The seasons are changing, and migration is in full progress. I immediately think of birds, when migration is mentioned. Off to find a new food source. Now, have you thought of what other wildlife does it?
The bat box checkers were in at the weekend. They include several members who are licensed to handle bats and investigate the boxes with an endoscope. A good percentage of the boxes were found to have occupants and they were particularly excited to find not one, but 4 of the rarer ones, Nathusius’s pipistrelle. This pipistrelle can be double the size of the Soprano pipistrelle which is the commonest here on Paxton Pits Nature Reserve. They hope to bring in a licensed ringer next year to find out more. A recent study has found that the Nathusius can be a long distance migrator, coming here from north-east Europe, such as Poland and Lithuania. Here to look for a new food source for the winter. Isn’t that just like us humans going to find new and exciting new foods!
Remember to look at the bat boxes as you go up the Haul Road by Southoe Brook. One of the boxes has a maternity roost in it. This time there were only 10 bats in the box. Last time it was over 20!
The other good news is that the bats look healthy and are a healthy weight, so they are finding enough food in the way of mosquitos, caddis flies etc. associated with water we have around here.
So, that is also good news that there are insects around, although not seemingly in the numbers we remember. The wasp spiders are doing well. Migrant, Southern hawker and darter dragonflies are still on the wing, although overall numbers appear down. Lesser Emperor has been seen further up the reserve. Butterflies have not enjoyed the weather this year and the numbers on our transects have been well down. The ivy is coming into flower now, so the ivy mining bee is around.
Birds are migrating in. Wigeon, teal and shoveler are starting to be seen. Remember, come and help us with the winter bird survey count (WeBS). Always an excuse for a walk in winter. Green sandpipers are on the shallower edges. Linnets are in flocks with goldfinches on the arable fields. Kingfishers are a regular sight by Bill’s bench and up to 9 Little Egrets and a couple of Great Egrets. All finding food to stay around. Ringed neck parakeets are in the village again. A similar time to last year. Are they just passing through, time will tell.
Another rare sighting is the Common Lizard. One of our volunteers took a video on her phone of one near Cobham’s hide recently. Keep your eyes peeled. Grass snakes can be seen swimming across the lakes or sunbathing when the sun is out! I would love to have more reports of amphibians.
Work parties have been going on all summer this year. Now is the time we can do more habitat management i.e. scrub bashing. It is a good work out, free with free biscuits and drinks and very sociable. Come and join us.
As usual, I really like to hear about your sightings or contact me to join in with one of our surveys or work parties at friends@paxton-pits.org.uk
Ann Thomas
This month’s photo is an ivy mining bee taken by Ann Miles