A wet day on the downs

This is a good time to carry out necessary pond clearance before the frogs and toads begin to hibernate. It is always a good idea to clear only a third of the pond (including the pond edge) in a year but when more drastic clearance has to be carried out then always leave twenty percent of the vegetation on the pond edge. By retaining enough vegetation it will ensure enough habitat for amphibians and wintering dragonfly larvae to survive. It is also a good time to clear ditches but again it is good practice if only one side is cleared in a year to give the plants and animals a chance. It is also better not to dump the ditch waste on unimproved vegetation next to the ditch. This ensures that rarities within the long established plants along the side of the ditch are not damaged.

Wall Butterfly (Parage megera)

There are still a few butterflies to be seen taking advantage of the warm weather on the flowers. One that you might see hanging on is the Wall (Parage megera). This particular species loves to bask in the heat of the sun and hangs around sunny walls especially, hence its name. This species is fairly common and it used to have two broods a year but it is now having a third more commonly with the warmer autumns we are having.

Russian Vine (Fallopia baldschuanica)

A source of nectar for insects that can be found at this time of year is from the flowers of Russian Vine (Fallopia baldschuanica). It originates from Central Asia. The flowers are white and small and can be found sprawled over hedges. It can take over wide areas of hedgerow. Once established it can grow prolifically hence it goes by the other name of "Mile a minute". It was first introduced to this country in 1894 as a garden plant and by 1936, it was being recorded as a garden escape.

Michaelmas Daisy (Aster species)

The Michaelmas Daisy (Aster species) is one of the most noticeable flowers to be seen this month along our road-verges and waste ground. There are a number of hybrids and they originated from North America. They mark the year's last show of wildflower colour and are associated with Michaelmas Day. The Michaelmas Daisy has been grown in Britain since 1710 and the hybrids are very difficult to separate from each other. They have successfully naturalised across this country and most of Europe. Another flower still to be found at this time of year is the Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acer).

Blue Fleabane (Erigeron acer)

It is a similar looking plant but much smaller and can be found again on road verges especially on chalk or sand. It seems to like well-drained soil on south-facing slopes. This flower is a native and has a stronger mauve colour rather than its name suggests. As the flowers mature they turn white and form parachutes to aid the seed's dispersal. Because of the flowers, habit of turning white very early, it derives its name Erigeron from the Greek words eri "early" and geron "old" and together means "grows old early". This plant, as with the Common Fleabane, has been burnt in the past to smoke out fleas.

Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)

One plant that has already flowered but produces an impressive black berry and is commonly found on the Downs is Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna). This is one of the most poisonous plants to be found in the countryside. Any part of this plant is very poisonous because of the deadly chemicals it possesses. Because of its reputation, it has long been associated with witchcraft, witches potions and Halloween. Its Italian name Bella donna means "beautiful woman", which derives from its old use which was to dilate the pupils in a woman's eyes thus giving the woman a seductive appearance. It was also thought to mean a beautiful lady with the kiss of death. Other names given to this plant were "Devil's Berries", "Satan's Cherries" and "Devil's Rhubarb".

Common Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)

As the nights are drawing in and becoming colder a number of mammals will be looking for somewhere to hibernate. One such mammal is the Common Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus). The common Pipistrelle is the smallest of this country's seventeen bat species. Common Pipistrelles live in large colonies and have taken to using modern houses for roosts. This species of bat is in decline in Europe but seems to be doing better over here. In general, bats are the only warm bloodied creatures, apart from birds, that have evolved to fly. There are around 1000 species of bat to be found in the world and that is around a quarter of all the mammal species there are to be found on the planet. They are often described as furry mice with wings like the German name, "Fleder mouse" meaning flying mouse. This name is very misleading in that the bat is not related to the rodent family and if any thing is more closely related to us than any other animal. There are many strange associations with bats like if a bat hits a building it is a sign of rain, while bats flying around at twilight before their normal time of emergence means good weather is on its way. Some superstitions maintain that the bat is the luckiest of all the animals to see and it is good luck to make a wish when you see one.

Have a good Halloween and don't forget the clocks change at the end of the month too! Talk to you next month.