Fly Agaric © Neil Aldridge
What wildlife to see this month
Autumn has taken centre stage
Autumn has officially begun, and we will all miss the morning sunshine luring us from our beds and hazy summer evenings in the garden. But this is an exciting season. Nature is buzzing with activity as species prepare for winter, making it the perfect time to spy this season's cast of species. It's time to heave on the wellies, grab an emergency waterproof and fire up the flask. Let's get wildlife spotting!
Bank vole © Donald Sutherland
Bank vole
You’d be forgiven for thinking this was a Brambly Hedge character, who had scurried right off the page with its sweet face and love of blackberries. Bank voles can be found in woodlands, farmlands and even in your local park! Their large ears keep them busy, listening out for predators like owls or weasels, as they come and go from their shallow burrows.
Goldfinch and teasel © Vaughn Matthews
Teasel
Ouch! Teasels aren’t to everyone’s liking, especially once they drop their purple flowers and go into seeding. However, these prickly plants are a firm favourite of birds such as goldfinches, who flit from seedhead to seedhead, ‘teasing’ out the seeds to stock up before winter whooshes in. You can spy these tall plants almost everywhere, from moorlands to parks and even roadside verges.
Dipper © Logan Walker
Dipper
Down by the river, you might spot a tiny dancer. Bobbing up and down, it’ll be perched on a stone surrounded by rushing water. You can tell it’s a dipper by its distinctive moves and chocolate-brown feathers, with a striking splash of white on its chest. These small groovers hunt for insects underwater, thanks to a transparent eyelid which helps them to see even when submerged.
©Peter Cairns/2020VISION
Red squirrel
You’ll spot them flying from branch to branch in our coniferous woodlands. A flash of red, a bushy tail and distinctive ear tufts tell you you’ve seen one of our rarest native species. Red squirrels are busy this month, building up their fat reserves by feasting on hazelnuts and pinecones. These tough tree-dwellers will see out the winter, living on their food stores and pine seeds.
Make sure to keep an eye out for the next Nature Newsletter, where you’ll find November’s wildlife spots!