28th August

Over the last few days I've been out most days visiting the Patch. There's not been much to report but I managed to find the first two GOLDEN PLOVER of the autumn. I was just watching them when suddenly they disappeared! The explanation was that when there's a predator about they tend to crouch right down and the cause of their concern turned out to be a HOBBY which unusually was on the ground nearby. As I started to walk towards it, it continually flew further away but always landing on the ground again before it finally flew off.

Apart from that over the last few days there has been a sub-song singing SEDGE WARBLER along the Castle Mill Stream recently (only the second one of the year on the Patch) and a nice family of fledged Reed Warblers in the Trap Ground reed bed.

No bird photos again so here's a female Banded Demoiselle that I took at the start of July.

Those of you with botanical leanings might be interested to know that the Oxford Rare Plant Group will be doing a survey of Creeping Marshwort on Port Meadow this Saturday 30th August. Creeping Marshwort is of course a very rare plant which is now in the entire country only found at Port Meadow and North Hinksey Meadow so it's important that it's looked after on the Meadow. If you'd like to come along to help out they're meeting at 10am by the Aristotle Lane entrance to the Meadow.

Creeping Yellow Cress - one of three Yellow Cress species to be found on the Meadow itself