If not already noted: A Date to mark in your diary - The 5th Ornithological Research Conference is being held at University College Cork, 15th November 2008 - further details are in the June 2008 'Gaggle' Newsletter (just click on 'Back Issues').

Important: The Lepidoptera of County Wexford - Our Field Club's First Guide - is in its final stages of fieldwork and is currently in an advanced state of preparation for publication. Any outstanding Butterfly and/or Moth records are needed for inclusion in the Maps and Text. We realise that there are still a couple of months left in the field-work season and those records will be accommodated. However do please note that, at this stage, all your records for 2007 and 2008 should now be with Chris Wilson. Any of you that do have additional records: PLEASE, PLEASE can you forwarded them on to Chris Wilson on cjwilson AT eircom DOT net A.S.A.P.. Chris will pass them on to Patricia Byrne (our Records Officer) as soon as details are noted.

This month's Lecture: On Thursday 7th August at 8pm at The Pumphouse, Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, Chris Wilson will be bringing members (and guests) up to date with the current progress of the W.N.F.C. Lepidoptera Guide. There will be an opportunity to provide thoughts, ideas and feed-back on this, our Club's first guide.

Do please remember to submit all those wildlife sightings of interest - The wildlife summary, shown below, are your records. They are communicated either to Wexford Wildfowl Reserve on 053-9123129 or received 'On Line' on this OUR Club website. Again, many thanks for all of you who have passed on those sightings.

Records can also be sent to: Records Officer WNFC, c/o Wexford Wildfowl Reserve, North Slob, Wexford. So do please 'keep them coming'. Historical records are so useful - after all, in our Lepidoptera Guide, some of the records are going back to 1901 - and they are so valuable - if our ancestors could do it, we certainly have no excuse with all the modern communication tools at our disposal - so come on, please keep those wildlife records flowing.

July - the middle of our summer - and the month started off, yet again, on a rather shaky weather footing. Needless to say the month also finished off with rain, gales and some spectacular displays of thunder and lightening followed by a damp fog on 31st (called 'MANK' in South Georgia - yes another useless piece of information, but rather apt don't you think?...) - however that middle spell of settled weather was - super and Oh So 'very' welcome.

And so to the known wildlife highlights of the month:

There were 200+ Mute Swans on North Slob Channel on 30th. The King Eider, reported in last months 'round up' was again present on a number of dates at Tacumshin Lake and was also seen at Lady's Island Lake on 27th.  A Hobby was noted at Tacumshin on 20th. A Marsh Harrier was present at Tacumshin on 19th. A Buzzard was noted over Monart on 25th. A Mediterranean Gull was on the North Slob on 6th and 1 was also noted at Wexford Bridge on 21st. Good numbers of Curlew seen in various locations around the County - a flock of 240 noted at Lady's Island Lake on 10th and there were many reports of 'over 100' birds on a number of dates. There were numerous records of Whimbrel (in small numbers) through much of the month. 240 Black-tailed Godwits were present on North Slob on 30th. 2 early Greenshank present on North Slob on 11th and a Spotted Redshank was at Our lady's Island Lake on 17th. Common Sandpipers were noted throughout the month at a number of different locations - highest count noted was 7 seen at Wexford Wildfowl Reserve on 11th. A Green Sandpiper was at Jamestown on 6th. A White-rumped Sandpiper and a Pectoral Sandpiper were both noted at Tacumshin on 16th. A Kingfisher was seen on the Curracloe Road on 14th. There were some particularly spectacular Sand Martin movements noted in the first half of the month - noteworthy dates 100's on 3rd, literally 1000's noted on 7th and again on 18th. An early Wheatear was on the North Slob on 17th.

MAMMALS:  Red Squirrels were showing well in Raven Nature Reserve through the month. 23 Common Dolphins and 1 Atlantic Grey Seal noted on the cetacean survey between Rosslare and Pembroke on 19th. A small, new born, Atlantic Grey Seal pup was found on the beach of the North Slob on 26th - this ia a very early record.

