John Taylor, reported Bombus hypnorum on a cotoneaster.  This is a Bumble bee that was first recorded in this country at Landford, Wilts in 2001.  Since then more records have come in, most concentrated in the south east but it is expected that its spread will continue as one isolated record came from 200 miles further north.  Well done John for adding another record.

Christine Wiggins, Braintree Green had a pair of hawkmoths mating on a hydrangea.
Maureen Brady, Queenborough Lane has a Golden Pheasant in her garden, a colourful addition to anyone's garden.
Ken Turner, Shalford Road was probably not so pleased to find a Blackbird taking mud from newly watered rows of lettuce and runner beans.  He didn't mind the bird having the mud but to find the right sort of mud it excavated most of the beans and lettuces.

Andrew Goodey has found 4 Garden Warbler territories locally when most years he has only found the odd passage bird.  Andy has also found 7-8 Willow Warbler territories compared with 2-3 most other years.  Andy also reported that some birders had identified a Raven along Queenborough Lane though others were unsure of the identification.  Andy has Smooth Newts in his pond.  This species and the protected Great Crested Newt appear to be the species found in most of Rayne's garden ponds, though we have identified Palmate Newts in at least one pond.  Andy also comments on the good show of Orange Tip and Painted Lady butterflies.  The latter species which is a migrant from North Africa moved through Essex in very large numbers on their way north especially over the holiday weekend.  It has been reported that this year the numbers are the highest for probably a century but as no one can estimate the numbers accurately when there are probably millions one must treat that statement with care.  This eruption of butterflies is probably due to high population and food pressures in N. Africa.  They should now breed in this country and we will eventually see some very attractive fresh specimens unlike the worn migrants.  The adults do not survive our winters.  Andy heard the Cuckoo distantly twice from his house in the Street and by the Rookery Ponds heard a warbler that started its song with a perfect rendition of a Willow Warbler but ended with an equally good copy of a Chiffchaff.  The most exciting report from Andy was of a pair of Tree Creepers with two young on an old Oak near Oak Meadow just off the Flitch Way.  This is I believe the first confirmed record of breeding of the species in Rayne.

Denise Goodey was the first person to report the dead, probably juvenile Badger near Broxy Dyers.
Carolyn Sheldrake, The Street also commented on the Painted Lady migration compared with last year when I never had any reports of it in the Parish.  Carolyn also saw a female Broad-bodied Chaser dragonfly on her mother's pond, as the name implies it has a very broad body.

David Hearn, Station Road has nests of Starling, Blue Tit and Robin with a Blackbird sitting on a second clutch of eggs after an avian predator had taken the first.  The Swift box David erected on his house has three pairs nesting this year compared with one last year.  This is the remnant of the 40 plus pairs we had in the old Hasler silos which were demolished for the housing development.  I would be interested to hear from the owners who have the Swift boxes built into their houses by the developers as to whether Swifts are using them.  One can only tell easily when the adults are actively feeding young as they use no conventional nesting material nor leave a pile of droppings like that found under the nests of Swallows and Martins.  In poor weather feeding activity can be minimal or stop altogether.

Lynne Scully, Shalford Road had at least 50 Starlings in her garden at once, 40 on the ground and another 10 on the bird table.  I suspect most of them were juveniles which often form small flocks when they fledge.  Starlings and Sparrows are social birds that form flocks so this is an inbred trait.  It has certain benefits for the individual but can work to their detriment as both species have shown a marked decline in numbers.  One theory is that this may have been due to a virus that rapidly spread because of the birds close contact with each other.  Unlike us humans they cannot go to the chemist for antiviral drugs.

Bev Stock taking her terriers for a walk at 7.30am one morning watched 13 Fallow hinds from Kings Farm track, no doubt after they had spent the night grazing on my wheat.  Bev also suffers the problem of Badgers helping out in the garden.  I sympathise as even when the ground was rock hard they still managed to dig holes and as the worms went deeper to find moisture the holes got deeper.

Another exciting report was finding a Southern Marsh Orchid in the meadow next to the Rookery ponds.  Ken and Pauline Turner first reported it then Andy Goodey also found it.  Ken had seen it in 2008 and this year there was a magnificent pink spike.  Unfortunately the flower was broken off either by trampling humans or by animals finding a tasty bite.  Andy also saw a Brown Argus butterfly nearby.
The Southern Marsh Orchid grows from fine seeds producing a small leaf in the second year but often then taking several years to produce large enough underground tubers for it to flower.  Hopefully it will flower again next year.  I should add that wild orchids can not be successfully dug up and planted elsewhere as they need a specific fungus to be present for the mutual benefit of both.

If you leave a report on my answerphone please also leave your name and a means for me to contact you, in several cases I have had reports that I cannot use.

Roger Jiggins Tel. 01376 324 311, email mailto:r.jiggins@btconnect.com  (please put Wildlife as the subject)