We are always interested to hear from you if you have any wildlife sightings. These really help us to build a better picture about the Commons wildlife but can also determine how we then manage the sites.

Please use which will be reviewed accordingly with sightings then posted to the website.

November 2024

Although the butterfly season is pretty much finished, Jojo Way has provided a note on the transect monitoring she and another volunteer carry out in accordance with the UK Butterfly monitoring scheme (BMS), where numbers and species are recorded in a set walk each week from  April to September for Lane End and Pound Commons.

Pound Common: The walk includes only part of Pound Common then follows a wooded drift way to Park Field part of Townings Farm. Over the last couple of years, very few butterflies have been recorded until the first week of May. In 2024, 15 species were recorded including Small Copper, Small Heath and Brimstone with c.100 butterflies recorded on the sections of Pound Common compared to 150 in 2023. In the evening, it is possible to see Purple Hairstreak butterflies high up in the Oak trees.

Lane End Common: The walk follows a ‘double horseshoe’ shaped route around Lane End Common and covers a good range of the habitats available. In 2024, 17 species were recorded, one less than the previous year – the Small Copper was not recorded. Numbers were much lower than in 2023 due to the wet summer, however Gatekeepers bucked the trend with 229 recorded, just a few less than the previous year. Meadow Brown numbers were down from 471 in 2023 to 237 in 2024, although it was still the most abundant species.

Please do visit the UK BMS website https://ukbms.org if you want to find out more while we would be very happy to hear from you  if you would like to help us with these transects.

October 2024

18th Oct – Red House – 1 Stonechat (juv male) plus 8 Swallows S. (AP)

16th Oct – Romany Ridge – waves of Redwing heading SW, approx 500 plus 6 Meadow Pipits, 2 Skylark, 1 Redpoll, 1 Stonechat (AP)

6th Oct – Pound Common: c4 Stonechats incl juveniles, 2 Chiffchaff, Bullfinch and Goldcrest with hundreds of House Martins heading east (AP et al)

1st Oct – Lane End Common – 1 Adder – David Clark

September 2024
20th September – Spotted Flycatcher & a dozen Siskins at Red House. Just one House Martin at St Georges.

July 2024
26th July – Juvenile Stonechat on Red House (AP). Usually Stonechat pairs on Pound and Romany but rare to see on Redhouse. At least three pairs of Linnets.

June 2024
20th June – Adders seen on Memorial Common (Helen Digby) and at Romany Ridge (Alison Newman).

May 2024
17th May – Romany Ridge – Nightjar churring ( Cliff Emery)

2nd May – Red House Common – male Yellowhammer singing from refuge area, 1 pair Linnet, 1 Willow Warbler, 2 Garden Warbler, 3 Whitethroat, Cuckoo calling, 4 House Martins back at St Georges (AP).

April 2024
13th April – Pound Common – pair Stonechat, pair Yellowhammer, 2-3 pairs Linnets, 2 Swallow, 1 Raven plus Blackcap and Chiffchaff (AP et al)

6th April – Red House Common – 3 Brimestone butterflies (AP et al)

1st April – Romany Ridge – 10 Linnet, 8 Chiffchaff, pair Stonechat, 3 Yellowhammer, Goldcrest (AP)

March 2024
3rd Mar – single Snipe at Pound Common (Jojo Way) 8th Mar – female Yellowhammer back at refuge area at Red House plus single Redpoll and Linnet (AP)

February 2024
15^th Feb – 20 Meadow Pipits on Memorial – look to be roosting there (AP)

December 2023
15^th Dec – one Woodcock flew along ridge at Red House with flock finch 80+ including Redpoll, Linnet and Goldfinch. A few Redwing and one lone Fieldfare (AP).

October 2023
20^th Oct – Dartford Warbler just down from Schaufler seat + 4 Swallows, 2 Siskin 1 Redpoll at Red House (AP)

September 2023
15^th Sep – at least 6 Chiffchaff in the mixed tit flock at Pound Common (AP).

August 2023
25^th Aug – 11 House Martins at St Georges plus 10 Chiffchaffs and 2 Willow Warblers moving through at Red House (AP).