============================================ || || Wildnews Bulletin 31st Dec 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. ============================================ 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. Gibraltar Point, Coastal Country Park 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. ============================================ To interest new readers please use the "Forward to a Friend" link at the end of every Bulletin, or suggest anyone interested visits the LNU website and signs up that way. 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 LincolnshireNaturalists' Union or associated organisations. Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. ============================================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. INFORMATION, EVENTS, NEWS AND REQUESTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Editor writes… January 2026 looks like being the month of the goose with national influxes of palearctic populations arriving in Britain’s east coast, if you have the determination and quality optics to discern the plumage features that distinguish them. The various races of Brent Geese, Russian White-fronted Geese and Tundra Bean Geese would be beyond my capabilities, but keen birders are currently revelling in theminutiae of these identifications so that the rest of us don’t have to. The fenland in the Bourne area seems to be the best prospect for the latter two species, see the Rare Bird Alert summary below. In Bardney, our mid-winter Bumblebee is still hard at it despite the cold weather, collecting pollen and perhaps nectar from the creamy-white flowers of our bush Honeysuckle whenever the sun is striking the plant, so it must presumably have a nest somewhere. Workers are tricky to identify, but I read that it is the Buff-tailed species that has been shown to be extending its season of activity. As I mentioned last time, I have been taken aback to find out that this scenario isn’t all that unusual in the warming climate. Here’s wishing you all a happy new year with lots of rewarding wildlife experiences to write in about! Phil Porter's email is: philporterento@outlook.com Roger Parsons' email is: old.museum@yahoo.co.uk The National Trust’s Sandilands Nature Reserve is now welcoming visitors. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/sandilands/events/f96ca27e-f295-4827-abba-720de040d702 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/nottinghamshire-lincolnshire/sandilands/events/baeb0c50-2c1a-4af3-bf87-3bf529b93ab4 The Wildlife Trusts suggest activities for ‘12 Days Wild’, suggesting how you can ‘ AnchorAnchor ‘Do One Thing For Wildlife’ daily from 25th December to 5th January. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/12dayswild AnchorAnchor Donna Nook - Weekly seal 'pupdate' All of the adults have now left, and there are just a few pups visible from the viewing area. https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/top-reserves/donna-nook/weekly-update BTO's tracked Cuckoos https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/cuckoo-tracking Read the latest updates from our Cuckoos on their epic migration https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/cuckoo-tracking/updates Loch of the Lowes SWT Webcam - camera working again. https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-webcam/ *** Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust *** “Wilder Lincolnshire Podcast” https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/what-we-do/about/wilder-lincolnshire-podcast *** LEARN A NEW SPECIES & BOOST LINCOLNSHIRE’S NATURAL HISTORY RECORD! *** Colin Smith, LNU President 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: 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 are the COMMON LINCOLNSHIRE WOODLICE For December and the Christmas holiday season I thought rather than just one species we could try to fill in the gaps for all the common species of Woodlice. This is a good time to get the children involved if you will be seeing any over Christmas. A walk in the woods on Boxing Day and turn over a log or two. There are links to the five common species below and you may need a magnifying glass to examine the head and tail for identification. The pygmy woodlouse is not surprisingly very small so that is the real challenge they are common in leaf litter. I have also included the pill millipede as it can be confused with the woodlouse but easily separated. Lincs for identification are as follows:- Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. https://www.naturespot.org/species/pill-woodlouse https://www.naturespot.org/species/common-shiny-woodlouse https://www.naturespot.org/species/common-striped-woodlouse https://www.naturespot.org/species/common-rough-woodlouse https://www.naturespot.org/species/common-pygmy-woodlouse https://www.naturespot.org/species/pill-millipede