Category: nature

Now September has arrived, there is definitely an Autumnal feeling in the air. Similar to March, this month often has a transitional effect on me; especially once the Autumn equinox arrives on the 22nd. The nights are noticeably getting colder and drawing in. Over the past few weeks, some mornings have been misty and there has been a mixture of weather throughout the weeks; humid and stormy one moment and colder and sunny another. Spiders and their webs have become more visible, helped in part by morning dew, plus leaves are beginning to turn on some trees while autumn Cyclamen and crocuses (Colchicum autumnale) are starting to flower. I love September after the intense heat of August I long for a bit of relief.

On the allotment, autumn raspberries (Rubus idaeus) and apples are ready to pick along with pears, damsons (Prunus domestica subsp insititia),

elderberries (Sambucus) and blackberries (Rubus). Conkers are falling now too, although the walnut and hazelnut harvests have passed.

On the last bank holiday of the year (almost a month ago), I visited Minster-on-sea with my partner and his parents. It was an ideal day for walking along the beach searching for treasure, perhaps fossils, sharks teeth, sea glass, pieces of broken pottery and the occasional sea lego.  Washed up along the beach were lots of Slipper limpets (Crepidula fornicata). 

It is usual to see individual empty shells, in fact they are found in huge numbers on beaches in the Solent. The common name of this sea snail refers to the appearance of an individual shell when it is viewed upside down; similarly the latin means small boot. When alive, these gastropod molluscs are rarely found alone (as shown in the photo above). Up to 12 Slipper limpets can be stacked together with the female, the largest and oldest, at the bottom; all the others are male or, in the case of the second from bottom, in the process of transforming into a female. When the one at the bottom dies and falls off, the next one up then becomes female. Further information on these fascinating creatures can be found in an article written by Nick Baker here.

The Slipper limpet isn’t the only snail that I noticed recently. I often get to see land snails but I noticed this beautiful orange coloured Brown lipped snail (Cepaea nemoralis) hanging around after a rainy morning. Snail shells can be very beautiful and I am intrigued by their structure.

I have become more aware of insects lately, mostly when cutting back perennials at work. Although I try to be careful as much as possible, occasionally I disturb a few. I always make a point of replacing or moving them to a safe place. Mostly it is ladybirds but I have also noticed a few other species, such as Common earwigs (Forficula auricularia) and the Rusty tussock (Orgyia antiqua) and Knot grass (Acronicta rumicis) moth caterpillars

Common earwigs feed on organic matter and like to hide away in dark areas of the garden (not in human ears).

Once eggs are laid, the females diligently clean them and constantly guards the nest only stopping when the young can fend for themselves. While the adults can nip humans and predators, it is only as a warning.

Caterpillars of the medium sized Rusty tussock moth can be seen between May and September.

The males and females of this moth, also called the Vapourer, look different from on another. The males are orangey-brown while the female has a more grey colouration and also lacks any significant wings; therefore it is only the males of this species that are active (mostly flying during the day). The young feed on broadleaf trees and shrubs in gardens and parks, as well as along hedgerows, heaths, moorland and woodland. The adult female and male moths can be seen here .

Knot grass caterpillars (see photo above) can often be found in late summer (and even as late as October in Southern Britain; although these are usually a second generation). Pupa of this moth survive the winter in leaf litter. The grey coloured adults (with a wingspan of 3-3.5 cms) can be seen from May through to September. The caterpillars can be observed on herbaceous or woody plants such as knotgrass (Polygonum aviculare), bramble (Rubus), hawthorn (Crataegus), common sorrel (Rumex acetosa), heather (Calluna), plantains (Plantago), docks (Rumex) and purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria). It makes sense therefore that this one was found nibbling on a raspberry leaf on the allotment. The numbers of this moth are declining and while they are still commonly found in gardens, heathland and grassland, it is thought that the  species is becoming vulnerable. I was happy to share my raspberry plant with this caterpillar; raspberries are my favourite fruit but it certainly wouldn’t do any major damage. A photo of the moth can be seen on the UK Moths website.

Sadly the results of the Butterfly count for this year came out last week. They confirmed people’s  suspicion that it hasn’t been good for butterflies and moths (as well as bees). Many butterfly and moth numbers continue to fall, and significantly so from previous years results, due to a variety of factors including the cold wet weather we’ve experienced this year. Further information can be found on the butterfly conservation website here.

Thankfully last Friday, I witnessed a wonderful sight during a warm sunny afternoon. A huge area of ivy in full bloom was covered in so many bees that it stopped me in my tracks. I stood nearby and listened to the wonderful buzzing sound, it was so relaxing. There were so many Ivy bees (Colletes hederae) alongside buff tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) and honey bees (Apis mellifera) visiting the ivy flowers. It was the first time I was able to definitely identify ivy bees which was amazing (see below). 

First recorded in the UK in 2001, Ivy bees are becoming more common. They look very similar to honey bees but can be distinguished by the stripes on their abdomens; the bright yellow stripes are distinctly separate from the black ones than they are with honey bees. Unlike honey bees these are solitary, however there can be lots of nests close to one another and these bees will forage together when opportunity allows. As their name suggests, they feed predominantly on the nectar of ivy flowers and therefore their appearance coincides with this plant flowering (between September and November). I have been searching for a definite sighting of these bees for years and finally I have been rewarded for my patience.

I’ve found more galls, over the last few weeks, this time on the ground surrounding a few Pedunculate Oaks (Quercus robur).

They are produced by these trees as a result of the Knopper gall wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis) laying young in the acorns. As with the Oak apple gall wasps (Biorhiza pallida) mentioned in a previous post ‘Relaxing Evening Birdsong’ , they are not detrimental to these majestic trees and don’t appear on many of the fallen acorns.  Interestingly each generation of the wasp will change between sexual and asexual each alternate year.

I also saw my first Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) in a cypress tree near the beginning of the month. Although I could see the silhouette of this tiny bird moving around the top of the tree. I was only able to identify it using the Chirp-o-matic app on my phone, due to its loud singing. The Goldcrests song can be heard on the Woodland trust website here , where you can also see a photo of this diminutive bird. I wish I could have viewed it at closer range, then I would have been able to see the wonderful plumage on the crown (yellow for females and orange for males). The Goldcrest is the smallest bird in Britain, even smaller than the Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes). Hold a 20 pence piece in your hand, and you will have an idea of the birds weight (just 5 grams). They inhabit mixed woodland and conifers along with parks and gardens. The numbers of our resident birds increase with the migration of others from Scandinavian countries during the winter. They feed on insects and other invertebrates. It is always lovely when I am still able to witness new things in nature like this. It gives me a buzz, allowing me to learn through research.