Birds Ravensroost Wood
In 2011 a survey of birds was carried out alongside the butterfly transect. This involved the woodland adjacent to the Jack Smith Ride (the main ride which bisects the wood from the southern car park to the NE edge of the wood) and also the rides parallel to the Jack Smith Ride to the East - R31,34,37,40 and 41.) The following species were recorded, along with the estimated number of pairs, giving a lower and a higher possible figure.
Apr - June Bird Territory estimates in the wood, plus breeding evidence if any (likely to be minima for most species, and only estimated for area covered by the butterfly transect)
1 Sparrowhawk - fledged young
1 - 2 Buzzard - fledged young
1? Tawny Owl - also 2 after dark 5th Aug., 2 ads plus juv calling after dark, 3rd Oct.
2 - 3 Great-spotted Woodpecker
2 Mistle Thrush
2 - 3 Song Thrush - fledged young
7 Blackbirds
7 - 9 Robins
4 - 6 Blackcap - fledged young - last recorded 31st Aug.
3 - 6 Garden Warblers
6 - 9 Chiffchaffs - anxiety calls, fledged young. Last, 20th Sept.
5 - 6 Willow Warblers
2 Goldcrest - fledged young
2 Marsh tit - fledged young
5 Blue Tit - fledged young
3 Great Tit - fledged young
2 - 3 Coal Tit
2 Long-tailed Tit - fledged young
3 - 4 Nuthatch
2 Treecreeper
6 - 8 Wren - fledged young
? - 6 Jackdaw
? Carrion Crow
? Magpie
2 Jay - fledged young
8 Chaffinch
? Greenfinch
1 - 3 Bullfinch - fledged young
Outside wood:
1 Kestrel
1 Stock Dove - entering assumed nest site (barn)
1 Skylark
2 Common Whitethroat
1 - 2 Lesser Whitethroat
Goldfinch - fledged young
1 Yellowhammer
Winter bird surveys 2011-12
1) 30th November 2011: Winter bird survey of the whole site 11.30 - 2pm: In order of appearance: Jackdaw 7, Wood Pigeon 55, Pied Wagtail 3, Blackbird 14 (including subsong heard), Pheasant 12 (10 by the meadow pond!),Robin 10 including song, Long-tailed Tit at least 11 in four groups, Blue Tit 5, Green Woodpecker 1 (W. of wood proper), Great Tit 8, Chaffinch 10, Goldcrest 3, Crow 6, Wren 5 including song, Rook 26 (25 in Avis Meadow), Jay 8, Buzzard 3, Bullfinch 3, Magpie 2, Greenfinch 1, Lesser Redpoll 8, Marsh Tit 6, Coal Tit 4, Great-spotted Woodpecker 2, Song Thrush 1, Nuthatch 5, Siskin 1, Redwing 32 (5 in the wood, 27 along the lane), Mistle Thrush 1 in Avis Meadow, Linnet 1 in Avis Meadow, Stock Dove 5 flushed from the barn in Avis Meadow, Fieldfare 3 in Avis Meadow.
2) will be carried out in Jan-Feb 2012:
Late winter bird survey, Ravensroost and Avis Meadow January 31st 2012 (November 23rd 2011 figures in brackets):
Pheasant 2 (12),
Buzzard 3 (3),
Sparrowhawk 1 (0),
Stock Dove 2 (5),
Wood Pigeon c46 (c55),
Green Woodpecker 2 (1),
Great Spotted Woodpecker 3 including one drumming (2),
Robin 3 singing (10, singing),
Song Thrush 2 singing (1),
Redwing 28 (32),
Fieldfare 22 (3),
Blackbird 10 (14, subsong),
Goldcrest 1 (3),
Wren 4 singing, (5 singing),
Great Tit 6 singing (8),
Coal Tit 4 singing (4),
Blue Tit 28(!) singing (5),
Marsh Tit 8 (6),
Long-tailed Tit c18 (11+),
Nuthatch 7 (5),
Treecreeper 2 (0),
Magpie 1 (2)
Jay 2 (8),
Jackdaw 10 (7),
Rook 26 (26),
Crow 1 (6),
Starling 9 (0),
House Sparrow 6 (0),
Chaffinch 12 one beginning to tune up (10),
Goldfinch 2 (0),
Greenfinch 1 (1)
Bullfinch 1 (3).
(Seen in Nov but not today: Pied Wagtail, Lesser Redpoll, Siskin, Linnet, Mistle Thrush.)
(RG & Vicky Barnett)
Non-breeding - include records for the whole year
Mallard
Pheasant
Heron - 15th Aug.
Hobby - feeding on insects on 14th June, over wood on 15th Aug. (Mark & Ann Greaves) - local visitor?
Lapwing - displaying in March only
Whimbrel - migrant(s) heard calling over wood 23rd Aug.
Cuckoo - calling on May 25th only - local visitor?
Swift
Green Woodpecker - 5th & 9th Aug & 14th Sept
Swallow - often feeding over meadow and ponds - last 5th Oct
Meadow Pipit - 2 on 4th April then first in autumn on 14th Sept
Tree Pipit - migrant on 31st Aug.
Yellow Wagtail - migrants on 31st Aug.and 3 on 20th Sept
Redstart - migrant on 31st Aug.
