June 2025 - Summary of Sightings from the Abingtons

Amphibians and Reptiles

Smooth Newt - have been seen fairly regularly throughout the month in three different ponds in LA.

Common Frog - spotted on two occasions in a pond in Lewis Cres and again later in the month in a damper part of the garden and under a pot. Early in the month four tadpoles were spotted along with a froglet in one of the LA ponds. No toads have been reported in which is unusual.

 

Birds

A total of 55 species from 640 reports this month, from twelve reporters. A Nuthatch was heard in Lagden’s Grove, and also in a LA garden, and a Little Egret was spotted along the river by the recreation ground.

House Martin were well reported throughout the month, with 5-6 seen around Mortlock Gardens, and on GP. Whilst 12 Swift were seen around LA church, sightings have generally been of 2-5 around Lewis Cres and Hall Farm, with only one occupied nest at the latter site this year. Small groups of recently fledged Swallow were seen on Cutting Rd and along the ORC.

Groups of young Blue Tit, Great Tit and Goldfinch were reported, and a Blackbird with two young, and a Starling with one young were seen in Lewis Cres. On GP lake, a Little Grebe was seen feeding three well-grown juveniles, and three well-grown young Mandarin Duck were seen there, as well as a female Mallard with ducklings (see blog). A Great Crested Grebe, Moorhen, Grey Heron and Pied Wagtail were all also seen on GP, with the latter species also being spotted on North Rd with fledged young. 

Blackcap and Chiffchaff continued to be regularly heard along the ORC, the LSA, in Sluice Wood and in a number of gardens. A Whitethroat was regularly heard along the ORC, and both Reed Warbler and Reed Bunting were occasionally heard in the GP reedbed - an indication that all these species continue to hold nesting territories at these sites. Yellowhammer, Linnet, Corn Bunting and Skylark were also heard along the ORC (see blog).

A Great Spotted Woodpecker was spotted at several sightings, and Green Woodpecker returned to several gardens this month. A Mistle Thrush visited a North Rd garden and was also seen on GP, whilst a Song Thrush was spotted and heard at several sites heard and was seen gathering food. 1-2 Jay were also seen several times, particularly around Cambridge Rd.

One or two Buzzard were regularly seen, and a Red Kite was heard calling over Lewis Cres and was also seen at several sites. A Kestrel was spotted around Cambridge Rd and Lewis Cres, and a Tawny Owl was heard calling at dawn around Hall Farm.

 

Butterflies and other Insects

June brought 172 insect reports, a much larger number than received in May. The number of butterfly reports was 139, comprising 18 species. Odonata reports were lower but did include 9 species, whereas only a single species of damselfly had been seen before June this year.

Butterflies: Five species were seen this month which had not been reported so far in 2025. These summer species were Meadow Brown, Marbled White, Ringlet and the three skipper species seen in the Abingtons; Large Skipper, Small Skipper and Essex Skipper.

The most commonly seen was the Meadow Brown (19 reports from mid-June onwards), which was also the most reported of all the butterfly species, beating Brimstone for the first time this year! Marbled White was reported 8 times, initially on Granta Park on 15th (see blog) but from several locations from 20th onwards. There was a single report of a Ringlet on the ORC on 30th June.

Small/Essex Skipper (10 reports) were also seen from the middle of the month, with Essex Skipper positively identified in three reports from the ORC and Lewis Crescent. The only way to reliably distinguish them is the colour of the underside of the tips of the antennae: black in Essex Skipper, orange in Small Skipper. A Large Skipper was seen on the ORC on 20th June (see blog).

Most butterfly species were reported in greater numbers in June, compared to earlier in the year with one exception being Holly Blue (single report) having been spotted 16 times in May.

Odonata: After just a single species seen during May, the Large Red Damselfly, nine species were spotted in June (in 17 reports). Large Red Damselfly continued to be reported from several locations. Banded Demoiselle were seen on 15th June by the river Granta on Granta Park and towards the end of the month at the river near the Millennium Bridge. Blue-tailed Damselfly, Common Blue Damselfly and Red-eyed Damselfly were also reported from Granta Park (see blog) and Azure Damselfly from a garden in Church Lane, LA.

