The farmers will soon be working hard bringing in their crops of wheat, oats and vegetables such as potatoes. Already fields have been ploughed and harrowed or disked. It is good for conservation when the farmer cuts their crop and leaves some of the headland edges to give the insects nectar from some of the arable flowers to feed on. Headlands also act as cover for small rodents and small birds from predators like foxes and hawks. Also the longer the farmer can leave stubble in the fields the better it is for the smaller creatures to find a food source in the form of cereal seeds. In the wetter areas, that have herb-rich grassland, it is good to graze at this time of year to help remove the coarse growth and give the finer-leaved plant species a better chance to grow next spring.

A plant to look out for this month is the pink-flowered Common Centuary (Centaurium erythraea). It can be found in a number of habitats including dry grassland and woodland edges but it especially likes sandy grassland and chalk downland. The plant can be very variable in shape and size. It has long been sought-after as a remedy for wounds and various diseases and it has even been reputed to remove freckles. It was named after the centaur named Chiron who in mythology was half man and half horse. “Chiron” knew all about herbalism. One day he was attacked by Hydra, the nine-headed serpent, and bitten and he thought he would surely die. However, remembering all he had been taught he used this pink flower to treat his wounds and survived to live another day.

Another plant to look out for is Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata). It can be found in the same habitats as the Centuary, especially on the chalk downs. It is an unusual plant in that the stem leaves are parallel up the stem and fused together giving the appearance that the main stem has pierced its way through them. This characteristic is referred to in its scientific name “perfoliata”, which means through the leaves. The other part of its scientific name “Blackstonia” derives from a botanist John Blackstone who used it for its medicinal properties, which was supposed to help alleviate bad tempers and nervous disorders.

There are many species of thistle to be seen now but one that is often over-looked is the Slender Thistle (Carduus tenuiflorus). It is mainly found along the British coastline on sea cliffs like at Seven Sisters. It has purple flowers and slender stems and grows up to a metre high. Occasionally it has been found growing inland along motorways. The combined fast wind action of motor vehicles and the salt on the roads in the winter allow for this migration of a species that would normally be confined to the coast.

Another flower to look out for is Common Restharrow (Ononis repens). This pink-flowered plant has long been associated with annoying many a farmer who tried to plough their fields by horse. They would find themselves grinding to a halt as the plough became tangled up with the matted stems of this plant. The harrow was the implement that became stuck the most, so this flower soon became known as “Restharrow” and the name has stuck ever since. Farmers also disliked it being where cattle grazed because it causes their milk to taste unpleasant. Obviously, with the introduction of the many horse-powered tractors, this plant could not hold up the ploughing and so today, it is only found on the edges of fields and areas where the modern day plough has not been.

One of the colourful day-flying moths to look out for is the Six-spotted Burnet moth (Zygaeria filipendilae). It is the commonest of the seven species of Burnet moth found in this Country. They sometimes appear black with red spots, but if you look closer, you will see that in the correct light they can appear bronze-green. The bright colours warn off predators, as they are poisonous to eat. The poison comes from vetches and trefoils that are processed into hydrogen cyanide “prussic acid” when eaten as a caterpillar.

Another majestic insect to look out for this month is the Marbled White butterfly (Agapetes galathea). It is found in areas of grassland again especially on chalk downland. The butterfly has mottled black and white patterning. The caterpillars feed on many species of grass, however they especially like to feed on Sheep’s-fescue and Cock’s-foot grasses.