============================================ || || Wildnews Bulletin 28th Jan 2026 || News of Lincolnshire Wildlife || LNU: http://lnu.org/ || || Please email Editor on: || mailto: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 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Editor writes… - Roger is editing for Phil this week. Thank you for your contributions. Please keep them coming. I was sad to learn of the death of Dr Allan Chapman, a regular contributor to the Horncastle Astronomy Weekends organised by Paul Money. He was an engaging, witty and entertaining speaker with a wealth of knowledge. https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/author/dr-allan-chapman Thanks to all who sent in reports this week. Very good to hear from you. Please keep encouraging others to sign up for the Bulletin and to send in contributions. Special thanks to Phil and Alex for taking on the editing and e-mailings. It's a lot of work, and your help with sightings, news and events is always very much appreciated Roger Phil writes: BARDNEY Phil Porter 25th January 2026 The contribution to local plant records which I planned is still limited by a sore back, as I wanted to supplement the accounts with an iRecord link and kneeling to take a picture of a tiny plant and then getting up again is awkward at the moment. A little-known but quite common (?) plant that is starting to make its diminutive impact now, is Common Whitlowgrass Erophila verna. It is one of the tiny spring annuals that is starting to germinate in the angle of pavement and wall where only a tiny amount of soil exists. I have also seen it in the open growing in a mat of dense moss on a decaying road surface. The flowering period is still to come and they will attract more attention then, with upright stems only a couple of inches high with pure white 4-petalled flowers. It is apparently a very complicated and variable species genetically and I can’t find a picture that looks quite like the Bardney plants. Hopefully next week, I will photograph this species. For the time being, look it up and check out those wall/pavement niches. Phil Porter's email is: philporterento@outlook.com Roger Parsons' email is: old.museum@yahoo.co.uk 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/ *** 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. *** This week's mostly-local news stories: *** Wildlife trust seeks to create new reserve - Hawthorpe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgjwdwpj402o 'Seeing deer stuck in fences has been horrible' - Obthorpe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3edpdd9725o Cable theft leaves thousands with no internet - Moulton Chapel https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwywxlej6gko Escaped emu rescued from railway line https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1500wxgg3go Investigation into suspected illegal waste site - Ancaster https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62rr510nv0o Oil paintings capture rural life in Lincolnshire https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cew8zjdxl20o More than 100 flood warnings as Storm Chandra disruption continues https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8p2yey0gdo *** Weather News and Forecast *** https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#?   East Midlands weather forecast Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Winds strengthening overnight, with outbreaks of rain, clearing through Friday. Staying cloudy and breezy Saturday, with further light rain. Likely drier Sunday, with brighter spells, but still the odd shower. UK long range weather forecast 1-10 Feb 2026 Weather systems from the Atlantic will continue to attempt to push in from the west, but tending to stall in the vicinity of the UK as they encounter high pressure to the north and northeast. As a result, further spells of rain or showers as well as strong winds are expected at times. Rain may be heavy and persistent, especially in the south and west. Whilst mild conditions are expected to encroach into the south and southwest at times, cold air is likely to be positioned to the northeast, bringing wintry showers at times. Where fronts from the southwest do reach the cold air towards the northeast, there is the risk of some snow, most likely across hills, but perhaps extending to lower areas *** For Astronomers and Sky-watchers *** Timelapse captures Northern