============================================ || || Wildnews Bulletin 3rd June 2026 || 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. ============================================ 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: I have recently been dipping into the 2002 book ‘Of Moths and Men’ by Judith Hooper which documented the famous industrial melanism theory whereby the black form of the Peppered Moth benefited from resting cryptically on soot blackened trees in the large industrial centres of the nineteenth century onwards, and how the theory was subsequently debunked owing to various ‘irregularities’ in the experimental techniques employed. In the Bulletin today Richard Fox records Peppered Moth from Middle Rasen in its normal (i.e. white peppered) form, so I thought I would investigate the modern perspective. Warning, AI. was the only way of doing so in the time available. In doing so, I uncovered a surprisingly large hole in my knowledge. I hadn’t been aware that the late Michael Majerus had spent six years just prior to his death on a meticulous re-enactment of the industrial melanism issue, published posthumously in 2012, taking care to address all of the ‘irregularities’, so that the original theory was once again uncontested in the scientific world. The origin of the black mutation has been traced back to about 1819, before the onset of extreme industrial pollution and as a result it was very rare in that initial period. Since clean air has returned, it is presumably very rare now. Moth people, please let me know! Phil Porter's email is: philporterento@outlook.com Roger Parsons' email is: old.museum@yahoo.co.uk DON'T MISS Barn Owls at the Owl Tower for the 2026 season - 4 owlets seen on 29th! https://www.lenpicktrust.org.uk/owl-project/ BTO's tracked Cuckoos - Where are they now? https://www.bto.org/get-involved/volunteer/projects/cuckoo-tracking Loch of the Lowes SWT Webcam - First Osprey chick hatched 2nd June! https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/watch-wildlife-online/loch-of-the-lowes-webcam/ *** This week's mostly-local news stories: *** Health fears over proposed chicken farm in village - near Wragby https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3p7l4d0v7o Whale spotted near port confirmed dead - Immimgham https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62d1p7yd6lo Court challenge to UK's largest solar farm plan - between Lincoln and Sleaford https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2e2y0r3xnmo Antique pig's head fetches £530 at auction https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3e2qjnnk32o Government urged not to 'abandon' coastal communities to the sea https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgepvn2wvv5o Concerns over suspected sewage in beck - Scunthorpe https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0p7e8ry12o Have your say on huge electricity subsea link - Anderby Creek https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy82zl38758o *** Weather News and Forecast *** https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/ https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings#? East Midlands weather forecast Wednesday 3 Jun - Sunday 7 Jun Headline: Rain and showers, risk of thunder this afternoon. Becoming windy. Today: Some early sunny spells, but cloud thickening and wind strengthening ahead of a band of occasionally heavy rain sweeping east across the region. Sunny spells and blustery showers in the afternoon, with a risk of hail and thunder. Maximum temperature 20 °C. Tonight: A mostly cloudy and breezy night, with outbreaks of rain and showers continuing through the evening and early hours. Mild. Minimum temperature 11 °C. Thursday: A mixture of sunny spells and blustery showers, these perhaps heavy and thundery at times. Windy. Maximum temperature 19 °C. Outlook for Friday to Sunday: Remaining unsettled during this period. Outbreaks of rain or showers will be interspersed with some drier and sunnier interludes. Occasionally windy, especially Saturday. Temperatures rather cool, trending near normal. UK long range weather forecast Sunday 31 May - Tuesday 9 Jun Changeable early in this period with Atlantic frontal systems moving across the UK. These will bring showers or longer spells of rain at times, with wettest conditions in the northwest, drier in the southeast. Strong winds may affect parts of the UK at times, especially the northwest. Later in the period, higher