============================================ || || Wildnews Bulletin || 29th October 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. 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 Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union or associated organisations. Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. ============================================ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1. INFORMATION, EVENTS, NEWS AND REQUESTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Editor writes: There are at least two cases described in the coastal observations below of piracy in the bird world on our shoreline; firstly, a flock of large gulls beating back a tired short-eared owl attempting to make landfall having presumably crossed the North Sea, with the outcome unknown; secondly, a peregrine harassing a merlin until it dropped its prey to escape. Also, many years ago, I had watched the Gibraltar Point shore as a merlin had followed a chaffinch approaching the land; it could have caught it at any time but didn’t want to be burdened over the sea, so delayed its pounce until it was over the beach. It’s a tough world out there, might is right. In the last couple of weeks, there have been many records of skuas which make their living by forcing smaller sea birds to disgorge to escape their attentions. I only mention this because when I see them mentioned, I am often reminded of a great perceived injustice that I suffered in my German ‘O level’ exams nearly 60 years ago… The passage needing to be translated contained the word ‘jaeger’ = pirate. I was aware of that because my cousin had birded in Canada, where Skuas are known as jaegers, but the word had not cropped up in any term work, so I had an edge on all the others, only to be thwarted when the invigilator hastily chalked it up on the board for all to see. That really hurt! Phil Porter's email is: philporterento@outlook.com Roger Parsons' email is: old.museum@yahoo.co.uk 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. Luke Hartley writes re. Records from LNU Field Meetings… Would attendees to send records from LNU field meetings through to me as soon as is reasonable. Any and all records are useful, they don't all have to be long and comprehensive lists! Hopefully timely records would make for a much smoother process of writing up the field meetings, and disseminating records to the landowners who have been welcoming and accommodating to us! Many thanks, Luke. hartley026@gmail.com The Bulletin Portal -past Bulletins archive [in text format] from 2009. http://rogerparsons.info/bulletinportal.html Su Colman writes… *** Nettleham Woodland Trust *** are looking for help in surveying for fungi at the Ashing Lane Nature Reserve - are there any Bulletin readers who are interested? If you would like to be involved, please email admin@nettlehamwoodlandtrust.co.uk BTO's tracked Cuckoos Latest updates https://www.bto.org/cuckoos Loch of the Lowes SWT Webcam https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-webcam/ LINCOLNSHIRE CORONATION COAST NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE Delphine Suty of Natural England writes… Make a difference – volunteer with us! We are looking for individuals with good botanical skills. Your role will be to assist our team in surveying some of the rare plants on the reserve. Mainly a spring to summer activity, you will assist in the recording of the population, its location and status. The role can be done alone, with friends or other volunteers. We record data through iRecord and share with the Lincolnshire Naturalist Union and the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland We will support your mileage, equipment, and further training as these become available. Please contact us at saltfleetbytheddlethorpennr@naturalengland.org.uk *** LEARN A NEW SPECIES AND 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 is the Yellow Fieldcap Bolbitius titubans This is a toadstool that is quite easy to find in grassy places. As the name suggests the cap is bright yellow when young but does fade with age. They grow from rotting grass, dung and woodchip. Pictures and further information can be found at the Naturespot website:- https://www.naturespot.org/species/yellow-fieldcap Thanks to those who added records for our previous map filling species. We received 17 records from 6 recorders for the Apple Leaf Miner Lyonetia clerkella. Please do join in as all records are valuable and help our understanding of the county's changing natural history. *** This week's mostly-local news stories: *** Burrowing badgers leave road at risk of collapse https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8dr1pz4807o Tributes paid to former Lincoln MP Dick Taverne https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2kpqp9zk0go Joseph Banks: the man who collected the world https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg43kzn9d1do Coastwatch volunteers recognised by royalty https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2emww49me1o WW1 soldiers buried 108 years after death - Lincolnshire Regiment https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy40lwy0x1jo Bird hide fire was started deliberately, say police - Barton-upon-Humber https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8eyp2l0e32o Flood risk hotspots named by campaign group - Boston and Skegness https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7973yw954ro Graveyard 'desecrated' by new fence, villagers say - Skidbrooke https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1m3nr12j8ro Fining firms for sewage spills will get 'quicker and easier', says government https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4gz7xyr2g7o Two rescued after becoming stuck in mud on beach - Humberston Fitties https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3dl98qglzo *** 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 30th October - Sunday 2nd November Outlook for Thursday to Saturday: Mist and fog clear Thursday as cloud thickens from the west. Winds strengthen with rain arriving by evening. Friday brings sunny spells and scattered showers. Rain and strong winds Saturday. UK long range weather forecast Sunday 2nd November - Tuesday 11th November The changeable and at times unsettled weather is likely to continue through early November, with low pressure dominating the UK. This means further showers or longer spells of rain at times. All parts could see some heavy rain, but it is likely that western areas will be wettest. Strong winds are likely from time to time, with gales or severe gales a possibility. Equally there should also be some, at least brief, drier or clearer interludes, these more prevalent further east, but perhaps becoming a little more widespread and long-lasting by the end of the period. With winds predominantly blowing from a westerly or south- westerly quadrant, above average temperatures are most likely, with a reduced incidence of overnight frost and fog, compared to normal, especially at first. *** For Astronomers and Sky-watchers *** Comet Lemmon (C/2025 A6) https://www.cometwatch.co.uk/ SpaceWeather https://spaceweather.com/ Night Sky Highlights - November 2025 https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/astronomy/night-sky-highlights-november-2025 Five celestial events to look out for this autumn https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/articles/c39rvxz4jr1o AuroraWatch UK for geomagnetic data: https://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/ Full Moons - 5th November - a Supermoon. https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/full-moon-calendar-2025 Meteor shower dates - 12 November 2025 Taurid meteors https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/meteor-shower-guide-2025 BBC Sky at Night Magazine website https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/news Current Position of ISS https://www.astroviewer.net/iss/en/ *** For the Geologists *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary Lincoln Cathedral finds new stone for repairs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cyv8mvz21p6o 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 https://lnu.org/publications/books/the-geology-of-lincolnshire/ UK Fossils in Lincolnshire https://ukfossils.co.uk/category/lincolnshire/ *** EVENTS *** BOSTON AREA GROUP LWT Thursday 13th November at 7.30pm Talk – “Wild London” by Gill Walsh The talk will include RSPB Rainham Marshes, Epping Forest, Walthamstow Wetlands, Brent Valley, Colne Valley, Richmond and Bushy Parks, London Wetland Centre and Hutchinson's Bank. It will feature a wide variety of mammals, insects, birds and wildflowers. 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. *** Grimsby and Cleethorpes Area Group LWT *** Monday 10th November - 'The North Kent Marshes' by Rolf Williams. You are invited to join the group for this talk at our next indoor meeting where Rolf will give an illustrated presentation about the history and wildlife of this area stretching from the Dartford Thames Crossing to Ramsgate. This will take place in Grimsby Town Hall DN31 1HX and starts at 7.30pm. All are welcome, admission £5. Trust Christmas cards, raffle, tea & coffee will be available. Wednesday 26th November - Grey Seals and Winter Visitors at Donna Nook. You are invited to join this guided walk led by David Ball and Carolyn Davis. Please meet at Stonebridge Car Park entrance of Donna Nook Nature Reserve at 10am. LN11 7PD. Please note that if this carpark is full, you may be directed to park in the allocated field at £5 a car. Please dress sensibly according to the weather conditions and wear stout footwear. For further information on these events please contact our secretary David Ball 07711 716063 davidballnorthhampton@gmail.com or visit our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk. *** GRIMSBY/CLEETHORPES RSPB GROUP *** “50 years of birding in Louth. Changing times-changing birds” Monday 17th November: Speaker-Phil Espin (Chairman of Lincolnshire Bird Club) Venue: Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Grimsby Road, Cleethorpes. DN35 7LH Time: 7.30 pm. Admission: £5.00 (this includes tea/coffee and biscuits) *** SOUTH LINCS RSPB GROUP *** 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. Last Birdwatching Cruise 2025 Thursday 30th October 10-15am Full details including availability, dates, costs, booking etc. are on the website. https://group.rspb.org.uk/southlincolnshire/ Dates for their 2026 programme from Easter 2026 Full details including availability, dates, costs, booking etc. will be on the website. in due course. Sarah Lambert writes…. Hello everyone, The Fens East Peat Partnership led by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust is working to restore damaged peat in the fens through re-wetting. This will help to preserve carbon stores and create wetland habitats encouraging plants and wildlife to return. They host a monthly live webinar on a range of lowland fen topics, and on November 17, Owen Mountford (a valued member of the Lincolnshire Flora Group and well-known to many of you) will talk about fenland flora. A summary of the webinar is given below - it's certain to be a very interesting hour! The Fenland Flora - Survival against the odds webinar, 17 November 1-2pm Fenland has all too often been dismissed as boring and with little biodiversity value outside the washes and a few NNRs. The Fenland Flora project, now ready for publication, has sought to document the history and present status of wild plants in Fenland, and has shown the vital importance of the region, especially for aquatic plants. In addition, relics of the past Fenland vegetation persist in unlikely places, and novel habitats support new species and communities. To book a free place go to https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-fenland-flora-survival-against-the-odds-tickets-1753814629769?aff=oddtdtcreator 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 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://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 Juv = juvenile Ad = adult 1s/w, 2s/w = first/second summer/winter (age or plumage) 22/10/2025 Gibraltar Point, Twite flew over. 4 Yellow-browed Warblers as Seacroft Lagoon, Sykes Farm, near Hump and at Aylmer Avenue. 1 in sycamores at south end of west Dunes. Firecrest at West Dunes, Mealy Redpoll. Rimac, 4 Glossy Ibises flew SW Saltfleet, Yellow-browed Warbler at Sea Lane. Stamford, adult male Black Redstart. 23/10/2025 Chapel Point, Sooty Shearwater flew south past. Gibraltar Point, 4 Pomerine Skuas flew past, Lapland Bunting, Sooty Shearwater, Black-throated Diver, Ring Ouzel, Snow Bunting. Huttoft Bank, Long-tailed skua flew past. Langtoft SW of, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. Mablethorpe, 3 Pomarine Skuas flew south past, Sooty Shearwater flew north, Caspian Gull on beach. Pyewipe, Little Stint juv at Novartis Ings, 1w Caspian Gull. Sutton-on-Sea, 3 Pomarine Skuas flew past, Velvet Scoter. 24/10/2025 Chapel St Leonards, Serin flew over Chapel Pit. Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis on saltmarsh Freiston Shore, Black Tern. Gibraltar Point, Yellow-browed Warbler at Sykes Farm, Black-throated Diver flew south past, Velvet Scoter. Langtoft SW of, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. Sandilands, Gull-billed Tern flew north past. 5 Snow Buntings flew over. 25/10/2025 Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis on saltmarsh. Deeping St James, 3 Glossy Ibises, Deeping Lakes along River Welland. Yellow-browed Warbler at Deeping Lakes by railway bridge. Frampton Marsh, Pomarine Skua flew over Marsh Farm. Gibraltar Point, 3 Pomarine Skuas flew south. Huttoft Car Terrace, Little Auk flew north past, 2 Pomarine Skuas, Long-tailed Skua, Snow Bunting. Langtoft SW of, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. Mablethorpe, Snow Bunting on beach by dunes. Skegness, Middlemarsh Farm, 2 Caspian Gulls (2w + 1w) on lagoon. 26/10/2025 Deeping St James Yellow-browed Warbler at Deeping Lakes in trees by railway crossing. Gibraltar Point, Long-tailed Skua flew north past, 3 probable Pomarine Skuas. flew south. Ring Ouzel at north car park, Hawfinch. Langtoft SW of, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. 27/10/2025 Deeping St James Yellow-browed Warbler at Deeping Lakes in trees by railway crossing. 2 Glossy Ibises along River Welland. Gibraltar Point, Long-tailed Skua flew south past, Little Auk flew north. Ring Ouzel. Twite Flew south. Water Pipit on The Mere. Huttoft Bank, Long-tailed Skua flew past Snow Bunting at Car Terrace. Langtoft SW of, Ferruginous Duck ad drk at West End GPs viewed from Greatford Cut. Mablethorpe, 3+ Long-tailed Skuas on sea off outfall. 28/10/2025 Deeping St James Yellow-browed Warbler at Deeping Lakes in trees by railway crossing by steps. 2 Glossy Ibises along River Welland. Gibraltar Point, 2 Lapland Buntings flew over East Dunes, Twite, Mablethorpe, 2 Long-tailed ducks on sea off The Mermaid. Little Auk past. Saltfleet Haven, Little Auk and Black-throated Diver on sea. