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Notes from Shaftesbury walks June and July

It's nice to hear and still see the Bullfinches both calling from the trees at Breach Common. On a couple of occasions there have been many Greenfinches heard with their typical wheezing call. Blackcaps are in abundance as so is the Chiffchaffs. On one fortunate day each within 10 minutes of each other I was fortunate to observe a Red Kite, Buzzard hanging and hovering in the wind and a male Kestrel hovering near the same vicinity, to get three raptors within such a short time is a privilege. 

There are many young birds being fed by their adults for example Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long tailed Tit, Robins, Chiffchaff and House Martins attending to their young under the eaves of the cottages in St James.

One of the days quite recently near the fenced pond at the top of the field, I managed to spot an elusive juvenile Water Rail, just stopped and froze because it saw me, but eventually moved on. This tallies up with the adult birds that I saw earlier in the season in that area. Stock doves (2) have been seen and heard all around the common with two individuals seen from the field on some telegraph wires, their unmistakable call giving away their position in the area. Song Thrushes heard an seen quite regularly on every trip to the common, I’ve always heard one calling from the top of a tree.

Corvids mainly Jackdaws and Carrion Crows are in moult so there laboured flight is unmistakable with missing or regrowing primaries and tail feathers. The plucky little Wren is often seen and heard as I walk over the areas.

Rosebay Willowherb 

Honeysuckle 



Cob nuts already beginning to show

Fungi species 


This looks like a possible Bracket fungi 

I have made an acquaintance with one of the dog walkers Gordon and his dog bumble, who is a very keen naturalist and loves to photograph fungi, and has told me about Devil's Finger Fungi which has been found on the common so hopefully I’m looking forward to seeing and finding that one whenever I am in the area, keeping an eye out among the leaf litter in the less accessible areas other common.

Rosebay Willow herb is quite a predominant species along the footpaths along with honeysuckle and lots of Bramble, within the fields there are many butterflies being seen, Meadow brown and quite good numbers and Gatekeepers around the entrances and exits of the gates.

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