pressure and more settled conditions may begin to become more prevalent, especially in the south. Temperatures are likely to be near normal overall. *** For Astronomers and Sky-watchers *** Nasa unveils next steps to build permanent Moon base https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c39228nxyr4o Exploding rocket casts doubts over Nasa's Moon plans https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy2q0g07kgo Night Sky Highlights - June 2026 https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/space-astronomy-highlights-2026#June This Week's Sky at a Glance, May 29 – June 7 https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/observing-news/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-may-29-june-7/ Partial Solar Eclipse August 12th 2026. https://theskylive.com/solar-eclipse?id=2026-08-12&cc=GB 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 Lincolnshire Geodiversity Group: Sign up for their newsletter. 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/ *** EVENTS *** *** LNU FIELD MEETING *** Saturday 20th June Cleethorpes Sand Dunes Joint LNU/LFG. Access courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council. *** RSPB SOUTH LINCS. LOCAL GROUP *** "SEAL AND BIRDWATCHING CRUISES INTO THE WASH" The 2026 dates are 23rd May, 11th and 23rd June, 9th and 25th July, 8th and 22nd August, 19th September, 3rd October. All aboard "The Boston Belle". Full details as regards sailing times, booking {essential} procedure, ticket prices , previous cruise bird sightings etc. at https://group.rspb.org.uk/southlincolnshire/ STAYING SAFE Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary.... The Heat-Health Alert Service in England runs from 1 June to 30 September each year. You can register for alerts on this link. https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/heat-health-alert-service Bird flu: Defra advice to the general public is to leave corpses alone and report the findings - but that landowners should dispose of birds themselves. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-latest-situation-avian-influenza-prevention-zone-declared-across-great-britain Lyme Disease reminder https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/zoonoses-data-sheets/lyme-disease.pdf Road works and hold-ups https://roadworks.org/ Met Office Severe Warnings https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings Met Office Severe Weather E-mail Service - sign up http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/guide-to-emails EasyTide http://easytide.ukho.gov.uk/EasyTide/EasyTide/index.aspx Environment Agency Flood Warnings - Lincolnshire https://flood-warning-information.service.gov.uk/warnings?location=lincolnshire Environment Agency Flood Information/Floodline - sign up https://www.gov.uk/sign-up-for-flood-warnings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2. WILDLIFE HIGHLIGHTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Bird News from Rare Bird Alert *** Rare Bird Alert has kindly given permission to reproduce their pager reports. A big thank you from us all. Readers interested in a pager - look at the RBA website: http://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/ For RBA's excellent articles: https://www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/RealData/Articles.asp Abbreviations Juv = juvenile Ad = adult 1s/w, 2s/w = first/second summer/winter (age or plumage) 26/5/2026 Anderby Creek, Wood Sandpiper at Anderby Marsh. Golden Oriole fem/1s in flight between village and farm, Wood sandpiper. Bourne, Bonapart's Gull a Tongue end in flight NE along River Glen. Frampton Marsh, Glossy Ibis at North Scrape. Garganey drk. Curlew on scrape. Black-winged Stilt on South Scrape. Gibraltar Point, Turtle Dove. 27/5/2026 Branston Island, 4 Glossy Ibises from cycle path on west bank of River Witham, 2 Wood Sandpipers Frampton Marsh, 2 Garganeys, 3 Curlew Sandpipers on Middle Scrape, 2 Black-winged Stilts on Reedbed Gibraltar Point, Little Stint. 28/2026 Branston Island, 4 Glossy Ibises from cycle path on west bank of River Witham, 2 Wood Sandpipers Frampton Marsh, Garganey drk from sea bank. Curlew Sandpiper on Middle Scrape. Black-winged Stilts on Reedbed. Gibraltar Point, Little Stint. Little Gull at Tennyson's Sands. 29/5/2026 Alkborough Flats, Red-footed Falcon viewed west from bottom car park Frampton Marsh, Little Gull 1s. drk Garganey. 