There were lots of bats flying around our buddleia when it was in bloom, feasting on the nocturnal pollinators. The bats were not registering on Rob’s bat detector which made us think they might be Brown Long-eared bats (Plecotus auritus), as they use very quiet echolocation calls, earning them the name “whispering bats.” These faint sounds fade fast and do not trigger standard bat detectors unless the bat flies within a few meters.

One evening, Rob was determined to capture some real evidence and snapped away every time the mystery bat came close until he eventually caught this image, which I love, as Long-eared bats are my absolute favourite British bat.

On another occasion, Rob phoned me from a morning dog walk to tell me know there were two young Tawny Owls (Strix aluco) in Rushmere by the Black Pond. I raced to where Rob was and luckily got there in time to see them peering down comically. Here is one of the duo.

Our pond is a trial to keep topped up in this drought but is full of wildlife including bathing birds, baby newts, dragonfly larvae and a mole (Talpa europaea). We very much enjoy seeing mole-hills on our lawn and around the borders and are happy to collect the kicked-up soil and re-use it. Moles are essential for the environment for many reasons, including adding drainage, mixing and blending organic matter, aerating the substrates to help plants receive oxygen and eating the grubs that munch on roots. We hadn’t seen any mole activity for a while until several hills appeared at once around our pond. My research as to why this happened suggested that in normal weather conditions moles receive all the moisture they need from grubs and worms but, in severe heat waves, earth worms dig deep, making them too difficult for the moles to reach. So maybe our mole popped up for a drink and to hunt in the dampness around the pond’s edge.

Please check out my website https://juliecuthbertartist.wordpress.com for more wildlife accounts and to view my artwork

Julie Cuthbert
August 2026