Lights display https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/c3ed0ynnjz7o Watch: Russian cosmonaut captures stunning aurora from space https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/cn40027nej0o 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 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   *** For the Geologists *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary Quaternary UK offshore data digitised for the first time https://www.bgs.ac.uk/news/quaternary-uk-offshore-data-digitised-for-the-first-time/ 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. *** LINCOLNSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST ** Book Talk and Signing, ‘The Cuckoo’s Lea’ by Michael Warren Whisby Education Centre, Saturday 7th February, 1.30 to 3.30pm. Meet the author of this fascinating book and hear more about the Stories and secrets of birds in our ancient landscapes Suitable for adults. Booking essential. No dogs. https://www.lincstrust.org.uk/events   *** GRIMSBY AND CLEETHORPES AREA GROUP LWT *** “A Lake District Year” On Monday 9th February the group hold their next indoor meeting when excellent photographer Mike Pickwell will be giving an illustrated presentation on a year in the life of the Lake District. Mike will be taking us on a photographic journey through its varied wildlife and how it adapts to rugged mountains, valleys and scenic glacial lakes. This will take place in Grimsby Town Hall DN31 1HU and starts at 7.30pm. Admission £5, all are welcome. There will be a raffle and light refreshments available.  For further details contact David Ball 07712 716063 email davidballnorthampton@gmail.com or visit our website www.grimsbywildlifetrust.org.uk BOSTON AREA GROUP LWT Thursday 12th February at 7.30pm Talk – “Eastern Seaboard: Wildlife from Maine to Florida” by Alan Knight 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. The Scunthorpe and Brigg Local Group of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Our next meeting is on Thursday, 12th February when we will be visited by our local well-known wildlife photographer and President of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Geoff Trinder. Geoff will be giving us his talk "Images Old and New". Geoff has developed digital images of the photography slides he used to use and has added some new ones recently taken. We meet at 7.30pm in the Small Hall at the St Hugh's Church, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 2AG, which is opposite the Apple Green filling station near Brumby crossroads. ALL ARE WELCOME TO OUR MEETINGS. There is a small, free car park at the Church, also at the Old Brumby United Church opposite and on the nearby roadside. There is a £2.50 entry charge which includes light refreshments at the mid-talk break. The Natural History and Geology Section of the North Lincolnshire Museum Society At our Monday, February 9th meeting, Rolf Williams, VR, MSc, PGCE, FRGS, visits us to give his variedly illustrated talk entitled "Rudolf Gets Rattled". Arizona is the most bio-diverse region of the USA. Rudolf introduces the "Sky Islands", their habitat and associated wildlife and shares his top tips on spotting snakes in this environment, talks about their behaviour, and their remarkably useful venom. Of the 1 8 main species of rattlesnake in North America, Rudolf shares his personal encounters with 14 of them...up close! Across California and Arizona, Rudolf films these mysterious, much maligned, and deeply misunderstood reptiles. Some present themselves startlingly - others are almost impossible to find. The meeting starts at 7.15pm and will take place as usual in the St. Bernadette's Church Hall, Ashby Road, Scunthorpe, DN16 2RS, which is almost opposite the Priory Hotel on Ashby Road. ALL ARE WELCOME TO OUR MEETINGS. There is a large, free car park at the Church. There is a £5 entry charge for non-members of the Society. There will be a mid-talk "comfort break" at when refreshments will be available for a £1 charge. 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) 18/1/2026 Baston Fen, 3 Tundra Bean Geese. Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis on lagoon SE of Buck Beck. Covenham Reservoir, Black-throated Diver juv, 3 Great Northern Divers, Red- throated Diver, Caspian Gull. Deeping St James, Snow Goose ad white morph in field west of Gull House Farm with Whooper Swans. 3 Glossy Ibises at Deeping Lakes. Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm. from Duck Hide. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Willow Tree Fen, Red-breasted Merganser drk. 19/1/2026 Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis on lagoon SE of Buck Beck. Deeping St James, Snow Goose ad white morph in field north of Crowland Road with 4 Bewick's Swans and Whooper Swans. 1 Long-eared Owl at Main Lake in ivy by hide. Gibraltar Point, 2+ Caspian Gulls on foreshore. Horse Shoe Point, 50+ Twite. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm.from Duck Hide. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. 20/1/2026 Cleethorpes Coast, Water Pipit near Buck Beck. Deeping St James, 1 Long-eared Owl at Main Lake in ivy by hide. Snow Goose ad white morph in field north of Crowland Road with Whooper Swans. Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm from Duck Hide. 21/1/2026 Deeping St James, 1 Long-eared Owl at Main Lake in ivy by hide Snow Goose ad white morph in field north of Crowland Road with Whooper Swans. Gibraltar Point, 2 Water Pipits, 2 Black-throated Divers flew south. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm from Duck Hide. 22/1/2026 Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Inis NW of Buck Beck. Cut End. SE of Boston, Slavonian Grebe at River Witham mouth. Deeping St James, Long-eared Owl at Main Lake in ivy by hide. Snow Goose ad white morph in field west of Gull House Farm with Whooper Swans. 4 Bewick's Swans Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide. Gibraltar Point, 2 Water Pipits, 2 Black-throated Divers flew south. 3 Glossy Ibises on pool by river. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. 23/1/2026 Deeping St James, Snow Goose ad white morph in field north of Crowland Road with Whooper Swans. Long-eared Owl at Main Lake in ivy by hide. Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Rimac, Black Brant with Dark-bellied Brent Geese, 18 Snow Buntings. 24/1/2026 Boston, Cut End, Slavonian Grebe at River Witham mouth. Cowbit, Red-breasted Merganser at Cradge Bank or River Welland. Deeping St James, 2 Long-eared Owls at Main Lake in ivy by hide, Deeping Lakes. Snow Goose ad white morph in field west of Gull House Farm with Whooper Swans. 3 Glossy Ibises at Maxey Cut/River Welland confluence. Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide Gibraltar Point, Sooty Shearwater flew north past. 2 Caspian Gulls. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm from Duck Hide. Tetney Marshes, 20+ Snow Buntings on beach by Yacht Club. 25/1/2026 Boston, Cut End, Scaup at River Witham mouth. Use Cut End car park at south end of Cut End Road the walk east for 1ml. Deeping St James, 5 Tundra Bean Geese east of Deeping Lakes on ploughed field north of Crowland Road. 4 Long-eared Owls, Deeping Lakes at Main Lake in ivy by hide. 3 Glossy Ibises at Maxey Cut/River Welland confluence. Fishtoft, 1.5 miles south on River Witham, Scaup 1w drk by pumping station at south end of Hobhole Drain. Frampton Marsh, 6 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Mablethorpe, 7 Russian White-fronted Geese flew south over Sea View car park. Tetney Marshes, 20+ Snow Buntings on beach by Yacht Cub. Scunthorpe, Hoopoe at Beltoft again in garden. 26/1/2026 Cleethorpes Coast, Glossy Ibis still NW of Buck Beck. Deeping St James, Snow Goose ad white morph west of Gull House Farm, Deeping Lakes with c300 Whooper Swans + c6 Bewick's Swans, 5 Tundra Bean Geese east of Deeping Lakes on ploughed field north of Crowland Road. 3 Long-eared Owls, Deeping Lakes at Main Lake in ivy.by hide. 3 Glossy Ibises at Maxey Cut/River Welland confluence. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. North Hykeham, probable Siberian Lesser Whitethroat [form blyth] in garden at Mulberry Avenue. Mablethorpe, 3 Caspian Gulls 2a ds +1w on beach near Seal Sanctuary. Messingham Sand Quarry, Ring-necked Duck fem opposite Scallow Grove Farm from Duck Hide. 27/1/2026 Boston, Cut End, Black-necked Grebe at River Witham mouth. Salvonian Grebe. Use Cut End car park at south end of Cut End Road the walk east for 1ml. Deeping St James, 5 Tundra Bean Geese in ploughed field north of Crowland. 3 Long-eared Owls at Deeping Lakes at Main Lake in ivy. 3 Glossy Ibises at Maxey Cut/River Welland confluence. Snow Goose ad white morph west of Gull House Farm in field with c300 Whooper Swans + c3 Bewick's Swans. Mablethorpe, 18 Snow buntings on beach north of Seal Sanctuary. 