautiful experience': Enthusiasts watch partial solar eclipse as Moon covers the Sun https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1jp6yw366kt Partial eclipse darkens sky over UK and abroad https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/ce3036yp5ydo Night Sky - RMG - highlights https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/blog/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-march-2025 Full Moons: 13th April https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/full-moon-calendar Meteor shower date - next big one April Lyrids .16-25 April - peak 22nd. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/meteor-shower-guide BBC Sky at Night Magazine website https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news *** EVENTS *** *** Horncastle and Woodhall Spa LWT Area Group *** We will be hosting a talk on the ‘Birds of Prey in Lincolnshire’ from Alan Ball on Thursday 17th April at 7.30pm. The talk will be at Banovallum House, Manor House Street, Horncastle, LN9 5HF. The event is free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be available. For further information please email Viv Rhodie on vivianrhodie@gmail.com *** The Natural History and Geology Section of the Scunthorpe Museum Society *** Our last indoor meeting before we start the outdoor field event meetings takes place on Monday, 14th April. We will be given an illustrated talk by our own member Ms Trudy Norris, FNIMH, MBACP, Herbalist and Counsellor, which is entitled "Plants as Foods and Medicines". Trudy is well-known in her fields of practice and has much experience in the sphere of using plants for both nutrition and in treating certain illnesses. This will be a very interesting insight into viewing plants in a different way from usual. ALL ARE WELCOME TO OUR MEETINGS which start at 7.15pm in the small hall at the Old Brumby United Church, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 2AQ, which is opposite the St Hugh's Church next to Brumby crossroads and immediately next to the Applegreen filling station. There is free parking at the Church, also at the St Hugh's Church opposite, and on the nearby roadside. There is a £3 entry charge for non-society members. Light refreshments are available at the mid-talk break for a £1 charge. *** THE SCUNTHORPE AND BRIGG LOCAL GROUP OF THE LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST *** The next meeting will be the last before our "outdoor season" of meetings and will include the AGM followed by an illustrated talk by Rolf Williams, a well-known wildlife conservation enthusiast, on "The Nature of Conservation on the North Kent Marshes". Rolf has presented this talk nationally to other wildlife groups with wide acclaim. Now, Rolf is a Lincoln school teacher with a PGCE from Canterbury Christ Church University. He continues to be an avid wildlife explorer and is immersed in Lincolnshire’s RAF legacy. Motivated to inspire others to engage with the world around them, Rolf has melded science, technology, arts, and media. Graduating from Middlesex University in 1990 with a degree in Scientific Illustration, he has applied his skills to diverse design work. Do not miss this exceptional talk. PLEASE NOTE THE DATE which is Thursday, 24th April, two weeks later than "normal" for our LWT meetings which are normally arranged for the 2nd Thursday of the month. The AGM is extra special this year as we need to appoint a new Chairperson and also a new secretary. ALL ARE WECOME TO OUR MEETINGS which start at 7.30pm and take place in the small hall of St Hugh's Church, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 2AG. There is free parking at the Church, also in the Old Brumby United Church opposite, and on the nearby roadside. There is a £2.50 entry charge to the meeting which includes light refreshments at the mid-talk break. *** Grimsby and Cleethorpes Area Group LWT *** Spring Walk in Weelsby Woods On Saturday 12th April you are invited to join the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Area Group LWT on a morning walk in Weelsby Woods, Grimsby with Graham Hicks looking for signs of Spring. Meet Graham at 8am in Weelsby Woods car park Grid Ref TA282078. Nearest post code DN32 8PW. Please dress sensibly according to the weather conditions, wear stout footwear and bring binoculars if you have them. This is a free event however donations will be welcomed for the Trust. For further information please contact Graham Hicks 07979 089890. Also, the details are on our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk and our Facebook page. On Monday 14th April the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Area Group LWT will hold their AGM at 7pm followed by a talk by Stephen Thompson 'Golf courses and the part they play in local biodiversity.' Stephen will illustrate his work mainly on the Woodhall