Latest news 2007  all species.  2006   2005    2004     2003
                                       
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Species Groups	Date and Observations of  Summer Visitors &  new appearances of old favourites
Jan 2007	General Comments End of Month	Fieldfare seem is short supply - no large flocks have been reported Redwing are more frequent, but 'flocks' are very small Golden Plover I have seen flocks up to 200. On Boxing day I saw around 100 birds in two flocks on East Moor. I have a Song Thrush singing his heart out in my garden. I have seen, but not heard the Mistle Thrush Redpolls are to be found within our broad survey area and we have reports of them visiting a rather wooded, secluded valley in North Hill during the RSPB Garden Birdwatch
February 2007		1st  My first Chaffinch Song of 2007 3rd  Frogspawn in my garden pond. 5th  First 'Breeze' calls from the Greenfinch 14th  My First Blackbird song of 2007, only singing in the morning. 26th  Bats reported  by Rob, hunting between Trekenner and Lezant, breaking what was believed to be full hibernation Dog's Mercury is in flower in the hedgerows as well as some Hogweeds. Frogs still active in my ponds, croaking all night!
March 2007 Holly Blue by Ian McClenaghan	(some warm days)	Early March  First Butterflies from Jenny, N Hill: (1st) Red Admiral, (10th)  Peacock (14th) Small Tortoiseshell Hummingbird Hawkmoth by Jenny. (believed to be wintering, now) 15th  My First Chiffchaff of the year at Egloskerry. Then many hearings around the parishes 26th  Speckled Wood Butterflies near Launceston Brimstone(2) Peakcocks 27th  ca 10 Golden Plover in breeding plumage on Trewortha ; more birds (ca 20) seen in flight. No Wheatears in the Kilma area Skylarks being heard all round the area. 28th  First Blackcap heard today in Launceston 31st  Holly Blue in Lanson
April 2007 Shining Cranesbill Bitter vetch Bush Vetch Common Vetch	(Easter)       Swallows! Many White flowers  -   The Purple period Last week of April.	2nd  Orange Tip Butterfly - my first of the season. No Wheatears yet! 7th  Hedge Parsley coming into flower                     Near Landrennes; my first Native Bluebell 8th  Scurvy Grass coming up in new places - tell us where! 10th  Summer is Here! First Swallow reported at Trebartha 11th  Flowers in bloom now include, Butterbur, Sneezewort, Pink Purslane, Green Alkanet. Germander Speedwell Giant Puffball seen in field in Lezant! 15th  Plants recently in Flower: Ramsons (Wild Garlic), Jack-by-the-Hedge (Garlic Mustard); White Deadnettle; also Shining Cranesbill (left) Ferns: New growth now obvious. 15th  Wheatears on Ridge , North Hill 17th  My first Willow Warbler. Several more heard over the next few days. Wood Sorrell on Trewint Tor, in flower 18th  After the early yellow and white flowers, we are moving into the purple period with flowering: Bitter Vetch, Early Purple Orchid (right, above), more Bluebells in the hedgerows (not yet in the woods), Bugle (v. early). Dog Violets  and Ground Ivy are really abundant still. Bush Vetch, with a few purple flowers in on short stalks, climbing through growing vegetation in the hedgerows 19th  Wall Butterfly (left) Middlewood (Jenny Bousfield) The Cuckoo. "Comes in April, sings its song in May.....". Well one was seen at Tregunnon, Altarnun in mid April in a garden and the first reported call was 20th April in the Bolventor region and again on 21st April, on Eastmoor, Altarnun, where Wheatear was also seen Palmate Newts. This is the best time to look for them in your ponds. They need to come to the surface to breathe so look out for them. In a small pond in Lanson, on the 21st April, we captured 50 - 70, along with 6 frogs, while cleaning it out! 24th. Willow Warblers are here in numbers! Sedge Warbler also heard in the Fowey marshes at Bolventor.  The 'Purple' period continues with Red Campion erupting everywhere, Red Valerian, Herb Robert, and Tufted and Common Vetch May is in Flower, so you can throw away those vests! 25th April St mark's Day. The St Mark's Fly seen in numbers in different places on the 27th April