28/1/2025 Boston, Cut End, Black-necked Grebe at River Witham mouth. Scaup ad drk. Use Cut End car park at south end of Cut End Road the walk east for 1ml. 4 Snow Buntings by The Haven. Cleethorpes Coast, c23 Snow Buntings SE of buck Beck. Deeping St James, Snow Goose ad white morph west of Gull House Farm, with c300 Whooper Swans. 3 Glossy Ibises at Maxey Cut/River Welland confluence. 4 Long-eared Owls, Deeping Lakes at Main Lake in ivy.by hide. Ingham to Fillingham - Great Grey Shrike by bend at Willingham Lane. Frampton Marsh, 7 Snow Buntings on east side of sea wall east of East Hide. Wainfleet All Saints, Red-throatd Diver on river Steeping near Wainfleet Centre. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 - The Green TF120694 A & R Parsons 23/122026 House Sparrows 20 Starling 2-5 Woodpigeon 3 Flock of patrolling Black-headed gulls Our population of Cudweed seems to be increasing. Lots of young plants. BARDNEY GARDENT F117700 Phil and Mary Porter 23rd January 2026 Mary found some tiny red female flowers on one of our Hazel bushes, and spotted a vole in a shrub bed which occasionally receives a load of leaves swept from the yard, so that there is a good depth of mulch keeping the soil fauna safe from the weather. There has also been an abundance of fallen hawthorn fruit, so seeds may remain on the surface after the flesh has rotted. Greenfinches remain in penny numbers at the feeders. 25th January 2026 Mary is keeper a careful eye on a pair of Collared Doves which are billing and cooing. They are a favourite target of female sparrowhawks and we don’t usually see them in the garden for all that long until a characteristic pile of feathers appears on the ground. 26th January 2026 Long-tailed Tits have been rather scarce lately and often just single individuals as today. Mary’s trail camera caught a video of a squirrel climbing an apple tree with a mouthful of dead grass but we don’t know what it did then. We are wondering if it is making a nest or shelter in a large evergreen honeysuckle which it would have had access to on that route. I saw another vole which was moving through the wreckage of the last herbaceous greenery destroyed by coldest weather in recent weeks. KIRKBY MOOR 24 Jan 2026 John Walker Walked part of Kirkby woods in sunny light breeze conditions In song were blackbirds great tit robin Seen were crossbills green and great spotted woodpeckers. treereeper jay, nuthatch. FISKERTON FEN TF083718 Phil and Mary Porter 24th January 2026 A rare sunny morning. The pit was apparently devoid of waterfowl and our outward walk to the river only revealed 4 Blackbirds and 3 Robins. The tall thick hedgerows along the Engine Drain appeared to be completely without birds! One Chaffinch flew out on the way back. A total of 6 Mute Swans were either on the North Delph or surrounding field towards the pumping station. One skylark sang over the adjoining field. One Bee Orchid rosette was on the path near the carpark and several were growing in the corner of the carpark where they have appeared before. A last look at the pit resulted in 6 Shoveler and we were pleased to see a Great White Egret fly over towards Short Ferry, but the lack of passerines was very striking. GRANTHAM GARDEN SK930 372 Alan Lean/Gill Porter 26th January 2026 This time of year our garden takes on a soggy aspect, in part because of the trees that overhang from the Green Lane at the back. But the birds seem to like it and we have left them plenty of leaf litter to sift through. In the last week, we have welcomed back a Song Thrush which sings from high up in the large ash tree at the back. A pair of Stock Doves are now regular, hoovering up what falls from the feeders; they are well able to see off the Woodpigeons which sit on the shed roof waiting for them to leave. Finch numbers this year are exceptionally good with Greenfinch, Goldfinch and Chaffinch all frequent to the feeders (up to six Greenfinch at a time). A flock of Siskin passed along the Green Lane two days ago but no sign yet this winter of either Brambling or Redpoll, unlike last year. Our hedgehogs are quiet as expected with just one visit in the past week but last night’s trail camera footage revealed a fox sniffing around the plant pots on the patio. HORKSTOW SE987179 Jenny Haynes 26 January 2026 On opening the curtains this morning, we saw a pair of kestrels across the road, the male on the telegraph pole and the female on the