Change is coming
Phil Pickin gives some seasonal pointers for the towpath naturalist
ALTHOUGH August is generally regarded as a summer month for many birds and animals, it is the beginning of the season of change. With our seasons shifting due to climate change, these seasonal changes are even more noticeable. It seems every year the leaves on the horse chestnut trees start to turn earlier and earlier.
Sadly by August most of the swifts will have left and with numbers dwindling you can be excused for not having seen any at all this year! Their numbers have declined by something like 51% between 1995 and 2015, according to the BTO. I find this particularly sad as it was the misjudged flightpath of one of a large number of swifts, that used to nest in the eaves of a building close to my home, that sparked a lifelong interest in birds.
One of the screaming, sickle-winged birds hit an obstruction and stunned itself, ending up on the floor. I picked it up and looked after it while it recovered. When it did, it flew off, leaving behind an 11-year-old with an interest in birds that has never left him.
Swallows and house martins will still be around and may even be more noticeable as they gather in flocks before they too embark on their long migration to Africa. Blackcaps also will be leaving although some do stay with us all year round. But while they are heading off our residents like wrens and dunnocks are still busy in the hedgerows. With the shrubs and trees in full leaf, seeing them can prove more of a challenge, but they are there if you keep a lookout and you may also hear them.
One bird you may well hear more of at this time of year is the tawny owl. It’s at this time of year that they begin to establish territories. On warm summer evenings, there is nothing better than hearing the owls calling while watching bats swoop to catch the evening’s flying insects. It is during August that bats begin to pair up while this year’s pups begin feeding for themselves.
The hedgerows, mentioned earlier, will also start to become vital food stores for wildlife as berries begin to appear and ripen. These will become more and more important over the coming months and will attract more and more wildlife. With many canal towpaths having thick and well-established hedgerows, waterways users are ideally placed to enjoy what they attract.
Insects too enjoy this type of habitat, and both moths and butterflies will still be busy feeding. Despite the number of insects generally declining there can still be a diverse range to see, so it might be worth getting hold of an identification book to put names to those you see.
There are, of course, the likes of grey squirrels, foxes and maybe even badgers sharing many parts of the countryside with us. As the length of our days shortens seeing foxes and badgers may be more of a challenge, but with badgers preparing for the next generation, you may see them busily collecting bedding.
With this year’s young birds and animals now becoming independent, there is a lot of wildlife to see when you are out and about. But with the first hints of autumn not too far away maybe it’s an idea to copy the natural world and make the most of what’s on offer and enjoy it.