Meadow Vetchling Fasciated Purple Toadflax	May Last Week of May	Growth in the hedgerows is very significant. The weather has turned wet in this first week. Herb Bennet is prominent, along with Buttercups. Early purple orchids are at their best and numerous in the usual places. 9th My first Swift of the year in Lanson 10th My first Meadow Vetchling in a hedgerow near Lanson 20th First Whitethroat and Yellowhammer heard in S Petherwin - Trevozah Cross 22nd Whitethroat and Yellowhammer in Lanson - Badash. Linnets at Homeleigh, Lanson. Willow Warblers only in numbers in selected areas - scrub by Bodmin Moor for example. Flowers now in flower: Hedge Woundwort, Cluster Vetch, Foxglove, Lesser Sticthwort. Butterflies: still very few around by 22nd. (Small) Pearl-Bordered Fritillaries reported in wetland area above North Hill along with Heath Spotted Orchids  Birds  Whitethroats are in some of the usual places Spotted Flycatchers are harder to find. I heard and saw the Cuckoo quite close to Launceston in this period Flowers The following plants are now in flower: Knapweed, Nippplewort, Sow Thistles, Cow-wheat, Heath Speedwell, Common Valerian, the Clovers,  Figwort. and Purple Toadflax The latter is prone to abnormal growth, known as fasciation, so check the ones you find. Moths. The variety of species seen locally can be seen here. We do not yet have records compiled for other years
Heath-spotted Orchid	June First week	Butterflies. Where are the butterflies? Green Hairstreak has been seen earlythis month in wetland above North Hill, with the small Pearl Bordered Fritillaries. 10th June. Meadow Browns are now quite common in the fields and woodland edges. Birds: Of the Summer visitors, we can tell now that Chiffchaff and Blackcap are in good numbers. Willow Warblers can be heard in some numbers, but only in the best habitat - numbers are still down on the levels about 5 years ago. Whitethroat numbers are still being assessed, but seem about the same as last year. I have still to hear my first Spotted Flycatcher, locally, but one was found dead in Lanson this week. 10th June. Tree Pipit back in his usual spot at Tregear Downs Flowers. The Field and Dog Rose (pink) are now flowering. I have to remember the differences in these two each year! See comparison 18 June More species emerging strongly in the hedgerows around Launceston: Common Valerian, Meadowsweet, Tufted Vetch. Still very few butterflies- just the occasional Meadow Brown End of the month. Betony is flowering. Yellow Rattle, Bittersweet, heath-spotted Orchids and the Chimney Sweep moth found in a small pocket of heathland on Napps Moor, but only a few Meadow Brown Butterflies around in the hedgerows. Terrible rain!
	July	Butterflies. Despite heavy rain, we saw Marbled Whites and Ringlets at Landreyne, between the showers on our Parish-Wildlife walk with the N Hill group, today. Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap and Jays managed to cheer us up a bit. 3rd Hummingbird Hawkmoth at Berriowbridge; Eyed Hawkmoth at Laneast Hemp Agrimony and Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil in flower Late July. Agrimony is in full flower, with a tall, thin yellow spike and a very cut up leaf. I only know of two places in the Launceston area, so let me know iif you see it elsewhere. Golden Rod is also worth looking out for. There is some opposite the entrance to Homeleigh Garden Centre The Butterflies are increasing in numbers, but only marginally. Gatekeepers have been around about a week  in the lanes I am walking. I have Holly Blue  and large whites in my garden but no Peacocks, Small Tortoiseshells or Painted Ladies. Skylarks and Yellowhammers are in good numbers this year I am finding Kingfishers very active on the Ottery as I walk around getting Landscape pictures
	August First Week	Swifts were still screaming across the skies on 1st August, in Launceston, but left shortly afterwards. Ringlets, Gatekeepers and Red Admirals are active on the verges and the hedgerows.
	Late Summer	August / September/ early October is a quite time of year for notable changes in the country side, as  Autumn sets in. The departure of the rest of our Summer migrants was not recorded by me, unfortunately, but is in our diary records from the Parishes.
	October Winter Visitors are with us early this year	7th Oct. Starlings back with us in numbers - see at Davidstow at 4pm as we returned from our Coastal Walk at Crackington Haven 17th Oct Paul M reported seeing small flocks of Redwings near Kelly Bray The week before 24th October, small flocks (a dozen or so) of Starlings were seen during the day at Glenkeller, in Lanson. 24th 8 am Large flock of starling going east down the Kensey Valley 25th Fieldfare heard at Dutson - just isolated calls from a tree roost 30th 30 Fieldfare, some Starling and Redwing at Trekenner eating berries in  established hedgerows