wire alongside. The pole is often used by a kestrel and the occasional owl, but we’ve not seen two kestrels together before. The flock of longtailed tits continue to visit the garden, using both peanut and sunflower heart feeders. There was a sighting of a goldcrest again at the weekend as well as a female and male great spotted woodpecker. Other birds seen include: Blue tit Great tit Chaffinch Greenfinch Goldfinch Robin Dunnock Blackbird NETTLEHAM Brenda Edlington TF 005756 Big Garden Birdwatch 24/1/2026 Blackbird 2 Blue tit 2 Chaffinch 3 Crow 2 Dunnock 1 Goldfinch 5 Great spotted woodpecker 1 Great tit 1 Greenfinch 2 Long-tailed tit 2 Magpie 1 Robin 1 Wood pigeon 6 13 species 29 birds WHISBY Whisby Nature Park SK 910 663 20/1/2026 Brenda Edlington 2 goosanders were showing well on Thorpe Lake and about 300 lapwings on Teal lake Blackbird Black-headed gull Blue tit Buzzard Coot Cormorant Crow Dunnock Egyptian goose Gadwall Goldeneye Goosander m and f Great crested grebe Great tit Greylag goose Heron Jackdaw Jay Lapwing Long-tailed tit Magpie Mallard Moorhen Mute swan Oystercatcher Robin Shoveler Teal Tufted duck Wigeon Wood pigeon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 210126 – woodcock flew from scrub cover at Sea View and green woodpecker calling in the trees around Sea View work base. 3 mistle thrush in trees around Sea View and a group of 12 at the entrance to Rimac. 4 cattle egret on the banks of the Eau between Rimac and Sea View, then feeding in pony paddock by Rimac entrance. Ringtail hen harrier flew over Sea View Washlands mid-morning.   220126 - 3 cattle egret feeding in paddock by Rimac entrance.   230126 - adult black brant within group of 66 dark-bellied brent geese on Rimac foreshore. 18 snow bunting, 400 dunlin, 20 ringed plover also on Rimac foreshore and 53 pintail on Rimac saltmarsh lagoon early morning.   240126 - 35 gadwall, 88 shoveler, 99 teal and 8 mallard on Paradise Lagoon late morning. Stonechat near Sea View.   250126 - 7 white-fronted geese flew south over Mablethorpe North End and continued.   260126 - 2 raven flew north-east over Crook Bank car park mid-morning and green woodpecker calling. 18 snow bunting, 2 shorelark, 2 skylark, 9 yellowhammer, jack snipe and stonechat around Crook Bank outer dunes and developing saltmarsh areas, and a single twite flew north. 400+ teal on the Great Eau around Sea View. Great spotted woodpecker Sea View sycamores. First-winter caspian gull on wet grassland south of Crook Bank then flew onto the beach where 2 adults were also present at low tide. 660 wigeon, 140 teal, 11 mallard, 18 shoveler, 45 curlew, 8 redshank, snipe and 400 lapwing also on wet grassland south of Crook Bank. Ringtail hen harrier, Merlin, buzzard, sparrowhawk, stonechat, 3 white-fronted geese, 50 pink-footed geese, 2000 lapwing, 40 golden plover and 40 curlew on Elm House Farm wet grassland.   270126 - wind gusts of up to 67.8mph recorded on the dunes at Sea View.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 Gardening: Dates and Times 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).  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 ifyou 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 *** Hundreds of illegal waste tips operating in England - including 11 'super sites' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1ev4yg1j1lo Nature loss is a national security risk, intelligence group warns https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9y1e09j72o Oldest cave painting of red claw hand could rewrite human creativity timeline https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx1pnlzer5o Cow astonishes scientists with rare use of tools https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj0n127y74go UK homes to get £15bn for solar and green tech to cut energy bills https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgj7me00p0o Seaweed Guide - Galloway https://www.solwayfirthpartnership.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Galloway-Seaweed-Guide_web.pdf Non-Native Animals On The Loose In London https://londonist.com/2014/08/non-native-animals-on-the-loose-in-london Octopus numbers exploded around the UK’s south-west coast in 2025 https://theconversation.com/octopus-numbers-exploded-around-the-uks-south-west-coast-in-2025-a-new-report-explores-this-rare-phenomenon-269723 *** Mail Fails *** Brian Rice - soft 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/