Nature around Watlington
The Glory of Autumn Colour
Nature Notes Autumn
The three consecutive heat waves that we experienced in June and early July were not my ideal weather conditions. It is nice to have a bright sunny day but when the temperature goes over 30oC and it is also humid, I am afraid I begin to wilt. This also happened
with many of the plants in and around the village. When the pupils from the village school visited the Millennium Green at the end of June as part of the celebrations to commemorate the Green’s 25th anniversary the grasses were already looking quite yellow and dry. However, many of the children seemed to really enjoy their visit and enthusiastically engaged with nature. They actively searched for the different wildflowers and insects to be found on the Green. One of the highlights was the discovery of a bush cricket which the children were able to observe at really close quarters. Butterflies seem to have really benefitted from the hot dry weather. I have been observing more butterflies in one day this year than I observed during the whole of last year. The little gatekeeper butterflies seem to have done very well this year. I have observed them in our garden, at our allotment and at the Millennium Green. Other species seen have been large and small white, meadow brown, holly blue, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, comma and red admiral. On a visit to Oxburgh Hall at the end of July I was able to observe a hummingbird hawk-moth feeding on sweet pea flowers. I have yet to see a painted lady butterfly this year, however other people have told me that they have seen the odd one in their gardens. They start their journey in tropical Africa and fly north in the Spring reaching as far as the Arctic Circle. They achieve this by having successive generations fly different stages of the journey. Each generation instinctively knows where to go and what plants to look for in order to lay their eggs and start the next generation. Those we see in our gardens have come to us from the continent and some years, when conditions are favourable on their journey north, will arrive in huge numbers. In 2009 scientists discovered that the butterflies return south in the Autumn. They travel at an average altitude of 500 metres, at speeds of up to 30 mph, to complete a round trip of 9,000 miles. We have not been getting many birds come to our bird table or feeding stations. My guess is that they are able to find enough food in the hedgerows and on the fields. Whilst I know that wood pigeons are not people’s favourite bird, particularly those in the farming community, I must tell you about one that visits our garden. It arrived in mid-May with a very severe fracture high up on one of its legs. The leg was simply hanging useless beneath its body. Despite this severe disability the pigeon managed to perch on its good leg or simply rest on the ground or bird table in order to be able to feed. It continued to come throughout May, June and July to feed in our garden. Apart from its broken leg it maintained itself in good order, regularly preening and keeping its feathers in order. It would also hold its own against other, able-bodied pigeons and would even oust them from the bird table so that it could feed first. Its resilience was remarkable. Having not seen it for a few days, I am hoping that it is out on one of the harvest fields and that we will see it at our bird table once again. I admire its tenacity and think that it deserves to survive. Our hedgehogs still come to feed each evening and at times are very noisy snuffling and snorting around the garden. We also have bats flying around our and our neighbours’ gardens. There are the little pipistrelle bats but also larger ones, possibly long-eared bats.
Chris Dyson
with many of the plants in and around the village. When the pupils from the village school visited the Millennium Green at the end of June as part of the celebrations to commemorate the Green’s 25th anniversary the grasses were already looking quite yellow and dry. However, many of the children seemed to really enjoy their visit and enthusiastically engaged with nature. They actively searched for the different wildflowers and insects to be found on the Green. One of the highlights was the discovery of a bush cricket which the children were able to observe at really close quarters. Butterflies seem to have really benefitted from the hot dry weather. I have been observing more butterflies in one day this year than I observed during the whole of last year. The little gatekeeper butterflies seem to have done very well this year. I have observed them in our garden, at our allotment and at the Millennium Green. Other species seen have been large and small white, meadow brown, holly blue, small tortoiseshell, brimstone, comma and red admiral. On a visit to Oxburgh Hall at the end of July I was able to observe a hummingbird hawk-moth feeding on sweet pea flowers. I have yet to see a painted lady butterfly this year, however other people have told me that they have seen the odd one in their gardens. They start their journey in tropical Africa and fly north in the Spring reaching as far as the Arctic Circle. They achieve this by having successive generations fly different stages of the journey. Each generation instinctively knows where to go and what plants to look for in order to lay their eggs and start the next generation. Those we see in our gardens have come to us from the continent and some years, when conditions are favourable on their journey north, will arrive in huge numbers. In 2009 scientists discovered that the butterflies return south in the Autumn. They travel at an average altitude of 500 metres, at speeds of up to 30 mph, to complete a round trip of 9,000 miles. We have not been getting many birds come to our bird table or feeding stations. My guess is that they are able to find enough food in the hedgerows and on the fields. Whilst I know that wood pigeons are not people’s favourite bird, particularly those in the farming community, I must tell you about one that visits our garden. It arrived in mid-May with a very severe fracture high up on one of its legs. The leg was simply hanging useless beneath its body. Despite this severe disability the pigeon managed to perch on its good leg or simply rest on the ground or bird table in order to be able to feed. It continued to come throughout May, June and July to feed in our garden. Apart from its broken leg it maintained itself in good order, regularly preening and keeping its feathers in order. It would also hold its own against other, able-bodied pigeons and would even oust them from the bird table so that it could feed first. Its resilience was remarkable. Having not seen it for a few days, I am hoping that it is out on one of the harvest fields and that we will see it at our bird table once again. I admire its tenacity and think that it deserves to survive. Our hedgehogs still come to feed each evening and at times are very noisy snuffling and snorting around the garden. We also have bats flying around our and our neighbours’ gardens. There are the little pipistrelle bats but also larger ones, possibly long-eared bats.
Chris Dyson