Peter Jones Wildlife blog

Think these were Trouped Funnel, growing in a fairy ring around an oak tree on parkland.

Common Earthball on Baddesley Common

Birch Mazegill on Baddesley Common

Two-toned Crumblecap, growing in the garden recently

Success at last with a Smooth Snake seen in Dorset. Many thanks to the Reptile surveyor for showing me.

The Sickener. found in the New Forest under coniferous trees.

Scaly Earthball. Two of these have sprung up in my back garden recently, prompting me to find out more about fungi, and try to identify some of the many species I see round the local countryside. This is not an easy undertaking with hundreds if not thousands of species, some very similar, so apologies in advance if I make any errors!

Great White Egret showing well at Testwood Lakes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ema60R4N-80&feature=share

Spent the morning at Pennington marshes, dutifully recording all my Sightings on the excellent BTO birdtrack app. By midday, I had seen 60 species, so decided to go for an optimistic 100 in a day! Best of the birds at Pennington were Ruff, Spotted Redshank, Knot, Sandwich Tern and Spoonbill. Testwood added Great White Egret, Whinchat, and Common Sandpiper. The early afternoon, I headed into the New Forest which would make or break the attempt! Slowly the woodland species were ticked off.. Siskin, Crossbill, Nuthatch, Firecrest the highlights, and the open heath got me Stonechat and Dartford Warbler. Mid afternoon and I was on 90! And still had a whole range of common birds missing.. Grey Wagtail, House Sparrow, Green Woodpecker, Redstart, Skylark, and plenty more. For some reason, Redstart and Green Woodpecker eluded me, so I headed North to farmland. A surprise Tawny Owl got me to 97. Then a single binocular view got me Blackcap, and Yellowhammer, and I just needed a Partridge or a La

After many years with a HD/FD bat detector, I have recently purchased a ciel 401 detector to make use of the time expansion feature, something that was well out of my budget until recent years when the price for this technology seems to have plummeted. compared to my Pettersson d230, (a hd/fd detector), this is a computer!  It has lots of cool features: 1. Different windows showing just HD frequency, or HD frequency and FD peak frequency, or an FD spectogram, (Headphone outputs corresponding to the display)  2. The ability to sweep the FD range and lock the detector in HD at the peak frequency. 3. Recording in TE and real time sampling. 4. Box mode for remote recording. 5. Built in micro SD slot so, no need for seperate recorder. The file management is really good with directories for each day, and files labelled by recording type and time. So far, the results are good. HD and FD detecting has been fine, the recording in FD wasn't as clear as my Pettersson D230, but I'm not sur

Another search in vain for Smooth Snake and Adder in the New Forest, but I did at least find a Palmate Newt, in it's terrestrial stage, crawling thru the heather. Also, a Dartford Warbler, and "The Sickener" Fungus.

A surprise this morning with a young Firecrest around the garden, plus at least one adult present. First confirmed breeding record I know of in the immediate area, although suspected for a couple of years now. We also have two or three territories in local woodland. We've also heard a Spotted Flycatcher calling fairly regularly, but have yet to see him.

A day in the Alps searching for Alpine bird species was largely unsuccessful, but a few good birds were seen together with a host of Butterflies. Nutcrackers and Crossbills showed well, along with a fox and Alpine Marmots. Common Hawker Dragonflies were numerous, a species I have yet to find in the UK, and I was lucky to photo one briefly on the ground to confirm the i.d. Butterflies were everywhere, and I managed to identify Apollo, Dark-green Fritillary, Spotted Fritillary, Scarce Copper, Damon Blue and Alpine Grizzled Skipper Photos: Dark-green Fritillary, Alpine Marmot, Scarce Copper, Spotted Fritillary, Alpine Grizzled Skipper, Damon Blue, Apollo, Common Hawker

Red-backed Shrike, and Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, seen on a morning walk around Les Abrets, France

A family camping holiday in the foothills of the French Alps gave my quest for insects and small animals a timely boost! Butterflies were literally everywhere with some good species seen, and the campsite and surrounding area was host to many species. A day in the alps was good for more Butterflies plus some other good sightings. Highlights from the campsite at Les Abrets: Long Tailed Blue, Lesser Purple Emperor, Map, Knapweed Fritillary, Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, Red Admiral, Peacock, Swallowtail Common, and Common Wall Lizard Orange and 22-Spot Ladybird Edible Dormouse. Common, Soprano, and Kuhl's Pipistrelle, Northern Bat Birds around the campsite included Golden Oriole, Red-backed Shrike, Lesser-spotted Woodpecker, Pied Flycatcher Photos: Orange Ladybird, Knapweed Fritillary, Map butterfly, Common Wall Lizard, Small Copper

I was very fortunate today, going out in search of the last two remaining, fairly common UK dragonflies I had yet to see. I figured I would start at Hatchett Pond, and after seeing Emperor, Blue-tailed Damselfly and Broad-bodied Chaser, caught a glimpse of my first target: a Downy Emerald patrolling the large wooded pond. I eventually got good views and as the sun came out, appreciated what a stunning insect these are. Target number two: Four-spotted Chaser! which is a common widespread species which I have never managed to see, then appeared briefly. Not the greatest view, but good enough for today. The session ended with a Downy Emerald landing in vegetation at the edge of the pond allowing the attached, long range photo (taken at 4000mm with the p900, and cropped slightly)

A very hot day in the New Forest, and a very long walk, from Burley to Ober Water. White-legged Damselfly was the main target, this being pretty much the only site in Hampshire, and I eventually found a couple. Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly was also on my most wanted list and I was lucky to find a couple in a nearby boggy stream. Plenty of Large Red Damsels around, and a few Broad-bodied Chasers. A freshly emerged Keeled Skimmer was looking really smart. Best of the birds were Cuckoo, Redstart, and Tree Pipit, plus a few Stonechats.