Spa Golf Course and show the range of insects and bird life that may be found there. This will take place in Grimsby Town Hall DN31. All are welcome to this meeting though only members will be able to vote at the AGM. Admission £4, raffle and refreshments available. For further information please contact David Ball - 07711 716063. Details are also on our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk and Facebook page. Morning Walk around Freshney Bog On Saturday 26th April you are invited to join the Grimsby and Cleethorpes Area Group on a morning walk around Freshney Bog, Grimsby with Graham Hicks. This is a good area to see Water Voles and Kingfishers. Meet Graham at 8am at St Michael's Church, Little Coates on Great Coates Road, Grimsby DN34 4ND. Please dress suitably according to the weather, wear stout footwear and bring binoculars if you have them. This is a free event, however donations will be welcomed for the Trust. For further information please contact Graham Hicks 07979 089890 or visit our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk We are also on Facebook. *** SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE RSPB GROUP*** "The Amazing Life of the Swift". An illustrated Slideshow Talk by Alasdair McKee of the RSPB showcasing these amazing birds and what we can do to help them. Wednesday 9th April 2025 at 7-30pm at Boston Tennis Club. Full details at https://group.rspb.org.uk/southlincolnshire/ "Waders of The Wash". An illustrated Slideshow Talk by local RSPB Volunteer and photographer Jeremy Eyeons showcasing the wide variety of waders which can be found around the Wash estuary. Wednesday 24th September 2025 at 7-30pm at Boston Tennis Club. Full details at https://group.rspb.org.uk/southlincolnshire/ *** SOUTH LINCS RSPB GROUP *** have announced the dates for their 2025 programme of "Bird and Seal Watching Cruises" aboard The Boston Belle into The Wash estuary. There are 12 cruises scheduled for 2025 starting on Easter Monday and ending in October. Full details including availability, dates, costs, booking etc. are on the website. https://group.rspb.org.uk/southlincolnshire/ STAYING SAFE Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary.... Bird flu: Defra advice to the general public is to leave corpses alone and report the findings - but that landowners should dispose of birds themselves. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-latest-situation-avian-influenza-prevention-zone-declared-across-great-britain Lyme Disease reminder https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/zoonoses-data-sheets/lyme-disease.pdf Road works and hold-ups https://roadworks.org/ Met Office Severe Warnings https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings Met Office Severe Weather E-mail Service - sign up http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/guide-to-emails EasyTide http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/index.aspx Environment Agency Flood Warnings - Lincolnshire https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings?location=lincolnshire Environment Agency Flood Information/Floodline - sign up https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Bird News from Rare Bird Alert *** Rare Bird Alert has kindly given permission to reproduce their pager reports. A big thank you from us all. Readers interested in a pager - look at the RBA website: http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/ For RBA's excellent articles: https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp 23/3/2025 Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Deeping St James, Long-eared Owl at Main Lake from hide. 2 Glossy Ibises on West Pit, Deeping Lakes. Stallingborough, 6 Ruddy Shelducks at Cress Marsh. 24/3/2025 Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Black Redstart male in garden for 2nd day. Deeping St James, Kittiwake ad at East Pit, Deeping Lkes, then flew off. Langtoft, Ring-necked Duck at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut, Rimac, Black Redstart fem/1w male. 25/3/2025 Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Deeping St James, Long-eared Owl at Main Lake from hide. 2 Glossy Ibises on West Pit, Deeping Lakes. Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male, at old coastguard station. 26/3/2025 Anderby Creek, Garganey drk at Anderby Marsh at south end. Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male near visitor centre on concrete blocks. Rimac, Black Redstart fem/1w male at car park. 27/3/2025 Baston Fen, Garganey. Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male near visitor centre on concrete blocks. Lincoln, Great Grey Shrike in south of city - area of no general access. 28/3/2025 Anderby Creek, 3 Spoonbills at Anderby Marsh, male Blue-headed Wagtail flew south. Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Frampton Marsh. Spoonbill opposite visitor centre showing well. Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male, along wall by bird feeders. Woodlark flew south over. Langtoft, Ring-necked Duck at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut, 29/3/2025 Alkborough Flats, Spoonbill. Anderby Creek, Garganey drk at Anderby Marsh, Spoonbill. Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Deeping St James, 2 Glossy Ibises on West Pit, Deeping Lakes. Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male near visitor centre. Langtoft, Ring-necked Duck at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut, 30/3/2025 Anderby Creek, Spoonbill, male Blue-headed Wagtail flew south. Bourne, South Fen, Dark-breasted Barn Owl [form guttata] near Christmas Tree Farm. Frampton Marsh, Spoonbill from 360 Hide Gibraltar Point, Black Redstart fem/1w male in garden of Old Coastguard Cottages. 2 Bearded Tits on Tennyson's Sands from Harvey's Hide. Langtoft, Ring-necked Duck at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut, Willow Tree Fen, Russian White-fronted Goose. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 3. WILDLIFE NEWS FROM AROUND THE COUNTY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Find the Grid Reference - don't forget - it's important Grab a Grid Reference: https://www.bnhs.co.uk/focuson/grabagridref/html/index.htm UK Grid Reference Finder: http://www.gridreferencefinder.com/ ROAD KILLS? PLEASE LET US KNOW. Every drive is a transect! Hedgehogs? Badgers? Otters? Reports welcome. Request from Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue Can You Help Us? We’re mapping wildlife fatality hotspots on roads to help improve safety for both animals and drivers. Over time, this data could support efforts to work with local authorities to make high-risk areas safer. If you come across a deceased animal or are aware of one, please report the location—when it’s safe to do so—by: Dropping a pin on the map provided Sharing a What3Words location Providing the street name While we are unable to collect deceased wildlife, your information could help prevent future incidents. Thank you! Please share to help spread the word. Report deceased wildlife on the link below: https://form.jotform.com/.../report-roadside-deceased... *** County Wildlife Reports from Readers *** We rely on readers to send in observations and welcome records from everyone, experts to beginners. Please keep your reports coming. BARDNEY - THE GREEN TF120694 R + A Parsons w/o 1/4/25 Blackbird 2m.1f Collared Dove 3 Pied Wagtail m and f Robin m + f Chaffinch 1+ Goldfinchs - several Starling flock 12+ Wood Pigeon 7 Jackdaw 8+ Black-headed Gull 1 regular Domestic Pigeon 8+ House Sparrow 10+ Dunnock 2 Wren Hedgehog droppings on 29th Cowslips in "No Mow May" area doing well. Butterflies seen 27/3/2025 Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell 2, Small White. Bumblebee queen: B. leucorum "scouting". Pipistrelle Bat 55kHz 27/3 at 21.30-22.00hrs and 28/3 at 04.15-05.00hrs [Heard most nights now.] BARDNEY GARDEN TF117700 Phil and Mary Porter 26th March 2025 Comma 27th March Peacock, Brimstone 28th March A Song Thrush was feeding early in the morning on shady, mossy grass which has frequently been lifted by moles and receives heavy leaf-fall from large birch trees. Most of the garden has very sandy dry soil. 30th March Green-veined White Brimstone 31st March Pied Wagtail, Green-veined White, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Brimstone during the day. Song thrush collecting nesting material in the main garden where there is a varied supply of dry plant material as we clear up old stems etc. The first Caddisfly larva of the year appeared in the pond of a type that we first noticed last year; it is thickly clothed with transverse pieces of rigid material as camouflage. Muntjac barking in the distance. A little up the road, audible masses of Honey bees and some Bumble bees at wide-spreading cherry tree blossom. A large female Sparrowhawk dashed through the garden giving a close-up view. Mary saw a Starling which is quite unusual with is these days. 1st April Our first Dark-edged Beefly showed itself feeding from Lungwort flowers. Tawny Mining Bee (thanks to Richard Davidson). 2nd April Mary saw our Song Thrush dipping a beak-full of nesting material into one of our birdbaths to moisten it before use, and also taking muddier samples from the edge of the pond. BOSTON My garden TF338441 Tracey Lenton Back garden 28 to 30-03-2025 3 days of frog activity when there were 13 frogs in my pond, what a spectacle it was, I haven't seen this many frogs in years. Yesterday and today (1st April) all was quiet, with just a couple of frogs visible. 