Four dragonfly species were seen: Broad-bodied Chaser (3 reports from different locations), Scarce Chaser and Southern Hawker on Granta Park and Common Darter in a Lewis Cres garden, as well as near the Millennium Bridge.

Other Species: Bee species White-tailed Bumblebee, Buff-tailed Bumblebee and Red-tailed Bumblebee continued to be seen regularly and Tawny Mining Bee was reported in a garden in Church Lane. Hummingbird Hawkmoth were spotted on flowers in two gardens and Scarlet Tiger Moth also had two reports, and Solomon Seal Sawfly larvae were reported from High St LA (see blog), as well as a Bush Cricket and several Rose Chafer Beetle on Lewis Cres (see blog). Interestingly on 29th June, a very warm windless day, at least seven separate colonies of Black Ant were seen flying at the same time in a garden in Lewis Cres.

 

Flora and Fungi

Good number of Bee Orchid were seen on GP (see blog), as well as a Pyramidal Orchid, Kidney Vetch and Flag (see blog). Unusually, a Pyramidal Orchid was also seen along the ORC, along with Knapweed Broomrape and Goat’s Beard (see blog), and where the flora diversity is good this year. Field Poppy reported around Sluice Wood (see blog), with Field Scabious, Greater Knapweed and Ragwort seen along the PRV (see blog).

 

Mammals

Badger – evidence in the strawberry bed in Lewis Cres; it ate all the strawberries on 1st and 6th.

Bats – Several seen regularly throughout the month, probably Pipistrelles and maybe some Serotine, in a Cambridge Rd garden and also in a Bourn Bridge Rd garden.  A large bat, probably a Natterer, was seen in a Bourn Bridge Rd garden on 5th.

Fallow Deer – two were seen on ORC on 20th.

Fox – one was seen in Sluice Wood on 1st, one was seen in a Cambridge Rd garden on 22nd and one appeared in a Bourn Bridge Rd garden on 30th.

Muntjac – one was seen in a Cambridge Rd garden on 2nd, 15th, and 22nd,one was seen on the path between High St and Chalky Rd on 8th, and one on ORC on 9th.

 

Weather

A very dry month with 32mm of rain when the average is about 50mm and most of the rain fell in the first week of June (25.5mm). The highest temperature was 35.2°C on the 31st along with several days with the temperatures over 26°C! The lowest temperature was 7.3°C on the 9th. Winds were generally from a south westerly to westerly direction.

 

NatureWatch events

The River Sampling group met on 23rd May, see blog for results, and the pleasant evening walk around Granta Park on 13th June was well attended (see blog). Our next trips will be to Trumpington Meadows on 16th July, and to Fleam Dyke on 26th July. The full programme for the year can be viewed on the ANW blog here, 2025 Programme Link.

Many thanks to all those who contributed their sightings this month.

Peter Brunning, Tricia Cullimore, Roger Dufresne, David & Gaynor Farrant, Janet Gerrard, Emma Jones, Carole McCrae, Len Mead, Andy & Polly Merryweather, Mary Miles, Joan Nevin, Gill Smith, Suzan Stewart, Maggie Turner, Derek Turnidge, John Webb,

Abbreviations: GA - Great Abington, LA – Little Abington, LSA – Land Settlement Association, GP – Granta Park, ORC – Old Railway Cutting, AbPkFm – Abington Park Farm.

Interesting Insects

29th June 2025 - there have been a number of sightings recently of what has been described as a bright red 'butterfly', and which have been identified as Scarlet Tiger Moth. At rest, these moths have a dark-green sheen to the wings, with a number of white, yellow or orange spots. The hindwing is hidden while at rest, but is the bright red colour evident when the moth is disturbed or in flight. They fly both in daylight, particularly in late afternoon, and also at night in May and June.

Scarlet Tiger Moth (aka Jersey Tiger) [photos John W, Roger D]

A small Bush Cricket, only about 1cm long, was spotted by Polly M resting on a Day Lily flower.