Maps for all species as follows, plenty of gaps for these very common species https://lnu.org/armadillidium-vulgare-common-pill-woodlouse/ https://lnu.org/oniscus-asellus-common-shiny-woodlouse/ https://lnu.org/philoscia-muscorum-common-striped-woodlouse/ https://lnu.org/porcellio-scaber-common-rough-woodlouse/ https://lnu.org/trichoniscus-pusillus-common-pygmy-woodlouse/ https://lnu.org/glomeris-marginata-pill-millipede/ Thanks to those who added records for our previous map filling species. We received 16 records from 8 recorders for the Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans. Please do join in as all records are valuable and help our understanding of the county's changing natural history. AnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAnchorAnchor *** This week's mostly-local news stories: *** Sett-to over road damaged by burrowing badgers – East Halton https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c208l40zyq1o What church organs tell us about the changing climate https://www.yourweather.co.uk/news/science/what-church-organs-tell-us-about-the-changing-climate.html Three arrests after fatal tractor crash near farm - Blankney https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly539zx0v5o Rambling into 2026: New year walks in Lincolnshire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg147x4dego Our tigers want your Christmas trees - Friskney https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jed79d02wo *** 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 1st January - Sunday 4th January Headline: Early freezing fog clearing. Dry with sunny spells. Cold. Thursday: Cloudy with some light rain or hill snow at first. This clearing away southwards, with sunny spells developing. Windy, especially on coasts, and cold. Maximum temperature 5 °C. Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Cloudy with risk of some snow early Friday. Then cold, mostly dry and sunny, although coastal wintry showers are possible. Windy along coasts making it feel colder, easing during Sunday. UK long range weather forecast Sunday 4th January - Tuesday 13th January Cold northerly winds dominant across the UK in the first week of January. These will bring wintry showers (often of snow) to many coastlines (and areas just inland of these) that are exposed to onshore winds. Day-to-day changes in wind direction will change the places most exposed to the showers, but many inland locations across central and southern areas will remain mostly dry but cold - some more coherent bands of rain, sleet and snow working south at times. Into the second week of January slightly milder conditions will attempt to move in from the west, with a risk of further snow on the leading edge of these turning to rain. Colder regime more likely to the north with average to just below average in the south. *** For Astronomers and Sky-watchers *** Why 2026 looks bright for Northern Light sightings https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/ce8nz3m3k10o Partial Solar Eclipse August 12th 2026. Put in in your new diary! https://theskylive.com/solar-eclipse?id=2026-08-12&cc=GB Dark energy just got even weirder and why the Universe may end in a 'Big Crunch' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c17xe5kl78vo Night Sky Highlights - January 2026 https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-january-2026 Full Moons - 2026 https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/full-moon-calendar-2026 Spaceweather.com https://spaceweather.com/ Comet Watch https://www.cometwatch.co.uk/ AuroraWatch UK for geomagnetic data: https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk BBC Sky at Night Magazine website https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news Anchor*** For the Geologists *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary More than 300 earthquakes recorded in UK in 2025 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjdr7454z9ko New geological maps of the Yorkshire Wolds https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/new-geological-maps-of-the-yorkshire-wolds-to-better-inform-groundwater-management-and-policy-decisions/ Snow-capped Mount Etna erupts as skiers use its slopes https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cz7n4px7e41o 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 *** EVENTS *** *** SOUTH LINCS RSPB GROUP *** "Bird and Seal Watching Cruises" aboard The Boston Belle into The Wash estuary. Dates for their 2026 programme from Easter 2026 Full details including availability, dates, costs, booking etc. will be on the website. in due course. *** BOSTON AREA GROUP LWT *** Thursday 8th January at 7.30pm Talk - A Tour Of Borneo by Geoff Evans Venue - Centenary Methodist Church, Red Lion Street, Boston, PE21 6NY Free parking in the car park on the right hand side of the church. Interval refreshments will be served. Non members