BUTTERFLIES: 2 Wood Whites were seen at Killinick on 8th - were they 2nd brood? - almost certainly as it is really too late for first brood - most interesting. Holly Blues (also 2nd brood) were noted from 22nd with one at Duncormick on that date two at Jamestown in the following week and another at a different location in Jamestown on 29th, 1 in Campile on 27th and 2 noted at Eden Vale on 30th.  A maximum count of 12 Large Whites were noted Raven Nature Reserve on 19th. A maximum count of 56 Meadow Browns noted at Coolcotts on 2nd and, at Raven nature Reserve a maximum count of 104 Ringlets on 22nd. There was a maximum count of 26 Gatekeepers at Raven Nature Reserve on 22nd. 60+ Small Heaths at Raven Nature Reserve on 19th was another maximum count in the month. There was a maximum count of 11 Silver-washed Fritillaries at Raven Nature Reserve on both the 19th and 22nd. Silver-washed Fritillaries were also noted in Jamestown and Castlebridge in the last week of the month. A maximum count of 11 Clouded Yellows, again at Raven Nature Reserve, on 19th (up to 6 were seen on a number of dates through the second half of the month). There were 'large' numbers of Dark Green Fritillaries at Ballyteige in 3rd week and records of this species were also received from Cull Bank and Raven Nature Reserve on a number of dates. The first record of Essex Skipper flying was noted on South Slob on 8th. There were excellent numbers present in a wide variety of locations with in excess of 100 seen at Sigginstown Lane, Wexford on one date. One particularly interesting record of this species was of a female seen in 10km square S92 - on the main N25 - this is a new 10km square for the species - Yes, they are spreading.... Red Admirals were few and far between, though single records were seen in Coolcotts, Camross, Raven Nature Reserve, North Slob, Jamestown and up to 4 were seen at Castlebridge on 30th. Painted Lady's were conspicuous by their absence - Just 1 record of a single butterfly at Coolcotts on 28th... 2 Comma Butterflies were at Eden Vale on 27th with 1 being seen at the same location on 30th (this is a new 10km square record).

MOTHS: There were good numbers of Six-Spot Burnets recorded around the County. Cinnabar catterpillers were also in evidence in many locations, particularly where their food plant was evident. Common Emerald were noted at Duncormick (19th), Castlebridge (29th) and Jamestown (15th). Silver Y's were recorded around the County, but not in big numbers. A Hummingbird Hawk-moth was at Jamestown on 23rd and another was noted on North Slob on 26th. Records of the following species, in varying numbers, were noted at Coolcotts and Jamestown through the month: Common Rustic, Rustic, Large Yellow Underwing (a number of locations), The Snout, Burnished Brass, Double Dart, Double-striped Pug, Cyclamen Tortrix, Emmelina monodactyla (Plume Moth), Drinker, Flame Shoulder, Swallow-tailed Moth, Common Footman, Fan Foot, Small Fan-footed wave, Garden Carpet, Early Thorn, Sallow Kitten, July Highflyer, Riband Wave, Common Wave, Yellowshell, Angle Shades,Magpie, Mottled Beauty, Single-dotted Wave, Garden Tiger, Double Square-spot, Scalloped Oak, Sharp-angled Carpet, Dotted Clay, Common Wainscot, Buff Arches, Hebrew Character, White Ermine, Brimstone, Small Square-spot and Common Wainscot.

DRAGONFLIES: Emperor Dragonflies noted mating on 6th at Jamestown. Brown and Common Hawkers noted in Raven Nature Reserve near end of the month. Brown Hawkers also noted in Jamestown and Castlebridge on a number of dates. Good numbers of Emperor Dragonflies in Raven Nature Reserve through the month. Maximum count of Four-spotted Chasers was 26 in Raven Nature Reserve on 2nd. 40 Common Darters present in Raven Nature Reserve on 22nd was the maximum count. This species was also noted in many locations around the County - Ruddy Darters were present but in much reduced numbers compared to recent years (just 2 maximum count in Raven Nature Reserve on 22nd). There were 3 Blue-tailed Damselflies noted on 8th in Coolcotts.

REPTILE: 2 Common (Viviparous) Lizards noted on North Slob on 2nd.

PLANTS: Noteworthy were Bristly Ox-tongue noted at Castlebridge, Giant Water Dock noted at Jamestown and literally 100s of Round-leaved Wintergreen 'in flower' in the Raven Nature Reserve. It has been noticed that Blackthorn on the North Slob seems to be much reduced in fruit production - it is not known if this is just a local trend.