September Wildlife Sightings from a garden in Annan

Many more birds in the garden again this month, with both great tits back - and looking in the nest box! It has been lovely to hear the robin singing every day and watching us weeding and disturbing the soil.  It is nice to see several young birds still flying about with adults. The sight of 4 buzzards hovering over the garden was great.

 

photo from Wikepedia

They were riding the thermals and circling round and round for ages.

On the last day of the month we also heard - and then saw - a great flock of geese, presumably returning from their summer homes. The sound was here well before the birds and a sign that autumn is truly upon us. Local wildlife sights have also been reporting influxes of geese and whooper swans.

Our monthly max for birds in the garden is as follows:

Blackbird  - 2 male, 4 young

Blue tit - 3

Buzzard - 4

Chaffinch - 1 female

Coal tit - 1 adult, 2 young

Collared dove - 2

Dunnock - 2

Goose - 75+

Goldfinch - 4 adult, 3 young

Great tit - 2

House sparrow - 30

Robin - 2

Rook - 1

Starling - 15

Swallow - 6

Woodpigeon - 2

Wren - 1

There has been quite a lot of bees around the garden this month - we are seeing some of the big queen bees again, presumably looking for somewhere to spend the winter. Our ivy has also been covered in creatures at the end of the month - even though the flowers are not completely open yet. Bees, wasps, hoverflies and true flies are all over it. It really hums when you stand close.

Butterflies have been in short supply again though, although a lovely painted lady appeared on the last day of the month. Monthly max as follows:

Large white butterfly - 1

Painted lady butterfly - 1

Peacock butterfly -1

Red admiral butterfly - 1

Small tortoiseshell butterfly - 1

Small white butterfly -1

 

Painted lady

DGERC species to look out for next month are the Amethyst Deceiver and the Black Darter.

 

Laccaria amethystina

 

The Amethyst Deceiver is a beautiful purple colour and is found in many woods, especially beech woods. The cap can range from 2-7cm in diameter and become flat topped, rather than convex, as they reach maturity. It has broad, deep gills that are interspersed with shorter gills.

 

Sympetrum danae

 

The Black Darter is the only predominantly black species of dragonfly in the UK. Females are similar  to other darters but they have black markings on the side of the body and a black triangle at the top of the thorax. They can be seen flying in October on moorlands, heathlands and near bogs.

Report sightings to DGERC.

Photos from DGERC.