welcome and entry is free but there will be a retiring collection. *** SOUTH HOLLAND AREA GROUP LWT *** Tuesday 13th January at 7.30pm Talk - Wildlife of North Macedonia by Gill Walsh Venue - Pinchbeck Village Hall, Knight Street, Pinchbeck, PE11 3XA Admission £3 including interval refreshments. Non members welcome. *** GRIMSBY AND CLEETHORPES AREA GROUP LWT *** On Monday 12th January 2026 the Group will be welcoming Simon Wellock to give an illustrated presentation "Far Ings and the Humber Reserves" This will take place in Grimsby Town Hall DN31 1HX and starts at 7.30pm. Admission £5, all are welcome. Raffle and light refreshments will be available. For further information contact secretary David Ball 07711 716063 email davidballnorthhampton@gmail.com or visit our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk We are also on Facebook. STAYING SAFE Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary... The Cold-Health Alert Service in England You can register for alerts on this link. https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/weather-health-alerts/cold Bird flu: Defra advice to the general public is to leave corpses alone and report the findings - but 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 Weather 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://www.google.com/search?q=government+flood+warnings+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 Abbreviations Drk = drake Juv = juvenile Ad = adult 1s/w, 2s/w = first/second summer/winter (age or plumage) 24/12/20258 Bourne. Snow goose ad white morph., Shillaker's Farm at Tongue End with Whooper Swans. 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Russian White-fronted Geese. Frampton Marsh, 8 Snow Buntings on seaward base of sea wall behind East Hide. Middlemarsh Farm, Skegness, Caspian Gull. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Westwoodside, Black-throated Diver as Cove Lane pits. 25/12/2025 Bourne. 3 Tundra Bean Geese in field with Whooper Swans. Snow goose ad white morph., Shillaker's Farm at Tongue End Deeping Lakes, 2 Glossy Ibises at Deeping Lakes by River Welland., Maxey Cut confluence. Frampton Marsh, 9 Snow Buntings on seaward base of sea wall behind East Hide. Gibraltar Point, Water Pipit. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. 26/12/2025 Bourne. 3 Tundra Bean Geese in field with Whooper Swans. Snow Goose ad white morph., Shillaker's Farm at Tongue End. 14 Russian White-fronted Geese. 3 Tundra Bean Geese. 4 Bewick's Swans. Park at Counter Drain. Croft Bank, 30+ Russian White-fronted Geese in field north of Croft Bank. Deeping St James, 1 Long-eared Owl at Main Lake by main hide. 2 Glossy Ibses, Deeping Lakes. Frampton Marsh, 35 Russian White-fronted Geese, at Marsh Farm Grassland. 8 Snow Buntings on seaward side on sea wall behind East Hide. Freiston Shore, Scaup. Gibraltar Point, 3 Velvet Scoters flew past. Humberston, Glossy Ibis on pool south of car park. c 40 Snow Buntings flew southover Buck Beck. Langtoft, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Westwoodside, Black-throated Diver at Cove Lane Pits. Woodhall Spa RAF Airfield, 56 Russian White-fronted Geese. 27/12/2025 Bardney, 2 Scaup - both fem/juv drks - reported on River Witham, near Jolly Sailor. Bourne. Snow Goose ad white morph,.3 Tundra Bean Geese in field between Shillaker's Farm and Tongue End. 13 Russian White-fronted Geese.3 Tundra Bean Geese. Park at Counter Drain. Deeping St James, 5 Long-eared Owls at Main Lake from main hide, Deeping Lakes, Frampton Marsh ,6 Snow Buntings on seaward side on sea wall behind East Hide. 30+ Russian White-fronted Geese at Marsh Farm Grassland. Humberston, Glossy Ibis on pool south of car park. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Westwoodside, Black-throated Diver at Cove Lane Pits. 28/12/2025 Boston, Cut End, River Witham mouth, 2 Long-tailed Ducks, Slavonian Grebe, 6 Scaup, 2 Great Northern Divers, 3 Pale-bellied Brent Geese. Bourne. 3 Tundra Bean Geese, 3 Bewick's Swans, 2 Russian White-fronted Geese. 2 Tundra Bean Geese in field east of Bourne south of Twenty. Cleethorpes, c 40 Snow Buntings on outer beach. Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis by chalets. Covenham Reservoir, Black-throated Diver juv, 2 Great Northern Divers, 3 Russian White-fronted Geese in field. Deeping St James, 3 Long-eared Owls at Main Lake from main hide, Deeping Lakes, 2 Glossy Ibises by River Welland. Deeping Fen, Snow Goose ad white morph in field south of Owen's Farm, then flew SE. Frampton Marsh, 7 Snow Buntings, 11 Russian White-fronted Geese. Freiston Shore, Scaup. Humberston Fitties, Water Pipit. Glossy Ibis. Langtoft, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Pyewipe, 2 Caspian gulls, 2w + 1w at Novartis. 29/12/2025 Alkborough Flats, Water Pipit. Baston Fen, 4 Tundra Bean Geese, 2 Russian White-fronted Geese.. Bourne. 