Small Bush Cricket [photos Polly M]

And a group of rather strange-looking smooth grey 'caterpillars' were spotted by Roger D in his garden, these being Solomon Seal Sawfly larvae. Related to bees, ants and wasps (Hymenoptera), these Sawflies lay their eggs on Solomon Seal (Polygonatum) plants, and the emerging larvae can quickly defoliate them. The adult fly is around 1 cm long, and all black.

Solomon Seal Sawfly larvae [photo Roger D], and adult fly [source Sawflies.org.uk]

Protected Road Verge flora

27th June 2025 - David F reported that the Field Scabious and Greater Knapweed were both looking good at the moment, in what is otherwise a dry verge, with Ragwort also being quite prominent.

River Sampling, June results

26th June 2025 - the RiverCare team undertook their regular sampling of the river Granta wildlife, at the Abington Ford. The regular sampling gave only a low number of creatures, although not low enough to trigger a resampling event. 

Bullhead

Signal Crayfish

Low sample

[photos David F]    

Summer Birds

20th June 2025 - a singing Chiffchaff, a group of recently fledged Swallow and a Corn Bunting, all birds of our summer hedgerows, along the Old Railway Cutting.

Singing Chiffchaff

Recently fledged Swallow

Corn Bunting

Flora on the Old Railway Cutting

20th June 2025 - a few less common plants showed themselves along the disused Old Railway Cutting recently.  A Pyramidal Orchid was found flowering along the top of the bank by the path - a species not seen along there in recent years. Also a Knapweed Broomrape, this plant being unusual in that it doesn't produce leaves or have chlorophyll, thus its pallid completion - instead it gets its energy by parasitising the roots of other specific plants, in this case knapweed. Finally, the large airy seed head of Goat's Beard, looking like a giant dandelion clock.

Pyramidal Orchid

Knapweed Broomrape

Goat's Beard seed head,

and a fertilised flower head about open into a second seed head

So many butterflies along the Old Railway Cutting

20th June 2025 - a walk along the disused Old Railway Cutting rewarded Andy M with a plethora of butterflies, of at least ten different species, so he tried to photograph as many as possible. 

The Marbled White and Meadow Brown were particularly abundant, with several Speckled Wood in the shady areas. The look in the long grass revealed Small Heath, Essex Skipper and Large Skipper, whilst the thistle and bramble flowers attracted Green-veined White, Large White, Small Tortoiseshell and Brimstone.  A Common Red Soldier Beetle and a species of Robber Fly were also spotted.

Marbled White on Spear Thistle

Marbled White on Black Horehound

Underside of Marbled White, on Creeping Thistle

Meadow Brown

Speckled Wood

Small Heath

Large Skipper - blotchy wing pattern, and strong sex brand

Large Skipper

Essex Skipper

Essex Skipper - same individual, showing the black-tipped antennae

Green-veined White

Large White on Bramble

Small Tortoiseshell

Underwing of Small Tortoiseshell

Common Red Soldier Beetle on Ragwort

A Robber Fly, lurking in the grass

Sluice Wood

18th June 2025 - a couple of photos from David F's walk along the river in Sluice Wood, and the nearby area of Field Poppy.

Rose Chafer Beetle heaven

17th June 2025 - Andy M has a False Spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) in his garden, and at this time of year it's covered in large fluffy spikes of creamy-white flowers - which, it turns out Rose Chafer Beetle seem to absolutely love, burrowing excitedly into the spikes, gorging on pollen as they went.

Orchids Galore!

15th June 2025 - for the second year running, a particular patch of meadow along the avenue on Granta Park was covered in Bee Orchid flower spikes. Whilst hard to count, there must have been well over 200 there. Also a few Pyramidal Orchid flower spikes.

Bee Orchid

Pyramidal Orchid

Butterflies and Bees on Granta Park

15th June 2025 - walking through the wildflower meadows on Granta Park, Andy M spotted a good number of Marbled White butterfly, the first he'd seen this year, and they seemed newly hatched. Also around were several Small Skipper and Small Heath resting down in the grass, out of the wind. The Tree Bumblebee were busy gathering nectar and pollen from the Self-heal flowers, which also attracted a Large White.

Marbled White

Small Skipper

Small Heath

Large White on Self-heal

Tree Bumblebee of Self-heal