30/03/2025 Peacock butterfly seen twice this morning Comma x1 31/03/2025 The sun is very warm and barely any breeze. There was quite a bit of butterfly activity but I only managed to clearly identify the Brimstone. A single Brimstone butterfly appeared twice, bright yellow, in the morning. In the middle of the day, there were 3 butterflies fluttering around together, one distinctly yellow the other 2 more of a creamy colour, I suspect they were Brimstones too. 2 brown butterflies, together. 1 brown butterfly, on 2 occasions 01/04/2025 In recent days, a male blackbird is flying into the ivy-clad blossom tree with food in his mouth. I tatty looking Comma Note: Last week I reported a bee fly, I am not sure if this was correct, I haven't seen one since but there are some hovering flies which I could have mistaken for bee fly. The Wild Front Garden March 2025: Until a couple of years ago, my front garden consisted of a large conifer and strip of lawn. I had the conifer cut down, planted nothing and left it to nature to see what plants came up. What has grown there is possibly dormant seed from many years ago or brought in on the wind or animals. This year, I am gradually structuring the layout of this space by weeding around the plants I want to keep and weeding out some of the thistles and nettles. In flower is daisy, dandelion, forget-me-not, groundsel, red dead nettle, sweet violets. Last week I found a plant I didn't know, it is a small, low- growing plant with beautiful tiny flowers. It was Common Whitlowgrass, identified from Nativeflower.co.uk (shows each month's flowering plants) and Wildflowerfinder.org (provides a comprehensive description of the botany of plants). Last year's Garlic mustard has self-seeded, with lots of young plants growing. There is new growth on the white bryony which I am going to train up something to keep it in check. Wildlife seen include a small tortoiseshell butterfly and 7 spot ladybirds. BOSTON MAUD FOSTER DRAIN TF329461 01/04/2025 Tracey Lenton (Mute) Swan family. I saw the 2 adults and the 6 young, in a loose group, on 28th March. Today, I drove past and could only spot 1 juvenile, still some brown feathers on wings and top of head. CAISTER TOP road side Angela Buckle 26th March Butterbur. ELSHAM QUARRY Angela Buckle 26th March Green Alkanet, Celandines, Sweet violets, Primroses, White violets, Cowslips, Ground ivy, Common field speedwell, Blackthorn, Early bittercress, Coltsfoot, Stinking hellebore, Butterbur, Creeping comfrey. Butterflies. Peacock, Brimstone, Comma. FAR INGS Angela Buckle 30th March. Marsh marigolds, Cowslips, Slender speedwell, Adders tongue fern, Green alkanet, Bee fly, Cetti’s warbler. FRITHVILLE TF298489 Pete and Margaret Westcott March 2025 MAXIMUM butterfly counts. Brimstone 2 Green-veined White 2 Peacock 1 Small Tortoiseshell 2 20.03.2025 MOTH TRAPPING Clouded Drab 4 Common Quaker 3 Small Quaker 1 OTHER INVERTEBRATES Buff-tailed Bumblebee -several Common Carder Hairy-footed Flower Bee Large ichneumon wasp Tiny hoverfly Small mining bee 22 Spot Ladybird WILD SPACES Butterfly Conservation recommends sowing these annuals now: Cosmos, Sunflower, Nasturtium, Nicotiana. FRITHVILLE WEST FEN DRAIN TF325489 (approx) 01/04/2025 Tracey Lenton 2 Greylag geese - confirmed by Phil Hyde. HORKSTOW SE987179 Jenny Haynes 28 March 2025 Song thrush heard singing in the evening. First this year. 30 March 2025 Clearing pond weed from my pond I netted two newts, almost certainly common newts. I promptly returned them to the water. 31 March 2025 Buzzard circling overhead today. MESSINGHAM SAND QUARRY SE 908032 Brenda Edlington 1/4/2025 Blackbird Black-headed gull Blue tit Buzzard Canada goose Cetti's warbler (really good view) Chaffinch Chiffchaff Coal tit Coot Crow Dunnock Gadwall Goldcrest Great crested grebe Great tit Greylag goose Heron Lesser black-backed gull Long-tailed tit Mallard Moorhen Mute swan Pheasant Pochard Reed bunting Robin Shelduck Shoveler Song thrush Tufted duck Wood pigeon Wren Peacock butterfly Kingcups - marsh marigolds - coming into flower NETTLEHAM TF 005756 Brenda Edlington Nightly visits by hedgehogs including 2 large adults together 31/3/2025 First peacock butterfly SEDGE HOLE CLOSE LWT Nature Reserve Steve Hiner 05/03/25 Blackbird x 2 Blue Tit x 4 Carrion Crow x 4 Chaffinch x 6 Goldfinch x 2 Great Tit x 2 Greenfinch x 1 Jackdaw x 6 Long-tailed Tit x 2 Magpie x 2 Moorhen x 1 Robin x 1 Rook x 21 building Rookery, first I have recorded since becoming volunteer manager for LWT on the site in 2020 Skylark x 2 Stock Dove x 2 Wood Pigeon x 6 21/03/25 Blackbird x 2 Blue Tit x 4 Carrion Crow x 2 Chaffinch x 3 Chiffchaff x 1 Dunnock x 1 Goldfinch x 2 Great Tit x 2 Greenfinch x 1 Jackdaw x 4 Long-tailed Tit x 2 Robin x 1 Rook10+ (19 nests in Rookery) Skylark x 1 Wood Pigeon x 6 Wren x 1 SOUTH WITHAM MARSH, LINCOLN SK964679 Phil Porter 31st March 2025 Hoping that the run of sunny days would have brought out the flies, I was disappointed with the result. Admittedly