3 Tundra Bean Geese in field between Shillaker's Farm and Tongue End. 5 Bewick's Swans, 10+ Russian White-fronted Geese. Park at Counter Drain. Covenham Reservoir, Black-throated Diver, 2 Great Northern Divers. Deeping Fen, Snow Goose ad white morph in field south of Owen's Farm viewed from Banks Drove.. Deeping St James, 1+ Long-eared Owl at Main Lake from main hide, 4 Bewick's Swans on East Pit, Deeping Lakes Frampton Marsh, 7 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide., 11 Russian White-fronted Geese. Freiston Shore, Scaup. Langtoft, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. Theddlethorpe St Helen, 5 Russian White-fronted Geese. Westwoodside, Black-throated Diver at Cove Lane Pits. 30/12/2025 Bourne. 6 Tundra Bean Geese in field + 14 Russian White-fronted Geese, 4+ Bewick's Swans, between Shillaker's Farm and Counter Drain. Drove. Park at Counter Drain. Deeping St James, 1+ Long-eared Owl at Main Lake from main hide, Frampton Marsh, 7 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide. Gibraltar Point, Snow Bunting at south end of Millennium Ridge west of East Hide.. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] ingarden at Mulberry Avenue. Spalding, 19 Russian White-fronted Geese WSW at Pode Hole. Flew SW over Willow Tree Fen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 *** Thank you to all contributors. We rely on readers to send in observations and welcome reports from everyone, experts to beginners. Please keep your reports coming. BARDNEY GARDEN TF117700 Phil and Mary Porter 24th December 2025 Mary put her trail camera out last night and at 4.30 am the video showed a blur of white filling the screen as something flew much too close to focus on. We can only think it must have been a Barn Owl. All of the other nocturnal pictures were of a black cat which had passed by only seconds earlier and might have spooked the owl. 25th December 2025 Mary glimpsed a Great Spotted Woodpecker in the top of a large cherry tree, probably a male. 26th December 2025 Another sighting of a bumblebee on our Lonicera purpusii bush-honeysuckle, confining itself to the flowers on the sunny topmost branches where the 9.30am temperature was 6o and much colder in the shade. The pond surface froze overnight. 4 Fieldfares were just beyond the garden briefly. There are windfall apples on the ground and still hanging on our very late-ripening Russet tree but either they were not under duress for food, or the cat was lurking. Periodical raids by a female Sparrowhawk during the day but this is more or less a fixture. 27th December 2025 Mary heard a Bullfinch that was probably in the garden but couldn’t be seen. We have seen Winter Moth and Light-brown Apple-moth recently, the latter a non-native orchard pest from Australia originally. 28th December 2025 Mary spotted 8 House Sparrows having a dust bath on top of one of the several mole hills that regularly erupt in our lawn. The hills were by no means ‘dusty’ as you might imagine at this time of year, but they ‘went through the motions’ through the day. We keep reminding ourselves that moles are good for the soil. Blackbirds have been very scarce so far but in the last couple of days 4-5 have been present. Even this is fewer than we usually get at this time of year. There is also a pair of Collared Doves, but this species seems to be a favourite prey for the female sparrowhawk and in recent years, the population has gone right down. A Muntjac was barking during the night, and a Robin was singing at 6:00am and throughout the day on and off. We have no idea how many Blue Tits are feeding on sunflower hearts, (c. 20?), and Great Tits have increased a bit just in the last couple of days. Goldfinches and Chaffinches would also be difficult to count precisely but are sometimes in double figures. For example, 6+ Goldfinches were feeding on the various teasel heads of one plant.Greenfinches though, have dropped off considerably from early winterestimates of c.5 and none seen today at all. 29th December 2025 Four Goldfinches feeding naturally on very old Knapweed heads, although I wouldn’t have thought that there was any seed left in them by now. A small party of Long-tailed Tits passed briefly through the garden. There appear to be more blackbirds again today, with scuffles between males, and ‘chuckling’ calls here and there. 30th December 2025 Five Goldfinches on the Knapweed today, so they must be finding something to eat! FAR INGS Angela Buckle Christmas day. 2025 Herb Robert, Smooth sow-thistle, Common speedwell, Smooth hawksbeard, Winter heliotrope, Spurge laurel, Greater snowdrops, Creeping comfrey, Caucasian comfrey, Lots of Redwings and Fieldfares, and a Great white egret. HORKSTOW SE987179 Jenny Haynes 26 December 2025 Female great spotted woodpecker on bird feeder. 31 December 2025 On a lovely frosty, sunny morning, we saw twelve roe deer, in small groups, in the field between our house and the river Ancholme.