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 GARDEN TF117700 Phil and Mary Porter 23rd October 2025 Grey Wagtail back https://irecord.org.uk/record-details?occurrence_id=46052602 feeding busily around the pond, probably on mosquito larvae/pupae. This bird subsequently seen on 25th, 26th and 28th. A mob of Wasps and Bluebottles swarming on Ivy flowers whenever the sun was out for a while. 28th October 2025 Hornet. Also a few wasps are still returning to a nest site in the village. GOSLINGS CORNER WOOD (reprise) TF143752 Phil Porter 19th October 2025 Adding to last week’s report from the LNU Fungus Foray meeting, remarkably a second new fly record for Lincolnshire has been confirmed by a national expert. from the 20 flies retained, which is an amazing addition of knowledge from such a small sample. Suillia parva is a genuinely scarce species with only about 30 previous British locations. HORKSTOW SE987179 Jenny Haynes 26 October 2025 Beautiful plume moth was resting on the outside of my conservatory this morning. It lives up to its name. Garden birds are very active on the bird feeders, in particular goldfinches. I saw a sparrowhawk flying across the garden but was unable to see whether it caught anything. There are quite a few ladybirds still around. NETTLETON LODGE GAME FARM Ben Jacob 23rd October 2025 First fieldfares of the season noted Gorse beginning to flower ROTHWELL NR CAISTOR Peter Crick 24:10:2025 4 Red Kites. Displaying well SOUTHREY Water Rail Way TF151656 Phil and Mary Porter 26th October 2025 At least 16 Whooper Swans flew in from the south and settled with others hidden behind the opposite bank. Goldfinches were well distributed especially along a path away from the river to the east where thistle and burdock seed heads were the attraction. A small number of Fieldfares were centred on a large apple tree with a good crop of hanging and fallen fruit. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~ No submission this week ~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 221025 – 4 glossy ibis flew low south-west over Sea View late afternoon with 2 little egrets, possibly having flown off the saltmarsh, but could not be relocated. 35 little egret feeding on Sea View saltmarsh. 122 whooper swan flew south throughout the day including a group of 69 at dusk. 4 stonechat, Cetti’s warbler, 5 cattle egret and a great spotted woodpecker around Rimac dunes. 8 goosander flew south along the beach past Mablethorpe North End. 208 curlew and 16 bar-tailed godwit on the beach near the Tide Bell. Yellow-browed warbler, blackcap, bramblings and chiffchaff around Saltfleet Haven area. Butterflies – clouded yellow Churchill Lane; wall, common blue Sea View; peacock in-off Mablethorpe North End. 231025 – in the morning 106 kittiwake, 3 pomarine skua, 6 arctic skua flew south over the sea, a great skua flew south then north, and a sooty shearwater flew north. 241025 – 50 whooper swans flew south-west at Rimac which had likely come off saltmarsh lagoon roost with 16 still present on the lagoon mid-morning. Another 23 whooper swan flew south over the sea in the morning, an arctic tern and 50 barnacle geese flew north, and a red-throated diver on the sea. 2 snow bunting Mablethorpe beach, later 2 seen flying in-off the sea at Mablethorpe North End and continuing north up the beach where 18 knot were feeding. 251025 – flying south over the sea in the morning were 2 pomarine skua, 2 arctic skua, great skua, eider and 35 gannet. A short-eared owl was attempting to fly in-off the sea but was being pushed back out by a group of large gulls. Snow bunting Mablethorpe beach and returning Orkney colour-ringed sanderling. Odonata – 2 common and 1 ruddy darter dragonflies Churchill Lane. 261025 – a light ground frost in many areas across the dunes early morning. Cetti’s warbler signing near Brickyard Lane at dawn, plus a small arrival of thrushes including a ring ouzel and 15+ song thrush feeding on buckthorn berries, while blackbirds and redwings were feeding on hawthorns. These thrushes had moved off south-west late afternoon. 12 whooper swan Rimac saltmarsh lagoon mid-morning and 2 snipe flew off the saltmarsh. Cetti’s warbler singing from reeds n ear Sea View car park. 2 twite and 2 stonechat Saltfleet Haven area where 2 whooper swan and a drake eider were on the sea, and 2 peregrine chased a merlin until it dropped it’s prey. 5 black-tailed godwit Paradise Lagoon. Butterflies – 2 red admiral Churchill Lane. 271025 – kingfisher MOD pond. 3+ long-tailed duck around Mablethorpe in the morning with 2 on the sea and 1 flying north, also 2 goldeneye. 150+ kittiwake and 22 gannet flew south; 2 goosander, 11 gannet, 5 rock pipit flew north; skylark and 3 fieldfare flew in-off the sea. Velvet scoter, common scoters, 2 grey plover, curlew sandpiper, Asio owl sp. around Saltfleet Haven area. Butterflies – red admiral Mablethorpe North End. 281025 – merlin flew over the dunes near Sea View. Goosander Eau outfall and 5 whooper swan flew south onto Rimac saltmarsh lagoon. Little auk and black-throated diver on the sea out from Saltfleet Haven. Little auk, goldeneye, goosander and 2 whooper swan flew flew north over the sea, 11 whooper swan flew south and a long-tailed duck on the sea from Brickyard Lane. Another 2 long-tailed ducks still on the sea from Mablethorpe. Woodcock, fieldfare and 4 blackbird flew in-off the sea. Butterflies – 2 red admiral, wall Churchill Lane. 