the it is still March (just), the water table was low and the meadow is presently cut short to promote the summer flowering of the excellent flora, but very few flies indeed appeared. I found the common short-palped cranefly Dicranomyia chorea in the foliage of a large False Cypress, the Grass-fly Elachiptera cornuta which can probably be found in any grassland that is not constantly mown, and the very pretty Asteia amoena, a tiny delicate fly that hibernates in evergreen foliage. There was very little in flower yet, but in one of the ditches (with clear water!!), the leaves of Water Violet were visible, and alongside the meadow, the foliage of Pignut was starting to bunch. THURNHOLMES (within 300m of SK797984 unless stated) Steve Hiner & Paul Snow 08/03/25 Blackbird x 3 Blue Tit x 3 Carrion Crow x 1 Chaffinch x 6 Dunnock x 2 Goldfinch x 4 Great Tit x 2 Kestrel x 2 Pied Wagtail x 2 Redwing x 1 Robin x 2 Stock Dove x 2 courting on stable roof Skylark x 2 Tawny Owl x 3 01:50hrs Wood Pigeon x 6 Yellowhammer x 1 20/03/25 Blackbird x 4 Blue Tit x 4 Carrion Crow x 2 Chaffinch x 4 Dunnock x 2 Common Buzzard x 2 Goldfinch x 4 Great Tit x 2 Greenfinch x 1 Grey Heron x 1 over Thurnholmes Grey Partridge x 2 Jackdaw x 2 Kestrel x 1 Long-tailed Tit x 2 Pied Wagtail x 2 Redwing x 1 Robin x 2 Skylark x 2 Stock Dove x 2 Tawny Owl x 2 calling 01:50 Tree Sparrow x 6 Wood Pigeon x 6 Small Tortoiseshell x 1 27/03/25 Blackbird x 5 Blue tit x 4 Chaffinch x 2 Chiffchaff x 1 Cormorant x 1 Owston Ferry Warping Drain Common Buzzard x 1 Dunnock x 2 Goldfinch x 2 Greenfinch x 1 Grey Heron x 1 Grey Partridge x 2 Greylag Goose x 6 over Thurnholmes Kestrel x 1 Long-tailed Tit x 2 Magpie x 2 Mallard x 2 over Thurnholmes Mute Swan x 4 Owston Ferry Warping Drain Pied Wagtail x 2 Robin x 2 Skylark x 2 Stock dove x 1 Tree Sparrow x 6 Wood Pigeon x 9 Yellowhammer x 4 30/03/25 Peregrine Falcon x 1 male over Thurnholmes 31/03/25 Barn Owl x 1 01:15hrs Blackbird x 5 Black-headed Gull x 1 over Thurnholmes Blue tit x 4 Chaffinch x 2 Chiffchaff x 1 Common Buzzard x 1 Dunnock x 2 Goldfinch x 2 Great Tit x 2 Greenfinch x 1 Greylag Goose x 4 Owston Ferry Warping Drain Kestrel x 1 Robin x 1 Skylark x 2 Tree Sparrow x 6 Wood Pigeon x 6 Green-veined White x 1 Peacock x 6 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4. NNRs and NATURE RESERVES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LWT Top Reserves: https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/top-reserves LWT Reserves List: https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/nature-reserves-list RSPB Reserves: https://www.rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ GIBRALTAR POINT NNR https://gibraltarpointbirdobservatory.blogspot.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SALTFLEETBY THEDDLETHORPE DUNES NNR including DONNA NOOK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/reserves/saltfleetby-theddlethorpe-dunes https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/top-reserves/donna-nook http://publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/38015?category=59026 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Owen Beaumont writes… A few certain signs of spring in the last week. 260325 – female type black redstart still around Rimac car park feeding well on spiders and other small invertebrates. The first swallow of the year on wires at Sea View. 8 whooper swan (including 3 juveniles) and a great white egret on Rimac freshwater marsh scrape, and an avocet on car park scrape. Cetti’s warbler singing by Rimac saltmarsh viewpoint. Cattle egret Sea View Washlands screen. 30+ redwing flew over Sea View in the morning, and a red kite and raven flew south over Rimac. Another red kite flew south over Mablethorpe North End and a small movement of buzzard mostly flying north. 2 avocet, 5+ little ringed plover and 2 pintail on wet grassland south of Crook Bank. Butterflies – peacock Sea View; small tortoiseshell Rimac. 270325 – swallow flying over Sea View Washlands and 3 whooper swan flew south over the dunes. 4 black-tailed godwit and a cattle egret also on Sea View Washlands. 300 herring gull on Brickyard Lane foreshore in the morning. Great white egret Elm House Farm wet grassland a red kite drifting over farmland to the north-west. Butterflies – 2 small tortoiseshell, peacock Elm House Farm. 280325 – 7 whooper swan, 3 great white egret and 4 cattle egret on Rimac freshwater marsh scrape. 8+ snipe and a jack snipe on temporary wet area in farmland adjacent to Brickyard Lane dunes. 2 raven, cream-crowned marsh harrier and a peregrine flew south over Crook Bank. 7 redwing Mablethorpe North End. Ringtail hen harrier, 2 marsh harrier, sparrowhawk flew over Elm House Farm. 70 sanderling, 1 dunlin, 2 ringed plover and 72 curlew on Brickyard Lane foreshore. Pintail pair still on wet grassland south of Crook Bank. 290325 – 85+ sanderling feeding on Brickyard Lane foreshore. 