2 Black-winged Stilts Gibraltar Point, Little Gull 1s Skegness. Little Gull flew south past 30/2026 Frampton Marsh, Baird's Sandpiper on Reedbed Lagoon from Reedbed Hide. 2 Garganey. 2 Black-winged Stilts 31/2026 Frampton Marsh, Little Stint Gibraltar Point, Golden Oriole at East Dunes/ Manby Flashes, Glossy Ibis Whisby, Grey Plover at Thorpe Landfill, at quarry off Job’s Lane 1/6/2026 Frampton Marsh, Black-winged Stilt and Little Gull 1s on Reedbed Lagoon. Little Stint from Sea Bank viewpoint. Garganey. Temminck's Stint. Gibraltar Point, Golden Oriole in East Dunes. Redwing at West Dunes. Rimac, Glossy Ibis. Pectoral Sandpiper on car park scrape. Saltfleetby/Theddlethorpe Dunes, Golden Oriole in dunes south of Crook Bank, then flew south. 2/6/2026 Mablethorpe, Caspian Gull on floating pipes south of outfall. Maltby, Quail male singing in hayfield north of Hubbard's Hills. Manby Flashes, Glossy Ibis from hide. Rimac, Glossy Ibis flew SW over Sea View washlands. Pectoral Sandpiper on car park scrape. Temminck's Stint. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. *** County Wildlife Reports from Readers *** Thanks to our regular contributors across the county. Much appreciated. We rely on readers to send in observations and welcome records from everyone, experts to beginners. Please keep your reports coming. BARDNEY - The Green TF120694 A & R Parsons A lot of bat activity between 10pm to 2am, 28th-29th May and 9pm - 4am 29th-30th May. 55kHz so probably Soprano Pipistrelle. https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats/soprano-pipistrelle 29/5/2026 4.45pm Red Kite flew over garden harried by a crow. Brimstone and Holly Blue. 31/5/2026 On an early local walk today we spotted a vacated "caterpillar tent" on an unidentifiable host shrub [completely covered] in the local cemetery as we passed. If we can identify the plant later we can make a good guess at the likely moth species. Here's a useful link if you have a similar ID problem: Native species that may be mistaken for oak processionary moth https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/research/native-species-that-may-be-mistaken-for-oak-processionary-moth/ We came home to see turmoil in the garden, 20+ jackdaws and a couple of other corvids going berserk, whirling about and making a racket. A young jackdaw was on it's back lying on the doorstep! It was still alive. Put it in a quiet corner of the garden and it eventually disappeared and all was peaceful once more. BARDNEY ALLOTMENTS Merlin app Bird list for A Parsons 31/5/2026 Swift Chaffinch Magpie Moorhen Dunnock Starling Jackdaw Linnet Wren Greenfinch Goldfinch Skylark Blue tit Great tit Blackbird Collared dove House sparrow Wood pigeon Robin House Martin BARDNEY GARDEN SK117700 Phil & Mary Porter 27th May 2026 Mary’s glimpse of a broad dragonfly reported last week was confirmed when a female Broad-bodied Chaser flew over the pond. A Hobby flew over the garden at 20;00. 28th May 2026 Our male Whitethroat was often bathing and or feeding for the rest of the month, giving great views. 3 pairs of Azure Damselflies were ovipositing in the pond, but later I found that 3 individuals had been caught and predated in a spider’s web in grass stems right next to the pond. We have a few plants of Great Mullein and I found 3 Mullein Moth larvae but 1 was dead with its rear quarters flat and discoloured. 29th May 2026 Five pairs of blue damselflies were ovipositing, and a Red Admiral was in the garden 30th May 2026 A Painted Lady was a new arrival. The Whitethroat briefly found our lawn mower starter chord was a suitable perch. I flushed a Large Yellow Underwing Moth and also found that small moths were being disturbed in vegetation which hadn’t been the case previously. Mary found a Silver Y in the early evening. 31st May 2026 There was a noticeable influx of young Blue Tits feeding on aphids or similar, and Mary saw the Whitethroat feeding another bird that was not seen clearly to identify. The other bird was wing-trembling like a fledgeling. We haven’t been able to elucidate this since so far. