Now that Halloween and Bonfire night are over, winter is slowly creeping up on autumn. Nevertheless, there are still lots of wonderful creatures to see on the reserve. I (Aimee) wandered around the reserve and managed to see an array of wildlife plus some spectacular scenery. With the sun shining and the squelch of mud underfoot, I ventured off to see what I could find.
(Coombes Valley by Aimee Burrows)
Walking through the Hay Meadow I saw a red admiral butterfly flutter over the trees. This particular species migrates northwards from Northern Africa and Europe, throughout the spring and summer. These migrants then lay their eggs in the UK and as a result, from July onwards newly hatched butterflies emerge. Thus, the red admiral can be seen flying throughout October and into November. In mild winters, some red admirals may overwinter in the south of England and they can emerge on sunny days to feed and drink. There was no mistaking the identification of this species as one actually decided to land on my head!
(Red Admiral by Steve Brown)
(Common Spangle Galls by Aimee Burrows)
If you look closely at the leaf litter on the reserve, you will find that many of the oak leaves have green/yellow spots on them. These “spots” are Common Spangle Galls and are caused by tiny, black, parasitic gall wasps. Each gall contains a single developing wasp. Adult females will emerge from the gall in winter where they will lay eggs on the buds of oak trees. These eggs produce something called currant galls on the catkins and leaves. In the summer both males and females will emerge from these to mate, and the cycle continues. Birds such as tits, which enjoy them as a tasty snack, peck the developing larvae out of the galls.
(Goldfinch by Carl Capewell)
Weevil Meadow treated me to the sight of a flock of goldfinches flitting between the trees. Their striking red face and yellow under-wing are unmistakable, and they are by far my favourite finch. Small flocks of goldfinches, like the one I witnessed, are traditionally called charms. Many goldfinches migrate to mainland Europe between September and October to spend the winter there. However, some decide to stick out our winter allowing us to enjoy their presence all year round. Their long bills are perfectly adapted to reach inside thistles to reach the seeds. Males have slightly longer bills than females, therefore only they can exploit and reach the seeds inside a teasel head.
(Common Buzzard RSPB-images)
On my way back to the office, I decided to enjoy the view at Buzzard Bank and true to its name; I heard the unmistakable call of a common buzzard. For a bird of prey, the buzzard is an extremely vocal bird and its call, mainly given in flight, is one of its distinctive features. You have to be careful though; a call that you may think is a buzzard, could actually be a jay who are excellent at mimicry.
With winter fast approaching, there is a temptation to stay inside. Give in to this and you will be missing the magic of autumn. So wrap up warm and dig out the wellies, there is so much to see outside. Come and visit Coombes Valley to see what wildlife spectacles you can see! Visit our webpage www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/c/coombeschurnet/ to find out what is happening on the reserve.