A hot sunny day, so I went to Beaulieu Heath in search of Reptiles, hoping very optimistically to find a snake, but not today. I did see a couple of Common Lizards, and plenty of Dragonflies.. Southern Damselfly being the highlight. Others included Broad-bodied Chaser, Large Red Damsel, Beautiful Demoiselle, and a Southern Hawker

A short trip to Dorset this morning in search of Sand Lizard at a known site. Weather wasn't brilliant but the sun broke through long enough for two Lizards to come out and bask on some discarded roof tiles. Also, some video of the male, not really doing much! https://youtu.be/JlcOXRn8toA

Headed to Fishlake meadows after lunch for the best of the sunshine. For once the area was quite alive with insects, and I recorded several dragonflies and Damsels. A Hairy Hawker was the highlight, seen pretty well weaving through reeds. Other species included: Banded Demoiselle and Beautiful Demoiselle; Blue-tailed, Azure, Common Blue, and Large Red Damsels, plus probable 4-spotted Chaser. Ladybirds included 24 spot, 7 Spot and Harlequin. Best of the birds were Hobby, and Cuckoo, plus another Cetti's sighting. These birds seem easier to see when I am not looking for birds, i.e. at a slower pace!

Field Vole recorded in the last week.. Originally shared by Peter Jones Short-tailed Vole the highlight of the latest Mammal cam. This time deliberately set well away from woodland, although the triggers were still dominated by Wood Mouse. Elsewhere, the dormouse tubes are all empty, but a Firecrest is still holding territory in local Woodland. A couple of walks round Fishlake haven't added any interesting insects.. Just Azure, and Large Red Damsels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXGNU0gdY9g&feature=share

Short-tailed Vole the highlight of the latest Mammal cam. This time deliberately set well away from woodland, although the triggers were still dominated by Wood Mouse. Elsewhere, the dormouse tubes are all empty, but a Firecrest is still holding territory in local Woodland. A couple of walks round Fishlake haven't added any interesting insects.. Just Azure, and Large Red Damsels. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXGNU0gdY9g&feature=share

Hairy Hawker gets 2016 finally up and running! Whilst Bank Vole and Wood Mouse continue to be recorded pretty much everywhere I set the mammal cam. Originally shared by Peter Jones A tiring day seawatching at Hurst beach, then searching for stuff at Keyhaven. Seawatching seemed pretty slow, but I did see Great Skua, plus Arctic Tern, Common Scoter and Little Tern. Keyhaven was good with a roosting Spoonbill, plus Little Tern and Two separate sightings of Cetti's Warbler. My main reason for visiting was to hopefully catch up with a Hairy Dragonfly.. I eventually saw one, but with awful views. Only identified by virtue of the fact that the Hairy is the only hawker/Dragonfly on the wing! Still it is a start! Mammal cam has been deployed in a few locations around the village now, with the same results at each venue: Bank Vole, Wood Mouse, and the occasional Brown Rat. I've set it in a totally different habitat this week, but still the Wood Mouse persist! https://youtu.be/1s-F5AZZT

A tiring day seawatching at Hurst beach, then searching for stuff at Keyhaven. Seawatching seemed pretty slow, but I did see Great Skua, plus Arctic Tern, Common Scoter and Little Tern. Keyhaven was good with a roosting Spoonbill, plus Little Tern and Two separate sightings of Cetti's Warbler. My main reason for visiting was to hopefully catch up with a Hairy Dragonfly.. I eventually saw one, but with awful views. Only identified by virtue of the fact that the Hairy is the only hawker/Dragonfly on the wing! Still it is a start! Mammal cam has been deployed in a few locations around the village now, with the same results at each venue: Bank Vole, Wood Mouse, and the occasional Brown Rat. I've set it in a totally different habitat this week, but still the Wood Mouse persist! https://youtu.be/1s-F5AZZTZE

A nice 3 month break from birding, although 4 Redpolls visiting the feeders in the garden have been pretty cool. Have spent the time making Dormouse tubes, for a survey in woods close to home. All 33 are now in place and marked in the GPS. My "targets for 2016" are all pretty dormant, or not present in the winter months so nothing really to do on that front either! However, the Spring has brought a few nice sightings: An early Willow Warbler during a trip to Devon at the beginning of April, and my first local morning walk round local horse paddocks was a cracker: Two hawfinches being the highlights. I have never known them to be recorded round the village in my time here, although they must fly over occasionally, as they are regular in the Test Valley and New Forest. Also a few Whitethroats singing (they love this field!) and an early Garden Warbler. Garden Warbler is a bird that often takes me well into the summer before I see one. Two Wheatear completed the highlights for a