Fieldfare - 20 on 4th April then first in Autumn were on 24th Oct.
Sedge Warbler - a juv at the pond on 1st August only - presumably dispersed from breeding site
Reed Warbler - singing at the pond on 23rd May only - on passage
Pied Flycatcher - a male in full summer plumage on 11th April - passage
Spotted Flycatcher - a male calling on 21st May only ?passage?, also possibles seen 15th Aug. and with tits, 28th Aug.
Raven - 5th & 9th Aug.- the former apparently roosting at dusk
Starling
House Sparrow
Crossbill - 30th November
Lesser Redpoll - 4th April then again from 28th Sept
Siskin - from 20th Sept
Linnet
Reed Bunting - singing at the pond on 18th April , also on 14th Sept
Butterflies
Transect in the wood only - ( off transect = brackets)
Small Skipper : 27th June - 15th Aug. , max. 1 (10, 27th July)
Large Skipper : 25th May - 9th Aug, max. 4, 14th June
Brimstone : 18th April - 14th Sept, max 3, 15th August
[Clouded Yellow - a possible on 1st Sept. (Mark & Ann Greaves)]
Large White : 2nd May - 14th Sept, max. 5, 2nd May
Small White : 18th April - 1st Aug (later?) , max. 7, 24th July
Green-veined White : 11th April - 14th Sept, max. 11, 18th July.
Orange Tip : 11th April - 1st June, max.20, 2nd May
Purple Hairstreak : 4th July - 28th Aug. , max 7, 13th July
Brown Hairstreak: 2, a m. and a f., 15th August (Mark & Ann Greaves & RG), 1, 29th Aug. (Matthew Oates), 2 f. 1st Sept (Mark & Ann Greaves), 1 f. on 14th Sept.
(Small Copper : 2nd May - 20th Sept , max 4, 14th May)
Common Blue : 14th May - 14th Sept , max 15, 31st Aug.
Holly Blue : 2nd May - 1st Aug., all singletons
White Admiral : 27th June - 27th July, max 8, 4th July
Red Admiral : 4th April - 2nd Nov. , max. 10, 19th Oct.
(Small Tortoiseshell : 1, 14th June and 23rd Aug.)
Peacock : 11th April - 15th Aug. , max. 7, 24th July
Comma : 18th April - 28th Sept , max. 5, 14th Sept.
Pearl-bordered Fritillary : 1, 9th May only - first for the wood - considered most likely to be a long distance vagrant from the Hailey Wood colony 15 kms to the N.
Silver-washed Fritillary : 27th June - 15th Aug. , max 18, 4th July & 1st August
Speckled Wood : 11th April - 28th Sept , max. 17, 31st Aug.
Marbled White : 4th & 18th July only in the wood. also in the meadows during this period
Gatekeeper : 18th July - 1st Sept (Mark & Ann Greaves) , max.
Meadow Brown : 3rd June - 6th Sept., max. 67, 4th July
Ringlet : 27th June - 1st August , max. 79, 4th July
Also:
White-letter Hairstreak : only 1 seen 9th July by Wayne Clinch
Moths
Longhorn Adela reaumurella (2nd May)
Brown China Mark 8th June -
Mother-of-pearl 9th May -
Forester 25th May only
Common Wave 14th May at least
Shaded Broadbar 18th July -
Common Carpet 9th May - 15th Aug.
Silver-ground Carpet 25th May -
Chimneysweeper 3rd June only
Yellowshell 3rd June -
Hummingbird Hawkmoth 27th June -
Scarlet Tiger 14th June - 4th July singles
Mother Shipton 14th May only
Burnet Companion 8th June only
Vapourer
Dun Bar
Moth-trapping with Marc Taylor:
Small Marbled - migrant - first Wilts record
Feathered Thorn
Large Wainscot
Figure of 8
Barred Sallow
Common Marbled Carpet
Green Brindled Crescent
November Moth
Sallow
Chestnut
Satellite
Merveille du Jour
Lunar Underwing
Yellow-line Quaker
Ypsolopha parenthesella
Dragonfly List
Banded Demoiselle 24th July only
Emerald Damselfly 27th June, 1st Aug (2) and 31st Aug. only
Large Red Damselfly 2nd May - 25th May
Azure Damselfly 9th May - 1st Aug.
Common Blue Damselfly 18th July- 9th Aug.
Blue-tailed Damselfly 14th May - 1st Aug.
Red-eyed Damselfly 25th May - 14th June
Migrant Hawker 27th July - 28th Sept
Southern Hawker 16th July - 28th Sept
Brown Hawker 27th June - 14th Sept.
Emperor 14th May - 9th Aug. (possible also on 14th Sept???)
Four-spotted Chaser 25th May - 27th June
Broad-bodied Chaser 2nd May - 25th May
Black-tailed Skimmer 14th June - 27th June
Common Darter 18th July - 24th Oct
Ruddy Darter 14th Sept only (though probably glimpsed also on 1st Aug.
Bats
Bat night 5th Aug. - 5 Soprano Pipistrelles
Results of box opening 11th Sept: of 19 boxes opened, 3 had live bats roosting - 4, 2 and 1 Pipistrelles, 4 had droppings, one of which was identified as possible Natterer's Bat, and 12 were empty. (via Paul Darby)