The season has changed so quickly. The severe drought which started in early spring and lasted through the summer has now been followed by an onslaught of torrential rain and thunderstorms. The rain did not come soon enough to save our lawn though which is now a soggy mud pit with grass seeds sprinkled on top in an attempt to revive it.
New species have arrived along with the rising summer temperatures. The Hummingbird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarumis is now a very common visitor in our garden. The first time I saw one was over 20 years ago in Somerset. I’d never seen or heard of one before and believed I was looking at a real Hummingbird. How embarrassing.
The best sighting this month was our first Willow Emerald Damselfly Chalcolestes viridis resting on an Oak in Rushmere Park. This Mediterranean species of Damselfly was first recorded in the UK around East Anglia in 2007 and is now quickly spreading through the country. They lay their eggs on Willow or Elder near water so there is a very good chance that they could be breeding in our wood.
There have been a good number of Crossbills Loxia curvirostra locally too. They are a large finch with, as their name suggests, a crossed-over bill which has evolved to extract seeds from conifer cones. We have regularly seen a flock of 17 feeding in the Scots Pine behind our garden and in Rushmere too.
There have been a good number of Crossbills Loxia curvirostra locally too. They are a large finch with, as their name suggests, a crossed-over bill which has evolved to extract seeds from conifer cones. We have regularly seen a flock of 17 feeding in the Scots Pine behind our garden and in Rushmere too.
Crossbill Loxia curvirosta (photo © Julie Cuthbert)
It has also been a good summer for seeing Hobbies Falco subbuteo over our garden. Hobbies are a large Swift-shaped falcon which feed on Dragonflies and Swallows. We always know when we hear the Swallows alarming that there is a good chance that a Hobby is about. Hobbies are summer visitors so will soon be following the Swallows and Martins on passage back to Africa for the winter.
Julie Cuthbert
September 2025