July 7th 2011

GWR Castle Class 4-6-0 no 5029 Nunney Castle will be moved from Tyseley to Bristol on Saturday July 9th passing Leamington spa 13:03, Fenny Compton 13:19 and Banbury 13:30 so she wont be hanging around. The ‘Nun’ is due to take charge of Sundays THE CORNISHMAN from Bristol Temple Meads to Par and return. It’s a bit quiet for steam trains at the moment in my area with only Tornado due to make an appearance in August and September


Scarlet tigers are being reported in the county with two sightings in the last week plus this individual found in Francoise trap.

Another wet night produced only 18 species in my trap – my lowest count for some time and Dave’s was not much better so with rain threatening Bob and I wandered down to the pond where we unexpectedly did well with 3 adult and a third summer Yellow-legged Gull, 4 Common Tern, 4 Common Sandpiper, 6 Little Ringed Plover, oystercatcher, Buzzard, Grey Wagtail, 5 Sand Martin, female Shoveler, 67 Great-crested Grebe, 40 Mute swan, 240 Canada Geese, 4 Bullfinch and 200 Swift.

If the sun comes out then some of the Marbled Whites can be quite obliging - Francoise

In the afternoon I finally managed to catch up with the singing Western Bonelli’s Warbler at Arnfield Reservoir, Derbyshire though the views were not brilliant. An unexpected inland record which has been here for a few days and a surprise addition to my Midlands list

Richard