Wildlife Reports for September 2006

We were away for the first two weeks of September.  Before we left a pair of Swallows in one of the barns had their third nest of young that would be fledged in a few days time.  When we returned all the Martins and Swallows had departed.  Why I wonder as it was still warm and there were plenty of flying insects.  At the end of September we were in Suffolk and saw a few Swallows and a few days later Swallows and Martins appeared foraging round the farm for a few days before they departed.  These stragglers must be from late broods further north that were also starting out on their migration to Southern Africa.
Neville Walker Brunwin Road, found their cat "lucky" carrying a 3-3.5 inch green caterpillar.  Neville managed to rescue it and identified it as a Privet Hawk Moth larva.
Andy Goodey at the beginning of September had a Hobby flying over Station Road chasing Starlings and a later sighting over the entrance to Old Hall Farm, possibly the same bird.  Andy suggests this could be a local breeder as Hobby's are busy feeding young throughout August.  Andy also saw a buzzard soaring over the Street.  Andy also reported several Brimstone butterflies and we have also had several at Goulds.  Syl has just given Andy some Alder Buckthorn plants, the Brimstone caterpillar food plant, for his garden.  We have several more plants if anyone has a space.  It grows to 8ft and needs no maintenance.  We had Brimstones laying eggs on 18 ins high plants this year.

Ken Turner this summer saw large numbers of Blue-tailed, Large Red and either Common or Azure Damselflies on the Willowherb along Pods Brook.  I had the first report of Large Red on a garden pond in Rayne earlier this year.  It would appear from Ken's report that it has established a breeding colony in Rayne.  Ken also saw three Herons roosting in trees along the river on one occasion.  Ken has had a helper to gather in his harvest this year.  An old empty plastic fertiliser bag in his shed has been filled with acorns by a squirrel that has been dropping the acorns into the bag.  Ken has over a bucketful so he should be all right for roast acorns this winter. Harold and Mark Giles reported the return of the Badger to the road culvert along Shalford Road.  It has probably now been washed out by the rain.  It has also been seen in a neighbours garden at Duckend Green probably having taken up temporary residence under??.  I have left that blank so the badger has some peace.
Barry Mouser, cycling along Pods Lane saw a Stoat in the middle of the road, it stood on its hind legs and looked at him before running off down the road with Barry following.  After about 100m it turned off into the hedge.  Despite the return of rabbits which are one of their main prey Stoats are still uncommon in Rayne.
Robert Bucknall reports the Barn Owl is still present on the 'borders' between Rayne and Saling.  On Andrewsfield airfield one night he counted 42 Hares then later in the year he counted 52.

Anna and Phil who work at Goulds brought me a Convolvulus Hawk Moth the first I have had reported in Rayne and the first I have ever seen.
We have had a lot of Hornets in the garden this year.  I had placed the Convolvulus Hawk Moth on the trunk of our old decaying Ash tree and was immediately surrounded by Hornets.  They were coming out of the trunk of the tree.  We had lived with the nest all summer without finding it.  In early October we have started to see queen Hornets and it is these queens that will over-winter.  Even though these queens were not egg laying they are significantly larger than the workers.  Hornets, despite their fearsome reputation and severe sting are much more docile than wasps until interfered with.  We also found a Migrant Hawker dragonfly that had been cut in two and the juicy thoracic contents removed.  This was probably the remains of a Hornets meal. I have just watched a mixed feeding flock of Blue, Great and Coal Tits move through the garden taking insects from the trees and shrubs and with them was a single Goldcrest which gave views down to 2m.

Roger Jiggins Telephone 01376 324 311