Army Ornithological SocietySPTA West
This has been a good month for birds though I have spent some time away. I attended Beating Retreat and Trooping the Colour on Horseguards for the first time and was suitably impressed. I also watched Slovenia play England live. I flew in and out using Zagreb which has changed since I last visited when UN HQ was based there. At the beginning of the month I had organised a Bio-blitz for Heytesbury Wood and surrounding areas. The sun shone but it was rather windy (a common feature this month). There were lots of Swallow, Goldfinch, Corn Bunting and Yellowhammer as well as masses of corvids. We saw many butteflies including Marsh Fritillary and a few Painted Ladies amongst the many invertebrates. We also recorded about 130 species of plant. My House Martin Survey at the old SASC camp near Netheravon produced lots of Swallow and Swift as the only hirundines. There were none near home as well though I saw a few using a pond just in the square. I also checked my bird boxes on the Plain and they will have to move as I am not keen on walking through Stinging Nettles at shoulder height. The majority of my broods have fledged or were about to. The boxes with holes were mainly occupied by Great Tit families. I also did a lot of ringing though none on the Plain as the planned day's forecast was strong wind. I carried out my BTO BBS instead and the forecast was right. Besides recording lots of Skylark as I dodged the UXBs there were lots of butterflies which were mainly Dark Green Fritillary and Marbled White. I had a long walk in from the north as there were restrictions but I did hear Grasshopper Warbler and a Barn Owl flew over me with a vole in its claws. On the East Quail are regularly heard near Baden Down Farm and a ringtail Montagu's Harrier was spotted as I drove along the A342 (pure chance). A Great Bustard is rearing a chick and Stone Curlew scrapes seem to be active though it is hard to spot the birds at present even in low vegetation. A few Lapwings are also on the scrapes. I have been birding in the New Forest (Goshawk, Spotted Flycatcher, Redstart and Firecrest) and at Heaven's Gate and Shearwater in the County (Siskin and Crossbill). I have been ringing at Trowbidge (Reed Warblers) and in the Braydon Forest area (Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Garden Warbler, Blackcap and Chiffchaff). There are a series of woods north of the M4 between Royal Wooton Bassett and Minety. There are lots of Corn Buntings, Yellowhammers, Skylarks and Meadow Pipits on the Plain and the young are active.
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