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. 221025 – Donna Nook: First grey seal pup born, a week earlier than 2024. 2 cows and 5 bulls. 241025 – Donna Nook Seal Count: 2 pups, 5 cows, 18 bulls. Next count will take place on 31st October. Parking charge for the farmer’s field will be £5 and there will be port-a-loos available from 1st November. Nearest public toilets are in the village of North Somercotes opposite The Bay Horse on the main road through. Disabled parking available in Stonebridge car park at the end of Marsh Lane. 271025 – Donna Nook: 6 whooper swans flew over, barn owl spotted hunting. 281025 – Donna Nook: 14 whooper swans flew over, curlews calling from the saltmarsh, sparrowhawk flew through the dunes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. 4th; November Email: 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 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. Boston Woods Trust https://www.bostonwoods.co.uk/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 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 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 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 https://lincsnaturalist.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/the-flora-of-lincolnshire-e-joan-gibbons.pdf Atlas of the terrestrial and semi-aquatic Mammals of Lincolnshire https://lincsnaturalist.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/mammalatlas.pdf ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New details to come.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ...AND FINALLY... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** National and International Stories *** Sir David Attenborough backs bid to buy estate - Northumberland https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1d0x39x270o BirdTrack | BTO https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/birdtrack International Swan Census | BTO https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/goose-and-swan-monitoring-programme/taking-part/international-swan-census Bird-Friendly Flowers And Bulbs To Plant Now For A Wildlife-Filled Spring Garden https://www.countryliving.com/uk/homes-interiors/gardens/a69131204/bird-friendly-flowers-bulbs-plant-spring-garden/ 10 greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet: Where and when Mother Nature puts on her biggest and most spectacular shows | Discover Wildlife https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/greatest-wildlife-spectacles-on-the-planet Should you pour coffee down the drain? An environmental scientist explains https://theconversation.com/should-you-pour-coffee-down-the-drain-an-environmental-scientist-explains-268236 MILLIONS of migrating red crabs cause mayhem for locals in Australia https://youtube.com/watch?v=b1I7AGWu1Zw&si=D6ip6cVGAKOadL67 The Vampire Deer Are Real -- And They're Horrifyingly Cute https://www.zmescience.com/feature-post/natural-sciences/animals/mammals/the-cute-vampire-deer/ Headlights to be reviewed after drivers complain of being 'blinded' at night https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn971jlpvvro Hurricane Melissa: Jamaica braces for world's strongest storm of 2025 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2dr0z57nygo 'Incredible surprise' as curious dolphin joins kayakers for a paddle- Firth of Forth https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyz141yj1yo Iceland resumed whaling, but no one seems to want to do it anymore https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/iceland-whaling-resumed-stopped-rep/ Iceland reported its first mosquitoes and it's a harbinger of Arctic warming https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/animals-ecology/iceland-reported-its-first-mosquitoes-and-its-a-harbinger-of-arctic-warming/ The overgrown graveyard abandoned after WW2 bomb hit cathedral - Llandaff https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg7nzn4nykjo Bird flu confirmed at commercial poultry premises - Suffolk https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgkz3nk3lzlo Night diver has "shock of lifetime" as immense animal swims out of darkness in Australia | Discover Wildlife https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/marine-animals/weedy-seadragon-and-smooth-stingray-australia Seven things Halloween and Hollywood get wrong about bats https://theconversation.com/seven-things-halloween-and-hollywood-get-wrong-about-bats-267341 Popular Science: Queen bees are violently ousted if worker bees smell weakness https://www.popsci.com/environment/queen-bees-overthrow/ *** Mail Fails *** We have had reports of issues with 2 subscribers' Bulletins. If you experience any such problem in future please let Alex know. mrapickwell@gmail.com ----------------- ~ THE END ~ ----------------- (..until next week!) Roger Parsons old.museum@yahoo.co.uk http://rogerparsons.info/