After such a wet summer September has been much drier and warmer, resulting in an enormous growth in vegetation and many wild flowers producing a second flowering. In our wild garden there are even several primroses in flower. Hedgerows, grasslands and trees are all looking very green and have put on a lot of growth. The month the last of the butterfly transects and moth trappings are being done. In Horndean there seem to be less moths than usual and very small numbers of Peacocks, Tortoiseshells and Painted Lady butterflies but an increase in the number of Silver-washed Fritillaries. Most of the butterflies and moths seem well-worn.

The pictures for September show

(1) A Wasp spider Argiope bruennichi at DPW on 5.9.07, very few seen in the last 2 years. (2) Some of the English Longhorn yearlings on Catherington Down (taking a break !). Much more detail on Horndean's grazing animals will be found in the Summer 2007 edition of the Horndean Parish magazine. They are all very friendly, especially the four on Hazleton Common. (3) A Dor beetle Geotrupes stercorarius spotted by some young volunteers at Heydon Woods in Clanfield on 15.9.07. A good year for beetles, more on the beetle page and (4) Artichoke Gall Andricus fecundator on an oak at DPW, seen on 5.9.07. Many more other wasp galls can be seen on the Biodiversity page/Bees and Wasps where there is a section on galls soon to be updated.

(5) A lone Roe Deer grazing in the autumn sun at a large field in Blendworth where the hay has allready been baled and removed and green grass and flowers have already returned. (6) This is one of the rare Sorbus sp. in Yoell's Copse which figures in a survey of the trees in the copse to be completed this month. Any tree lover with a few hours to spare would be welcome to help with this survey, please phone JV on 92592647. (7) Autumn berries are to be seen everywhere a good berry and acorn year. Here black bryony berries are twining up a young hedgerow ash in Blendworth on 16.9.07 and finally (8) my picture of the month, a beautifully marked adder basking in the September sun on a path on Hazleton Common on 17.9.07.

We have been blessed with fine weather for late September. The local wildlife has been making the best of it and here are some recent pictures all taken in the last two weeks of September. (9) One of the commonest moths around this month has been the Garden Carpet Xanthorhoe fluctuata which appears to find our wall just right for camouflage, 14.9.07 (10) This Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina, larval stage was seen amongst the nettles in Parsonage field, Catherington on 21.9.07. (11) A brightly coloured Southern darter dragonfly basking in the autumn sun at Dell Piece West on 22.9.07 (12) One of the commonest insects this month has been the Crane fly Tipula paludosaseen on 22.9.07 all over the fields in Blendworth. Note the bright red legs ! (13) Unlucky for this pigeon, this sparrow hawk was having its dinner on our lawn late afternoon on 25.9.07 (14) A bright Comma butterfly, seen with numerous Red Admirals in a Blendworth field on 26.9.07. (15) A good year for blackberries seen here with Ivy about to come into bloom and provide late food for bees and butterflies, and finally (16) This wonderful picture was sent to me by Alan Curtis of two young Roe deer grazing in his back garden near Dell Piece West where they are occasionally seen and appear to have been in residence since the winter. This is another eample of how our gardens are so important for wildlife. Sadly a declining habitat. many more recent wildlife pictures will be placed on the appropriate web pages and can also been seen at the next South Down Group meeting on Wednesday 17th October - look forward to seeing you there.

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