Overton Biodiversity Society

August 2014

1^st

a presumed Southern Hawker paid a brief visit to a garden pond in Lordsfield Gardens. A Kestrel was again about Frost Hill during the evening.

2^nd

a larval Privet Hawk-moth was found on the road to Hannington. A Buzzard was over the northern edge of the Parish, heading towards Willesley Warren, early evening.

Right: Privet Hawk-moth, Sphinx ligustri

4^th

early morning saw a Kestrel out over fields at Frost Hill, a Brown Hare risking a road crossing nearby.

5^th

House Martin were still about the village early evening.

6^th

the warmest day of the month with an average of 20.1°C noted.

7^th

Canada Geese continued to move to and fro low over the village from sites such as Lower Ashe, Ashe Park and the Laverstoke House Lake. A Kestrel, possibly the Frost Hill bird, was hunting over fields north of the Railway Station.

8^th

Large and Small White caterpillar were seen to be making the most of garden Nasturtiums.

9^th

both Bullfinch and Song Thrush were unexpected visitors to Woodlands gardens, a Meadow Brown also lingering there.

10^th

both Red Admiral and Speckled Wood were seen about roadside / garden edges off Burley Lane / Waltham Road, areas of shelter there providing them with the opportunity to be on the wing on a particularly blustery, and wet, day.

13^th

early morning had eight Magpie clearing the B3400 that runs towards Basingstoke.

14^th

one of the Ashe area Buzzard was on the wing over Burley Lane early morning.

15^th

the highest temperature for the month was recorded today, 24.9°C.

16^th

two Buzzard were sat / foraging in fields north of Hilltop Road mid-afternoon. A flock of 12+ House Martin over the village early evening was the largest such gathering noted for some time.

17^th

some particularly savage hedge cutting took place on the eastern edges of the Parish. Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell continued to visit gardens whilst Small and Large White caterpillars grew ever larger on their diet of Nasturtiums.

18^th

Small Tortoiseshell continued to visit Parish gardens in good numbers. Late evening had a vocal male Tawny Owl near Town Meadow.

19^th

Swift, Swallow and House Martin were all on the move over the village early evening. Dawn saw Lesser Black-backed Gull on the move low over the Parish, these having left their roosts prior to dawn — these presumably about the M4 corridor to west London.

20^th

river dipping near Straight Lane provided two Brook Lamprey, Brown Trout and many Bullhead, Water Louse and Water Boatmen. Canada Geese were obvious, even if only vocally, as they moved east over the village to roost during the evening.

right: Brook Lamprey, Lampetra planeri

21^st

the coldest day of the month with an average of just 12.8°C being recorded.

22^nd

a Red Kite was lingering about the Railway Station / Hilltop Road area early evening, the recent work on the adjacent fields encouraging these and Buzzard in to scavenge, Kestrel to hunt.

23^rd

Red-legged Partridge was roadside pre-dawn at Frost Hill; the first seen here for some time.

24^th

a Volucella zonaria (!) lingered in a Woodlands garden. The lowest temperature of the month was recorded today, just 2.4°C noted about dawn.

Right: Hornet Mimic Hoverfly, Volucella zonaria. Britain's largest hoverfly, being about 2cm in length, and one that had only been recorded twice prior to 1940, though now increasingly widespread and often being seen in gardens or similar habitats

25^th

Bank Holiday Monday = rain!!! 14.9mm was recorded as falling. Apparently the 3^rd coldest August Bank Holiday noted locally since records were kept!

26^th

Chicory, Lucerne and Sainfoin were still in flower in the 'dog field' about which Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Brimstone and Small White were on the wing in between showers. Six Red Kite were seen over Heath Copse. A Buzzard was circling over farmland south-east of the village mid-afternoon, both Swallow and House Martin seen to be far more active over other village edge farmland.

27^th

a Hummingbird Hawk-moth visited Sweet Peas on Station Hill. Later the light from an OBS Committee Meeting attracted Gold Swift and Emmelina monodactyla to an uncovered window at the Community Centre.

28^th

a vole sp. was seen rapidly moving through a vegetable plot off Station Road. A Nursery-web Spider was reported from a gas meter box!

29^th

the Basingstoke Watch Group gathered in Southington for a bat and moth evening. Daubenton's Bat were seen hawking over nearby Test, pipistrelle sp. over the gardens whislt mothing produced a spectacular female Ghost Moth, Large Yellow Underwing, Hebrew Character, many caddis and a mayfly, amongst others, by late evening; Tawny Owl already vocal by this time.

Right: Ghost Moth, Hepialus humuli — Picture: Mike Wall (http://www.hantsmoths.org.uk/index.htm)

30^th

a Stoat scooted across the road south of Frost Hill late afternoon, when at least two Red Kite and three Buzzard were over fields between the hill and Hilltop Road. Further Red-legged Partridge, and Brown Rat, were on the road about Frost Hill pre-dawn.

31^st

a Hummingbird Hawk-moth visited a Southington garden early evening. A Red Kite and at least four Buzzard were in the Turrill Hill area mid-afternoon, as were a mixed flock of 80+ Swallow and House Martin, singing Chiffchaff, calling Blackcap, 'singing' Roesel's and Dark Bush-cricket and evident Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood and Small White. A Hornet Hoverfly was nectaring on Snowberry flowers by Oak Park. Elderberry fruit were now very apparent in the hedgerows.

Contributors: Jill Aburrow, Julian Aburrow, David Cluett, Mike Duffy, Alison Hutchins, Peter E. Hutchins, Jane McKenzie, Ken McKenzie, Margaret Rainford & Mallards Weather Station.