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth was feeding on Dame’s Violet, Large Skipper made their first appearance of the year and the female Broad-bodied Chaser was egg-laying in the pond. A great day! BARDNEY RECREATION AREA TF124692 Phil & Mary Porter 30th May 2026 Here and there along the path in the 12 acre field there was a particularly good showing of Hop Trefoil this year. 2nd June 2026 The small tree in the cemetery reported by Roger above as defoliated by larval tents is a Spindle Euonymus, making the moth species the Spindle Ermine Yponomeuta cagnagella. It is known to erupt into localised plagues like this. I visited after rainfall and the tents were empty but some larvae were climbing up threads from tall grasses below towards their shelters in the tree. Whether or not their descent had been voluntary, I do not know. There is green growth trying to re-appear at the tips of the shoots. BOSTON, STANDISH GROVE, TF 33488 45113 Heather Bishop 29th & 30th May Dragonfly – Broad-bodied chaser, male I've never seen this dragonfly before, but it seems to have adopted our pond. We get quite a lot of butterflies in our garden now that it's been turned into a meadow-like environment (pretty, not messy!). However, today, we saw a BLUE butterfly with a row of orange spots on the UPPER wing. The internet says that all the female blues are brown, and only females have orange spots on the UPPER wing. Bit puzzling. It was sunbathing so we got a good close look at it, but too late to get the camera. It also had a dark corner on the front wing. If we see it tomorrow, I'll make sure we've got our camera handy! CARLTON LE MOORLAND SK909581 Jeremy Hutchinson 21/5/26 Barn Owl flew over the garden at dusk. Until about a week ago a Cuckoo could be heard in the distance most days, especially during the early morning. I have heard the Cuckoo more often, and in more places (4), this year than for a very long time, which is pleasing. 28/5/26 First sighting of a Hummingbird Hawk Moth feeding on Red Valerian; it has been a regular visitor since. Another medium-sized greyish moth visits the same plants in some numbers at dusk, but I haven't identified them yet. 30/5/26 A Hornet Queen seen in the garden: what an awesome sight. Recent butterflies; Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Orange Tip, and increasingly Painted Ladies. Recently I have encountered a Wren in our old summerhouse, which is missing a pane of glass from one of the windows, which made me wonder whether it had built a nest inside. On 31 May I could hear very faint chirpings every time I entered the summerhouse, and presumed, wrongly, that the sound must be coming from a nest in the hedge behind it. I eventually realised that the sound stopped a few seconds each time after I had entered, and a search revealed the source, a Wren's nest inside a "Roosting Pouch", which looks like a Weaver Bird's nest with a hole in the side, and is about the size of a coconut. It hangs beside the top of the door into the summerhouse, so I pass within inches of it every time I go in. (I had hung the pouch there because I didn't know what to do with it: it was found in an elderly friend's garden shed when I had to clear the house after she had to go into care). General: I am fairly sure that the Little Owls I reported recently have now fledged. Skylark(s) can be heard from my garden daily, singing over nearby fields. Although there are some House Martins on the west side of the village, they seem to have deserted the east side completely. CHAMBERS FARM WOODS TF152741 Jeremy Hutchinson 31/5/26 Highlights of a walk were: Half a dozen or so Golden-ringed Dragonflies (Cordulegaster boltonii), a new species for me. I had no idea what they were, but after research I am fairly confident of this identification. Oddly, all were seen in a very short section of the path, for reasons unclear to me. A Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea), another first for me, which seemed to have a liking for the roof of my car: another impressive-looking insect. 2/6/26 A trip to Belton House resulted in sightings of Red Kites at Brant Broughton, Carlton Scroop (both going and on the return journey six hours later) and Belton itself. HORKSTOW SE987179 Jenny Haynes 27 May 2026 One of the nest boxes in my garden being used by blue tits is close to the house and we’d been watching the adults flying in and out when one dropped to a large plastic saucer, lost in the overgrown state that is my garden, which had a small amount of water in it. The bird then had a really good bath and then a young blackbird arrived to drink. I heard a red legged partridge then saw it in the garden. Interestingly, Merlin gave the option of the partridge or an Egyptian goose, which, when I listened, did sound remarkably similar! 