What to watch out for in September
Insects are flocking to late-summer flowers. Look out for red admiral, small tortoiseshell and comma butterflies feasting on nectar before hibernating or flying back to continental Europe. Spot clouds of hoverflies and the odd, scruffy, common carder bumblebee, worn and faded from a summer of visiting flowers in sunshine. Now’s the time for fattening up and knuckling down. Many queen bumblebees are already hibernating. Frogs, toads and newts will have found shelter in compost heaps, log piles or at the bottom of ponds. If you stopped feeding hedgehogs in summer, then start feeding them again this month. Look out, too, for any ‘autumn orphans’ that are too small to hibernate � call your local hedgehog rescue if you see one. Words by Kate Bradbury
Pipistrelle bats are still on the wing until temperatures dip towards the end of next month. Our most common bat, the common pipistrelle, measures up to 4.5cm in length, with a wingspan of up to 23cm, and has dark, chestnutbrown fur. You’re unlikely to see one close up, however, but it’s possible to identify this creature by its jerky, rapid flight as it catches flying insects – including mosquitoes and midges. Look out for them flying around tree tops half an hour after sunset. You may be lucky enough to spot one feeding above your pond. Males and females are still mating this month. During this time, the males defend a territory, and call to females to encourage them to mate with them. Mated females then spend winter pregnant ( usually in torpor), and won’t give birth until next summer, when they set up maternity roosts and give birth to one offspring each. They feed milk to their young for up to four weeks, which are able to forage for themselves after six weeks.
Also be on the lookout for… Ivy bees nesting in clusters in lawns and borders. They typically feed on ivy flowers. Toads returning to overwintering sites. They will remain there until it’s time to breed again in spring. Seven-spot ladybirds congregating in seed heads. Leave these in situ. However, the harlequin ladybird is known for hibernating in large groups in houses – they’re easily moved by gently tipping them into a shoe box and transporting them to your shed.