As I write this the Swifts have left and in another month the Swallows and Martins will also be on their way.  This usually signifies the end of summer but this year the warmer and sunnier days have only just started.  Perhaps we will have a nice St. Luke's Little Summer around St. Luke's day the 18th October.
David Hearn, Station Road saw a Sparrow Hawk take young Blackbirds on three occasions from the local gardens.  After one catch the hawk flying towards David realised it would not gain height to miss him and dropped its blackbird which then disappeared into the bushes apparently unharmed.  The Swifts have been entering David's Swift box but none have nested.

Andy Goodey has seen a Little Owl most days on the fence by the gas trap along Pods Lane.  Swifts have been seen regularly flying in and out of buildings by the Swan.  The owners need not worry as Swifts do not carry lots of nesting material into their nests which consist of a small amount of 'fluff' picked up while on the wing and glued together with their saliva.  I have seen nests that have been used for many years and they are not recognisable as such.  Andy also reported Sparrow Hawks carrying in food to a small copse near Mill Lane and heard them calling from there so this was almost certainly a nest site.  He has also recorded a few Brown Argus butterflies in the fields by the Flitch Way but less than last year.  He has not seen the White Letter Hairstreak butterflies by the Duckend Green allotments this year.  They live in the tops of Elm trees and are now uncommon and mostly restricted to small colonies that are very vulnerable when their trees die.  Andy also had a Hummingbird Hawk Moth in his garden.  They have been relatively scarce so far this year which is a pity as a large number were reported over wintering but the abysmal weather probably meant they did not breed and we are now experiencing the usual migration from the continent.

Ken Turner sitting in the Cock one evening saw a small Hedgehog cross the road, it is sad that I now report hedgehog sightings as they are now so rare within the village.  Ken also spotted a Tawny Owl near Rayne Lodge and has brought us two specimens of the Harlequin Ladybird.  We have also since found Harlequin's in our own garden.  This introduced foreigner is a serious predator of our native ladybirds and is apparently spreading rapidly throughout the country.  Ken has had a second sighting similar to the one reported last month while walking near one of the parish Badger setts.  He has again watched five badgers from as close as 10m as they socialised completely unaware of his presence.  The wind was blowing his scent away from the badgers and as their eyesight is not as good as their remarkable sense of smell they were unaware of him and his dog.  To have this sighting once of wild badgers was lucky but to repeat it was very lucky.

Martyn Phillips, Brunwin Road saw a dead Green Woodpecker by his garden shed.  When returning later to remove it he saw it move and found a young Hedgehog feeding on the carcase.  Later he found it had completely disappeared.  Either the hedgehog had dragged its meal into cover or another predator had removed it.
Lynne Sculley, Shalford Road had a Hedgehog in her garden at 4pm looking around where the peanuts are usually found . Three Hedgehog sightings in one month so perhaps they are now holding their own at last.  Young Hedgehogs have to build up their fat reserves before the winter so they have to feed during the day as well as at night if food is short.

Veronica Pollit found a cluster of about six Grass Snake eggs in her compost heap.  If you have a similar heap in your garden look out for holes as the eggs are often a few inches below the surface.
Maureen Stannard, Duckend Green stored her bird peanuts in the garden shed but found a small hole in the bag, a mouse had been carrying them away.  She also said they are seeing a number of bats in the garden something they had not seen for some years.
Mrs Olley, Dunmow Road had a large green Elephant Hawk Moth on her garden fuchsia, she was pleased to let it continue feeding.

At Goulds we have two leverets in the garden only about a week old.  One I disturbed under a bush when cutting the grass and the other came out of our bonfire when it was heaped up.  I hope they manage to avoid foxes and badgers until they are old enough to outrun them.  On the 31st July we had young Goldcrests in the garden was this a second brood?  They have nested for several years in a group of Leylandii trees.  Driving past Pudneys Farm we saw a stoat dragging a dead rat at considerable speed across the road.  Stoats never cease to amaze me that they can kill and the carry their victims which are often much larger than themselves with apparent ease.