October is a great month for the meeting of wildlife from all parts of the world. It’s possible, in the right place on the right day to be watching birds fresh in from the Arctic, or the forests of northern Europe alongside waifs and strays from Siberia and maybe even a visitor from America! That’s the beauty of autumn in the UK – you never know what you’re going to get…
Migrants are arriving in droves from the north, including whooper swans from Iceland (Ben Andrew rspb-images.com)
In the near gale force southerly wind on Saturday, I was doing some sweep-netting around a lake near me and spied a bright yellow “moth” being blown all over the place a few metres away. With one “swoosh” of my net, I’d secured it. As I peered in, to my surprise and great delight, I realised I had not a moth, but one of most beautiful migrant butterflies – a clouded yellow.
These super-bright yellow butterflies with gorgeous green eyes migrate north from southern Europe and I had no doubt the gusty winds, that also brought several rare vagrant emperor dragonflies to the UK over the weekend (plus Britain's first white-rumped swift to Hornsea Mere in East Yorkshire), has helped it on its way. After a quick look at it in the hand, I released this remarkably perfect speciment and it was heading strongly on its way, carrying on north.
With temperatures at around 24 degrees in my part of England on Saturday, it was also a good time to enjoy some of the last common darter and migrant hawker dragonflies I know I’ll see this year.
While it’s a good time for catching a few late insects, our winter visitors are coming in from the north. The first Bewick’s swans are back at WWT Slimbridge and whooper swans and pink-footed geese are arriving by the day. See you current issue of Nature’s Home for all the details of their amazing migrations and how they do it!
Redwings are pouring in to the UK during October - listen out for their call and you'll see plenty (Ben Andrew - rspb-images.com)
Have you seen, or heard, a redwing yet? A good number arrived, along with fieldfares, in the recent northerly winds. Listen out if the stars are shining at night and you’ll hear them passing over. I also noticed an increase in the blackbirds on my lawn at the weekend, so no doubt some Scandinavian blackbirds had arrived to join my residents. Much more about that in the January issue of Nature’s Home...
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