30 May 2026 For a week or so, a very noisy rook has been waking us early in the morning. The rookery is about 200/300 yards away and we’re used to hearing them all the time. However, this youngster is so loud and relentless, begging to be fed it’s impossible to ignore. Can’t wait for it to be fully fledged! The other nest box being used by blue tits is only a few feet from my workshop windows (it was there first) and I’ve been keeping the blinds drawn so as to minimise disturbance. Today, though I had a peek and saw a young blue tit looking out of the hole, so I decided to keep away until they depart. 31 May 2026 Driving home at dusk last night a brown hare ran across the road in Horkstow. KINGERBY BECK MEADOWS Angela Buckle 31st May. Wood Avens, Rough chervil, Garlic mustard, Dog rose, Hogweed, Yellow rattle, Common sorrel, Common mouse-ear, Common spotted orchid, Fairy flax, Pignut, Bird’s-foot trefoil, Bugle, Hedge woundwort, Crosswort, Speckled wood butterfly Common blue, Small skipper. MARKET RASEN TF115884 Stuart Britton I was pleased to find 5 spikes of Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera) on the grass verge by Beechers Way. This is a comparatively new estate and the orchids have been seen in small numbers for the past four year. MIDDLE RASEN Caistor Road TF107 897 Richard Fox May 25th/26th Some results from my moth lights last week Alder moth Angle shades Buff tip Common swift Common wainscot Garden carpet Heart and dart Large nutmeg Pale tussock Peppered moth normal form Setaceous Hebrew character Silver y Treble lines White ermine May 31st Dark arches Knot grass Varied coronet More input from now on! STICKNEY TF3225568 31/5/2026 Gail Cartwright Sadly something has pulled out the Swallows nest from our barn and there is a dead baby on the floor. I don't know who the culprit is but I'm guessing Magpies, though they have not done this before, We haven't seen or heard the Swallows since, hopefully they are still around, they have nested in the barn since before we moved here in 2007. We have Jackdaws, Rooks a pair of Magpies as well as lots of little birds and pigeon types. WILLINGHAM WOODS Angela Buckle 28th May Silverweed. Wood dock, Black medick. Cut-leaved cranesbill, Common spotted orchid, Viper’s bugloss. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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/ Nige Lound provided a report detailing 191 species of moth recorded notably Dewick's Plusia (3rd record), Scarlet Tiger (larva, 2nd record), Small Marbled (2nd record), Tawny Wave, Chamomile Straw, Cork Moth, Marbled Yellow Pearl, Meadow Tortrix, and (unconfirmed) Scarce Rose Shoot Moth. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 28th May: Garden Warbler at Chapel Six Marshes. 2 Spoonbill and Avocet on Anderby Marsh. Fulmar flying south. 29th May: 3 Spoonbill, Turnstone, 11 Little Egret and 11 Ringed Plover on Anderby Marsh. Razorbill flying north, 28 Ringed Plover flying south. Sandilands Golf Course was showing 4 Little Ringed Plover and 34 Avocet including 17 chicks. Red Kite circling over Huttoft Pit which also had Coot with 4 young. 30th May: 4 Barnacle Goose flying south, 3 Sandwich Tern flying north. Anderby Marsh had 3 Spoonbill, Common Tern, Avocet, Little Stint, 2 Dunlin, 13 Ringed Plover, 5 Little Ringed Plover and Redshank. Sandilands Golf Course has four broods of Avocet chicks, a Little Gull here too. Over 100 Painted Lady butterflies along the coast as well as a good emergence of Broad-bodied Chaser. 9 Little Egret at Huttoft Pit. 31st May: Red-footed Falcon flying around the dunes. On Anderby Marsh were 3 Spoonbill. Egyptian Goose, Great White Egret, Avocet, Redshank and 9 Ringed Plover. 16 Ringed Plover flying east, Whimbrel flying north, Fulmar, 2 Red Kite, Sparrowhawk, 7 Buzzard, Siskin, 4 Sandwich Tern and Little Tern flying south. 2 Great Crested Grebe on the sea. Family group of 4 Lesser Whitethroat in dunes at Anderby. Hobby at Wolla Bank Pit. 1st June: Great White Egret, 4 Spoonbill, 11 Ringed Plover and Redshank on Anderby Marsh also a Little Grebe with two chicks. 2 Avocet flying south. 2nd June: Swifts starting to move south as were 2 Siskin, 3 Razorbill, Guillemot and a Gannet with two Gannet moving north. On Anderby Marsh were 3 Spoonbill, 3 Avocet, 2 Little Stint and a drake Garganey. Grasshopper Warbler reeling at Wolla Bank Reedbed. 