+ Happy New Year to everyone. NETTLETON GRANGE GAME FARM Ben Jacob 29th December 2025 Several Porcellio scaber Rough Woodlice found at 3 separate locations on shooting ground ROTHWELL CHURCHYARD Ben Jacob 25th December 2025 A very vociferous raven over Rothwell churchyard midday Christmas day SPILSBY AREA (A mile from Spilsby) Janet Harwood 3 ravens flying about above my garden/wood. Talking to each other. A day or two later, one lone bird perched in the top of a tall conifer, and stayed until some rooks chivvied it to leave. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gibraltar Point Bird Observatory https://gibraltarpointbirdobservatory.blogspot.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Tel: 07900264428 Reserve Manager Saltfleetby-Theddlethorpe Dunes NNR part of the Lincolnshire Coronation Coast NNR Sea View Road, Saltfleetby St. Clements, LN11 7TR www.gov.uk/natural-england Twitter @NEEastMidlands Donna Nook - Weekly seal 'pupdate' https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/get-involved/top-reserves/donna-nook/weekly-update If you are likely to visit the seals at Donna Nook, please consult this site before doing so to keep up to date with site requirements to ensure the welfare of the colony throughout their breeding cycle. No records this week ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 *** https://butterfly-conservation.org/300/lincolnshire-branch.html Chambers Farm Wood Butterfly Garden Volunteers margaretwestcott7@hotmail.co.uk https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/lincolnshire-branch/chambers-farm-wood-butterfly-garden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Lincolnshire Dormouse Group *** lincsdormousegroup@gmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 lans, 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). 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/find-woods/ Lincolnshire County Council - Local Nature Reserves https://www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coast-countryside/nature-reserves Boston Woods Trust https://www.bostonwoods.co.uk/ 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. Tuesday latest. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 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 the new Lincolnshire Bat Group co-ordinator as above: Email:info@lincsbatgroup.co.uk Or by phone on 01526 344726, who will be able to help you. Confidential Bat Records You may send confidential bat records direct to the above, who will make sure they are securely passed on to the new recorder. 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 ladybirds| NatureSpot https://www.naturespot.org/WildlifeGuides/12CommonLadybirds How to identify bumblebees. The Bumblebee Conservation Trust https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 submitting reports, e.g. unusual plants, please send 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2026 Event details to follow. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ...AND FINALLY... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** National and International Stories *** 3,000 BC find takes archaeologists by surprise https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj69r8g1exdo Country Living Magazine: Robins are more aggressive than we think – and why it may be our fault https://www.countryliving.com/uk/wildlife/a69876889/why-robins-are-aggressive/ Some Plants Attract Pollinators By Heating Themselves and It's Probably the Oldest Pollination Strategy Anchorhttps://www.zmescience.com/ecology/animals-ecology/cycads-heat-infrared-beetle-pollination/ "Absolutely mesmerising": aerial footage shows hundreds of sharks chasing bait balls in Byron Bay | Discover Wildlife https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/sharks-hunting-bait-balls-australia Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History investigated its own archives – and made amazing discoveries | Discover Wildlife https://www.discoverwildlife.com/news/american-museum-natural-history-species-new-to-science-2025 Stingless bees from the Amazon granted legal rights in world first | Bees | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/dec/29/stingless-bees-from-the-amazon-granted-legal-rights-in-world-first Biophobia: why some people hate nature – and what you can do about it https://theconversation.com/biophobia-why-some-people-hate-nature-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-271421 Ecological myopia: the blind spot holding back climate action https://theconversation.com/ecological-myopia-the-blind-spot-holding-back-climate-action-270912 *** Mail Fails *** Brian Rice - soft bounce. Max Winslow - hard bounce. If you experience any Bulletin problems in future please let Alex Pickwell know. mrapickwell@gmail.com ----------------- ~ THE END ~ ----------------- (..until next week!) Roger Parsons old.museum@yahoo.co.uk http://rogerparsons.info/