2024 was a thoroughly enjoyable year for the Wildlife Group with several new members joining us and interesting and varied sites to visit.

This year a list of species seen (plus birds heard) was maintained and it is surprising to note the number and range of wildlife we noted and discussed. A full breakdown can be found on one of the links.

Unfortunately the December walk had to be cancelled but never the less we managed to see:

52 bird species with an additional 6 heard only

3 mammal species

11 butterflies plus 2 moths

1 dragonfly

12 mini-beasts (insects plus a snail)

56 flowering plants

37 tree species

6 grasses

4 fungi

Individuals did spot additional species but this comprises the group tally.

U3A WILDLIFE GROUP – 2024 sightings

Species seen (X) or heard (h)

January 18 – Grafham Water

February 15 – Priory Park

March 21 – Harrold/Odell CP

April 25 – Brampton Wood

May 16 – Henlow Bridge Lakes

June 20 – Rookery North

July 18 – Clapham Park Wood

August 15 – The Lodge, Sandy

September 19 – Cooper’s Hill

October 17- Bedford Park

November 21 – Nene Wetlands

BIRDS

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Canada Goose

X

X

X

X

Greylag Goose

X

X

X

X

Mute Swan

X

X

X

X

Shoveler

X

Gadwall

X

Wigeon

X

Mallard

X

X

X

X

X

X

Teal

X

Pochard

X

Tufted Duck

X

X

X

X

Goldeneye

X

Pheasant

h

X

Common Cuckoo

h

Woodpigeon

X

X

X

h

X

X

X

X

X

Moorhen

X

X

X

X

Coot

X

X

X

X

Little Grebe

X

h

Great Crested Grebe

X

X

X

X

Oystercatcher

X

X

Lapwing

X

Redshank

X

Black-headed Gull

X

X

X

X

X

X

Gt Black-backed Gull

X

Lesser B-backed Gull

X

Cormorant

X

X

X

Cattle Egret

X

Grey Heron

X

X

X

X

X

Little Egret

X

Sparrowhawk

X

Red Kite

X

X

X

Buzzard

X

X

X

Green Woodpecker

h

h

X

h

Kestrel

X

Magpie

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Jackdaw

X

X

X

Raven

h

Carrion Crow

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

Blue Tit

X

X

X

h

X

h

X

X

X

Great Tit

X

X

h

X

X

Long-tailed Tit

X

X

X

X

h

h

Willow Warbler

h

X

Chiffchaff

X

X

h

h

h

Reed Warbler

h

Blackcap

X

h

Common Whitethroat

X

Wren

X

X

h

h

h

h

h

Nuthatch

h

Starling

X

X

Song Thrush

h

h

h

Mistle Thrush

X

Blackbird

X

h

h

X

X

h

X

Robin

X

X

X

h

X

h

X

Dunnock

X

X

Pied Wagtail

X

X

X

Chaffinch

h

Greenfinch

X

Goldfinch

X

Reed Bunting

X

MAMMALS and REPTILES

Grey Squirrel

X

X

X

X

X

Muntjac

X

Red-eared Terrapin

X

BUTTERFLIES

Gatekeeper

X

X

Holly Blue

X

Marbled White

X

Meadow Brown

X

X

X

Orange-tip

X

Peacock

X

Ringlet

X

Small Copper

X

Small Heath

X

Small White

X

Speckled Wood

X

X

X

X

MOTHS

Cinnabar

X

Ermine Moth sp

X

DRAGONFLIES

Common Darter

X

MINI-BEASTS

7 spot Ladybird

X

X

Brown Heath Robberfly

X

X

Buff-tailed Bumblebee

X

X

Common Tiger Hoverfly

X

European Honeybee

X

Garden Bumblebee

X

Gwynne’s Mining Bee

X

Harlequin Ladybird

X

Red-&-black Froghopper

X

Snail sp

X

X

X

Spotted Crane Fly

X

Tree Bumblebee

X

FLOWERING PLANTS	Apr	May	June	Jul	Aug	Sept	Oct	Nov	Dec
Agrimony			X	X
Autumnal Hawkbit						X
Bird’s-foot Trefoil			X
Black Bryony	X
Bluebell	X			X	X
Bramble			X	X	X	X		X
Bristly Ox-tongue				X
Bugle	X
Buttercup		X	X
Centaury			X		X
Cleavers			X
Comfrey		X
Common Nettle			X		X
Common Reed			X
Common Stork’s Bill					X
Common Toadflax			X
Corn Marigold							X
Cornflower								X
Cow Parsley	X	X
Creeping Cinquefoil			X	X
Cuckoo Flower	X
Daisy			X
Dandelion	X
Dog’s Mercury	X			X
Enchanter’s Nightshade				X
Field Thistle				X
Foxglove					X
Garlic Mustard	X	X
Goldilocks Buttercup	X
Great Mullein					X
Green Alkanet		X					X
Ground Ivy	X	X
Hawksbeard					X
Heather					X	X
Hedge Parsley				X
Hedge Woundwort			X
Herb Robert	X	X		X
Lesser Stitchwort	X
Lords and Ladies	X
Primrose	X
Ragwort			X	X	X	X
Red Campion		X
Reed Mace		X			X
Scarlet Pimpernel			X
Self-heal			X	X	X		X
Spear-thistle					X
St. John’s Wort			X	X
Teasle				X
White Campion			X
White Deadnettle	X	X
Wild Carrot							X
Wild Yarrow							X
Wood Avens		X
Wood Violet	X
Yellow Flag Iris		X
Yellow Wort			X
TREES
Alder			X
Algerian Oak							X
Ash				X
Bhutan Pine							X
Birch						X
Blackthorn (Sloe)				X
Box							X
Broom					X	X
Cappadocian Maple							X
Caucasian Wing-Nut							X
Chilean Pine  (Monkey Puzzle)							X
Coastal Redwood							X
Corsican Pine				X	X		X
Cut-leaf Oak							X
Dawn Redwood							X
Cyprus Cedar							X
Douglas Fir					X
English Oak	X					X	X
Giant Sequoia							X
Guelder Rose				X
Hawthorn	X
Holm Oak				X			X
Honeysuckle	X	X
Horse Chestnut					X	X	X
Hungarian Oak							X
Ivy							X	X
Judas Tree							X
Lime				X
Northern Red Oak							X
Snowberry				X
Sweet Chestnut					X	X
Wayfaring Tree		X
Weeping Ash							X
Weeping Willow								X
Wild Cherry	X		X
Wild Rose								X
Yew					X		X
GRASSES  etc
Cock’s-foot				X
Field Sorrel				X
Pendulous Sedge				X	X
Reed Sweet-grass				X	X
Timothy				X
Tufted Hair-grass				X	X
FUNGI
Birch Polypore					X	X
Common Earthball					X	X
Field Mushroom							X
Shaggy Inkcap						X