4 Little Ringed Plover, Cuckoo and 6 Avocet chicks on Sandilands Golf Course. Great White Egret and 6 Little Egret at Huttoft Pit which also saw a Cattle Egret fly over. As well as the sighting of lots of Painted Lady's along the coast, in Skegness I noticed around 40 on Thursday evening at the Grammar School and another 30 on Friday in town very much favouring Pyracantha flowering bushes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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 WildNews below from a hot few days! 270526 – 2 hobby hunting over Rimac dunes in the evening. 280526 – avocet on Paradise Lagoon in the morning. Cuckoo calling Saltfleet Haven area. Butterflies – good numbers of painted lady around the dunes, including 20+ between Brickyard Lane and Sear’s Track, and 10+ around Mablethorpe North End. 290526 – cuckoo pair flew south over Rimac dunes, and a pair later seen around Sea View. Barn owl on scrub south of Rimac, and hobby perched in dunes before flying south. Grasshopper warbler reeling MOD outer dune ridge. Yellow wagtail and 2 avocet flew south over Rimac. 2 adult Mediterranean gulls and 4 red kites flew south over Mablethorpe North End throughout the day. Lapwing chicks still around Rimac car park scrape, and another pair with new chicks Rimac Natterjack pools area. Butterflies – 24 painted lady, 6 red admiral Sea View-Paradise. Moths – 2 hummingbird hawk-moths around Sea View and Churchill Lane. Odonata – male banded demoiselle in meadow bordering dunes at Brickyard Lane. 10+ male and 1+ female red-veined darter Rimac freshwater marsh/ easy access trail, and 12+ hairy dragonflies along freshwater marsh double ditch and easy access trail pools. Fox family including 3 cubs in dunes south of Rimac. 300526 – spoonbill and avocet on Paradise Lagoon early morning, and a cuckoo calling inland. Female cuckoo calling Mablethorpe North End. Moths – hummingbird hawk-moth Churchill Lane. 2 common lizard in garden bordering dunes near Churchill Lane. 310526 – glossy ibis flew north over Sea View with 3 little egrets late evening. 2 grasshopper warblers reeling along the saltmarsh edge between Rimac south and MOD. Cuckoo calling in dunes south of Rimac. 4 red kite flew south late morning plus a trickle of swifts and swallows. Hobby flew south along Mablethorpe beach in the evening. Butterflies – 2 red admiral and a painted lady flew in-off the sea at Mablethorpe. 010626 – adult male golden oriole singing briefly in the dunes south of Crook Bank in the morning then flew south towards outer dune areas and not seen again. Glossy ibis mobile around Rimac, landing briefly on Rimac car park scrape. Cuckoo calling Paradise Wood and probably the same bird at Sea View late morning. 020626 – pectoral sandpiper on Rimac car park scrape, joined by a Temminck’s stint late morning just before rain started. Glossy ibis flew low over Sea View Washlands then gained height and flew south-west inland. 4 avocet on Paradise Lagoon. 5 sandwich tern, common/Arctic tern, fulmar, 4 common scoter, whimbrel and greenshank moving over the sea from Mablethorpe early morning, plus a first-summer Caspian gull and first-summer Mediterranean gull lingering around the beach. Sea milkwort flowering on the edge of the saltmarsh and viper’s bugloss in flower on the dunes. Bee orchids beginning to flower in some areas of 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 Email: margaretwestcott7@hotmail.co.uk https://butterfly-conservation.org/in-your-area/lincolnshire-branch/chambers-farm-wood-butterfly-garden GARDENING DATES FOR 2026 AT CHAMBERS FARM WOOD BUTTERFLY GARDEN, LN8 5JR Courtesy of Forestry England. Join us in the garden, (What 3 words shrub.prouder.disarmed) , anytime between 9.30am and 3.00pm. Wear appropriate clothing, bring your own tools and lunch All 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month 16th June 7th & 21st July 4th & 18th August 1st & 15th September These dates are provisional – phone Margaret 01205 750719 to confirm before travelling Chambers Farm Wood - Butterfly Garden May 2026 Margaret Westcott May brings lush growth in the garden and much Butterfly activity. Brimstone eggs hatch into diminutive larvae and Orange-tips continue to lay on the Sweet Rocket. Visitors flock to see Marsh Fritillaries in the meadow, pausing to watch Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoths nectaring on Red Valerian at the entrance to the garden. Over the pond, Broad-bodied Chasers zip by, startling watchful eyes. The gardeners are kept busy. Water butts need unblocking, access paths mown and plants added to beds. To keep up the supply of nectar, now is a good time to plant out half-hardy annuals like Cosmos and Nicotiana. Keep that grass long, and let the weeds grow! We garden on June 16th. *** Lincolnshire Dormouse Group *** As always for the summer sessions, we will meet at 9.30am, and this will be outside the wood centre in the car park of Chambers Farm Wood. As with last year we will be limiting the number of volunteers per session to around 10 visitors Those interested will need to 'sign in' via email beforehand, by emailing Oliver at lincsdormousegroup@gmail.com. Up coming boxcheck dates are Jun, Sat 20th Jul, Sun 19th Aug, Sat 22nd Sep, Sun 20th Oct, Sat 24th If you are interested in joining us, please get in touch with Olly at 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. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 7. SENDING IN BULLETIN REPORTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The purpose of the Bulletin is to encourage biological recording in Lincolnshire. We aim to increase the number of people reporting observations to Recorders or via iRecord. https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ The Bulletin is a FREE service. We ask you to provide reports, questions, news or relevant articles from time to time. Descriptive pieces are welcome. You don't have to stick to lists! Please help us to help you. When sending in reports please follow this layout to save re-editing: Place Name: IN CAPITALS with Grid Reference if you have it. Your Name: Real names please, not aliases. Put it in each time, for each location Date: Species list [Alphabetical?] & numbers [and observations?] e.g. Blackbird - 24 [And please, no home-grown abbreviations. Species Names in full.] Bulletin mailing times may vary. It usually goes out on Wednesdays/ Thursdays in time for the weekend. Please e-mail in contributions to the editor as early as possible. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 8. CONTACTS AND USEFUL WEBSITES ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** Links "not to be missed" *** Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. CONTACTS LIST Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union LNU Website: http://lnu.org/ LNU Twitter feed: https://twitter.com/LincsNaturalist LNU e-mail: info@lnu.org Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust: https://twitter.com/LincsWildlife Lincs Bird Club: https://twitter.com/Lincsbirding LBC County Bird Recorder: recorder_south@lincsbirdclub.co.uk The Sir Joseph Banks Society: https://twitter.com/sirjosephbanks Lincolnshire Bat Group: http://www.lincsbatgroup.co.uk/ Butterfly Conservation Lincolnshire Branch: https://twitter.com/BC_Lincolnshire Lincsbirders: https://twitter.com/lincsbirders Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Project: https://lincolnshirechalkstreams.org/ Lincolnshire Chalk Streams Trust: https://lincolnshirechalkstreamstrust.org.uk/ South Lincolnshire Flora Group: https://bsbi.org/south-lincolnshire-v-c-53 The Wolds Fungi Group: Contact Paul Nichol via email: nichol20@gmail.com Lincolnshire Dormouse Group: Contact: lincsdormousegroup@gmail.com FIGHTING WILDLIFE CRIME Wildlife Crime https://www.lincs.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/wc/wildlife-crime/ SPECIES IDENTIFICATION AND RECORDING Please copy and paste URLs if/as necessary. LNU Recorders and Specialists: https://lnu.org/specialists/ Downloads of LNU books: https://lnu.org/publications/books/ Recording with "iRecord": https://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/ iRecord is recommended by the LNU as an appropriate platform for on-line recording When asking for help: Please give the very best information you can provide. If you are not sure, ask what is needed from you to confirm identification. Photographs are helpful but not every species can be identified from a photograph. When asked for further details, get back to the recorder promptly. Don't forget a thank you for the help. That is always welcomed. Dragonfly Identification help https://british-dragonflies.org.uk/odonata/species-and-identification/ Local Bat Helpline Grounded bats, bat problems, advice and information. Contact Annette Faulkner on 01775 766286 Email: annettefaulkner@btinternet.com Confidential Bat Records You may send confidential bat records direct to Annette Faulkner on: annettefaulkner@btinternet.com 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 Slug ID Help Chris du Feu will help with slug identification. Tel: 01383 669 124 Email: chris.r.dufeu@gmail.com BEE NEWS Caroline Tero has just taken on the role of County Recorder for bees for