300325 – a 7.5m evening tide with at least a 0.5m surge covered all t he foreshore and a majority of the saltmarsh, pushing 20+ snipe and 120+ redshank off and into flight at Rimac. 2 cattle egret, great white egret, 25 shelduck Rimac freshwater marsh. Swallow flying over Sea View Washlands plus 3 grey heron, great white egret, white wagtail, 10 lapwing, ringed plover and 30 wigeon. An unringed barnacle goose feeding in arable fields adjacent to Rimac south with Canada and greylag geese. 60 sanderling and 6 ringed plover on Brickyard Lane foreshore. Female wheatear, 2 white wagtail, 110 golden plover, 28 lapwing Elm House Farm wet grassland. Butterflies – peacock, brimstone Sea View. 310325 – the first willow warbler of the year singing in the dunes south of Rimac. 4 summer plumage cattle egret and 3 immature whooper swan Rimac freshwater marsh scrape. House sparrow at Sea View; an uncommon sight on the dunes. 5 avocet, pintail pair and 19+ snipe on wet grassland south of Crook Bank. Female wheatear still at Elm House Farm. Butterflies – red admiral Brickyard Lane; peacock Elm House Farm. 010425 – vocal swallow flew north over Rimac early morning, and 3 lingering around Sea View mid-afternoon. 2 black-tailed godwit, 3 cattle egret and great white egret on Sea View Washlands. Another cattle egret on Rimac freshwater marsh and a Cetti’s warbler singing nearby. Female type black redstart seen again near Rimac car park mid-afternoon and willow warbler singing again near MOD pond. 2 shorelark on the saltmarsh edge at Sear’s Track, between Brickyard Lane and Crook Bank. 2 little ringed plover, 2 ringed plover also around Sear’s Track area. Great white egret and 18 lapwing on Elm House Farm wet grassland. Butterflies – 4 peacock Rimac-MOD; peacock, small tortoiseshell Elm House Farm. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LINCOLNSHIRE COASTAL COUNTRY PARK Dave Miller Coast and The Wolds (South) Warden Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Sykes Farm Nature Reserve Office Gibraltar Point National Nature Reserve Gibraltar Road Skegness PE24 4SU 26th March: Swallow flying south over Sandilands golf course, Anderby Marsh has a drake Garganey, Barnacle Goose and White Wagtail. Sedge Warbler at Huttoft Marsh . 27th March: 2 Chiffchaff at Huttoft Pit, Merlin at Huttoft Marsh. 2 Sand Martin and a Swallow over Anderby Marsh. 28th March: 3 Spoonbill and Garganey on Anderby Marsh and Sand Martin and Blue-headed Wagtail flying over. 3 Red Kite heading south. 29th March: Sedge Warbler singing at Wolla Bank Reedbed, Huttoft Pit has 2 Snipe, 2 Shelduck, Redshank, female Marsh Harrier and 2 Chiffchaff. Great White Egret at Huttoft Marsh. 30th March: Wheatear Huttoft Marsh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 5. BARDNEY LIMEWOODS NNR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These cover a huge area. Reports always welcome. The history of the Lincolnshire Limewoods: https://www.forestryjournal.co.uk/features/19111877.lincolnshire-limewoods/ The Forestry Commission visitor advice: https://www.forestryengland.uk/article/coronavirus-visitor-guide ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Butterfly Conservation Lincolnshire Branch: https://butterfly-conservation.org/300/lincolnshire-branch.html *** Butterfly Conservation Lincolnshire *** Chambers Farm Wood Butterfly Garden Volunteers Gardening days for 2025. 18th; April, 1st & 15th; May, 6th & 20th; June, 3rd & 17th; July, 1st & 15th; August, 5th & 19th; September, 2nd & 16th; October, 7th & 21st; November 4th. margaretwestcott7@hotmail.co.uk https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/lincolnshire-branch/chambers-farm-wood-butterfly-garden *** Lincolnshire Dormouse Group *** lincsdormousegroup@gmail.com Gemma Watkinson writes… We do not yet have the permit through from Forestry England for this season's box checks. Our proposed dates are below, but not yet confirmed. Apr Sat 19th May Sun 18th Jun Sat 21st Jul Sun 20th Aug Sat 16th Sep Sun 21st Oct Sat 18th Readers may be interested to learn more about dormouse surveys and techniques used. We mostly use nest boxes at Chambers Farm Woods, and the nest box monitoring areas have been established now for at least 10 years at various sites throughout the woods. It should be noted that a Natural England Survey licence is required to carry out survey for dormice using nest boxes, nest tubes or disturbing wild nests, so anyone interested should get in touch to arrange to join our licenced surveyors, and there is a good chance of seeing a dormouse amongst a range of other interesting wildlife. However, anyone can keep an eye out for dormouse nibbled nuts, and as always, we are interested in any potential dormouse records across the county. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The NNR includes the following sites: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chambers Farm Woods (comprises Ivy Wood; Little and Great Scrubbs Woods; Minting Wood; Hatton Wood, Hatton Plantation and Minting Park; and also three areas of grassland: Little Scrubbs Meadow and extension), Small Meadow and Big Meadow. Since all have their own management plans, please give the actual location when reporting). College Wood; Cocklode & Great West Woods; Hardy Gang Wood; Newball Wood; Rand Wood; Scotgrove Wood; Southrey Wood and Wickenby Wood. Many of these include both areas of ancient woodland or important grassland. Many are also designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Records which provide a six-figure grid reference are of particular value to the Forestry Commission. Other woods included in the NNR but without public access: Stainfield Wood; Stainton & Fulnetby Woods (access by public bridle way only). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6. OTHER RESERVE REPORTS AND HIGHLIGHTS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Discover Woodland Trust woods near you- including the best woods for walks, wildlife watching, family fun and heritage. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/visiting-woods/woods/#=undefined&view=map Lincolnshire County Council - Local Nature Reserves https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coast-countryside/nature-reserves Links to "Other Reserves" are welcome. Your suggestions, please. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. SENDING IN BULLETIN REPORTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The purpose of the Bulletin is to encourage biological recording in Lincolnshire. We aim to increase the number of people reporting observations to Recorders or via iRecord. https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ The Bulletin is a FREE service. We ask you to provide reports, questions, news or relevant articles from time to time. Descriptive pieces are welcome. You don't have to stick to lists! Please help us to help you. When sending in reports please follow this layout to save re-editing: Place Name: IN CAPITALS with Grid Reference if you have it. Your Name: Real names please, not aliases. Put it in each time, for each location Date: Species list [Alphabetical?] & numbers [and observations?] e.g. Blackbird - 24 [And please, no home-grown abbreviations. Species Names in full.] Bulletin mailing times may vary. It usually goes out on Wednesdays/ Thursdays in time for the weekend. Please e-mail in contributions to the editor as early as possible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. CONTACTS AND USEFUL WEBSITES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Links "not to be missed" *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. CONTACTS LIST Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union LNU Website: http://lnu.org/ LNU Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/LincsNaturalist LNU e-mail: info@lnu.org Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust: https://twitter.com/LincsWildlife Lincs Bird Club: https://twitter.com/Lincsbirding LBC County Bird Recorder: recorder_south@lincsbirdclub.co.uk The Sir Joseph Banks Society: https://twitter.com/sirjosephbanks Lincolnshire Bat Group: http://www.lincsbatgroup.co.uk/ Butterfly Conservation Lincolnshire Branch: https://twitter.com/BC_Lincolnshire Lincsbirders: https://twitter.com/lincsbirders Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project: https://lincolnshirechalkstreams.org/ Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Trust: https://lincolnshirechalkstreamstrust.org.uk/ South Lincolnshire Flora Group: https://bsbi.org/south-lincolnshire-v-c-53 The Wolds Fungi Group: Contact Paul Nichol via email: nichol20@gmail.com Lincolnshire Dormouse Group: Contact: lincsdormousegroup@gmail.com FIGHTING WILDLIFE CRIME Wildlife Crime https://www.lincs.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wc/wildlife-crime/ SPECIES IDENTIFICATION AND RECORDING Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. LNU Recorders and Specialists: https://lnu.org/specialists/ Downloads of LNU books: https://lnu.org/publications/books/ Recording with "iRecord": https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ iRecord is recommended by the LNU as an appropriate platform for on-line recording When asking for help: Please give the very best information you can provide. If you are not sure, ask what is needed from you to confirm identification. Photographs are helpful but not every species can be identified from a photograph. When asked for further details, get back to the recorder promptly. Don't forget a thank you for the help. That is always welcomed. Local Bat Helpline Grounded bats, bat problems, advice and information. Contact Annette Faulkner on 01775 766286 Email: annettefaulkner@btinternet.com Confidential Bat Records You may send confidential bat records direct to Annette Faulkner on: annettefaulkner@btinternet.com Slug ID Help Chris du Feu will help with slug identification. Tel: 01383 669 124 Email: chris.r.dufeu@gmail.com USEFUL WILDLIFE LINKS Please copy and paste URLs if necessary. How to identify diving ducks | The Wildlife Trusts https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/how-identify-diving-ducks Dragonfly Identification help https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/odonata/species-and-identification/ Bat Identification https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats/ NHBS - Frequencies of British Bats https://media.nhbs.com/equipment/British%20Bat%20Frequencies.pdf Lincolnshire Badger Group https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093647842292 Email: lincolnshirebadgergroup@hotmail.com Lincs Environmental Records Centre: http://www.glnp.org.uk/ Natural England: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ NHBS Natural history equipment or books.https://www.nhbs.com/ The Flora of Lincolnshire by Joan Gibbons: downloadable LNU book Atlas of the terrestrial and semi-aquatic Mammals of Lincolnshire: downloadable LNU book *** For the Geologists *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. Unique two-clawed dinosaur discovered https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn7v3eln56no Lincolnshire Geodiversity Group: https://www.lincswolds.org.uk/discovering/geology-1 Geology of the Lincolnshire Wolds: https://www.lincswolds.org.uk/special-features/geology The Geology of Lincolnshire: downloadable LNU book UK Fossils in Lincolnshire https://ukfossils.co.uk/category/lincolnshire/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. NOTES ABOUT THESE WILDLIFE REPORTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We do our best to ensure accuracy in our reporting. However, records are sent in by a variety of reporters; from complete beginners to professionals. They may vary in reliability and occasionally may be difficult or impossible to verify. If further information is needed please contact the editor: Bulletins are sent to Recorders at Lincolnshire Environmental Records Centre [GNLP], Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union and Lincolnshire Bird Club. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. BULLETIN PUBLICITY POLICY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When sending in reports, e.g. unusual plants, please report any sensitive news directly to recorders. Not the Bulletin. We don't want to spoil things with unwise or untimely publicity. Thank you. Please respect the interests of wildlife and site owners if you report on national networks. Interest in wildlife is not a licence to act irresponsibly or thoughtlessly to landowners, who may well be partners in important conservation work. [Views expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the LNU or associated organisations. In particular this applies to agencies, especially charities, taking a political stance.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11. LNU EVENTS DIARY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** LNU Events *** https://lnu.org/meetings/ https://lnu.org/meetings/indoor-meetings/ FIELD MEETINGS 2025 Luke Hartley writes… First few field meetings below. Parking/meeting locations will be confirmed in due course! Doddington Hall - Sunday 27 April, meet from 11am, 12-4pm Stenigot Estate - Sunday 18 May, meet from 11am, 12-4pm Grimsthorpe Estate - Saturday 14 June, meet from 11am, 12-4pm Seacroft Dunes, Skegness - Saturday 19 July, meet from 11am, 12-4pm Theddlethorpe-Saltfleetby - Sunday 3 August, meet from 10am, 10:30-TBC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ...AND FINALLY... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National and international stories BeeWalk survey scheme https://beewalk.org.uk/ Why do giraffes have spots? Not for the reason you might think https://www.newscientist.com/article/2473915-why-do-giraffes-have-spots-not-for-the-reason-you-might-think/ Hundreds of nominations for invertebrate of the year whittled down to 10 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/24/invertebrate-of-the-year-2025-nominations National Trust land to receive £5m nature boost https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2y2dy5z8yo England sewage spills hit record 3.6m hours last year https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c201rz925nyo How much sewage is spilled into rivers, lakes and the sea near you? https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-62631320 *** Mail Fails *** None ----------------- ~ THE END ~ ----------------- (..until next week!) Roger Parsons old.museum@yahoo.co.uk http://rogerparsons.info/