Lincolnshire. Her email is: caroline.tero@ntlworld.com USEFUL WILDLIFE LINKS Please copy and paste URLs if necessary. Lincolnshire Badger Group https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100093647842292 Email: lincolnshirebadgergroup@hotmail.com Lincs Environmental Records Centre: http://www.glnp.org.uk/ Natural England: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ NHBS Natural history equipment or books.https://www.nhbs.com/ The Flora of Lincolnshire by Joan Gibbons: downloadable LNU book Atlas of the terrestrial and semi-aquatic Mammals of Lincolnshire: downloadable LNU book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9. NOTES ABOUT THESE WILDLIFE REPORTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We do our best to ensure accuracy in our reporting. However, records are sent in by a variety of reporters; from complete beginners to professionals. They may vary in reliability and occasionally may be difficult or impossible to verify. If further information is needed please contact the editor: Bulletins are sent to Recorders at Lincolnshire Environmental Records Centre [GNLP], Lincolnshire Naturalists' Union and Lincolnshire Bird Club. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 10. BULLETIN PUBLICITY POLICY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When sending in reports, e.g. unusual plants, please report any sensitive news directly to recorders. Not the Bulletin. We don't want to spoil things with unwise or untimely publicity. Thank you. Please respect the interests of wildlife and site owners if you report on national networks. Interest in wildlife is not a licence to act irresponsibly or thoughtlessly to landowners, who may well be partners in important conservation work. [Views expressed in the Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the LNU or associated organisations. In particular this applies to agencies, especially charities, taking a political stance.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 11. LNU EVENTS DIARY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *** LNU FIELD MEETINGS 2026*** Saturday 20th June Cleethorpes Sand Dunes Joint LNU/LFG. Access courtesy of North East Lincolnshire Council. Saturday 11th July Scrivelsby Park Joint LNU/LFG. Access courtesy of Scrivelsby Estate. Saturday 29th August Hawthorpe Joint LNU/LFG. Access courtesy of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Saturday 19th September Bourne North Fen Joint LNU/LFG. Access courtesy of Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust Sunday 18th October Newball Wood Annual LNU Fungus Foray. Access courtesy of Forestry England. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 12 ...AND FINALLY... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National and international stories Hundreds of dead sharks found washed up on beaches https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgkpplz4lxvo Riverside land purchased to save it from development https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4ppp0dn0jo Fly counters help to spot signs of river pollution https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czj21vv3z7eo River will take decades to recover from 'vandalism https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1m2xnr1pmxo Warnings issued over toxic caterpillars - south-east England https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgz50jdnn2o Record numbers of Dartford warblers at nature site https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp7qvyz6eo Cave markings dismissed for years confirmed as Britain's oldest prehistoric art https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c232dmk0xxdo How Did Humans Learn Which Plants Are Safe To Eat? Food Scientists Explain https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/how-humans-learned-which-plants-safe-to-eat/ The Secret to a Barn Owl’s Deadly Night Hunting Is Hidden in Its Feathers https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-science/the-secret-to-a-barn-owls-deadly-night-hunting-is-hidden-in-its-feathers/ Research: Litter in nests - Hedgehog Street https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/research-litter-in-nests/ Planting for hedgehogs - Hedgehog Street https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/planting-for-hedgehogs/ *** Mail Fails *** 2 emails "bounced" last week! John Youles - hard bounce, and John Raby - soft bounce. 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/