Conkers

Originally native to the mountains of northern Greece and Albania, the horse chestnut tree was introduced to the UK in the late 16^th or early 17^th Century, and has since become naturalised.

Conkers have been used as medicine for horses, as shampoo, and the Victorians used to make flour from them; given they are poisonous, it's not a recommended recipe. They are also poisonous to horses - despite the name - and many other native British animals, so playing conkers is probably one of the best uses they can be put to!

Ivy bees

These small bees were first recorded in the UK in 2001, but have been spreading north and are now found across our area. They feed mainly on the nectar of ivy when it flowers from September onwards.  Look out for ivy bees entering their tunnels in sandy banks or loose soil at our Dry Sandford Pit nature reserve near Abingdon.

Speckled bush-cricket

The speckled bush-cricket is covered in tiny, black speckles and can be seen perching on bushes. But you may have guessed that! 

It prefers rough vegetation, scrub and hedgerows, and you may also spot it in your garden. Most active at dusk and during the night, males call to attract females by rubbing their wings together, but their 'song' (a high-pitched 'chirp') is barely audible to human ears. 

The females lay their eggs in late summer in the bark of a tree or a plant stem; here, they overwinter, ready to emerge next spring.

What's the difference between grasshoppers and crickets?

Jays

Although they are here all year, jays spend most of the time hidden away in woodland. But in the autumn you can see them gathering and storing acorns to eat during the winter – they will cache up to 3,000 a month! Look out for them burying acorns on lawns. Listen out too, they make a loud screeching call, which is generally heard more often than jays are seen.

Did you know their scientific name, Garrulus glandarius, translates roughly as ‘chattering acorn gatherer’?

Spiders in the bath

Like it or not, this is spider-mating season, which is why we start to see so many of them in our houses. Most of the spiders you’ll see will be male house spiders, following the scent trails of breeding females. They tend to follow the same route each night, and tire easily. If you notice a spider stop in its tracks, it’s not because it’s noticed you – it’s catching its breath!

You may also discover one waiting in the bath as you go for your morning wash. Though it looks as if it emerged from the drain, it will actually have fallen in, and the smooth edge of the bathtub makes it impossible to climb back out. So they will need a helping hand!

Autumn lady's-tresses

From late summer to the end of September, when conditions are right, you may see thousands of autumn lady’s-tresses in the grassland at Greenham Common.

This delicate plant is a late-summer flowering orchid with white, bell-shaped flowers arranged in a single spiral around the stem. The plants growing at Greenham Common may form the largest population on a single site in southern Britain.

The best spot to see these beautiful, snow-white flowers twirling around soft, grey stems is on the short turf 100 metres east of the Control Tower car park. From late afternoon the tiny flowers waft a soft, coconut fragrance. Tread carefully or you’ll squash them! 

Bats mating

While many mammals start mating when the weather warms up in spring, the creatures of the night start getting amorous now as summer ends. Male bats of most species will be chasing females over the next month using a host of special calls including purrs, clicks and buzzing. 

Our woodland reserves such as Warburg Nature Reserve near Henley and Bowdown Woods in Berkshire have many species of bat, but you can also just go outside and look up on a warm September evening in almost any part of the country for a good chance to see bats flying.

If you want to learn more about these amazing nocturnal creatures, join our Bats for Beginners session at Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre on 9 September for a practical workshop.

Bats for Beginners | 9 September

Hobbies

Dragonflies remain on the wing in late summer, and so too do their nemeses. One step up the food chain and with similar aerial acrobatic skills, hobbies catch – and often eat – prey such as dragonflies while flying. They will even catch small birds to eat. They spend the summer in Britain before heading back to warmer, southern countries for the winter.

Look out for them flying over heathland, wetlands and along woodland edges where there is plenty of food for them to catch. College Lake near Tring and Hosehill Lake near Theale are good local hotspots.

Robin's pincushions

Take a walk around any of our reserves this month and you might spot balls of spiky pink tentacles erupting out of a hedgerow: robin’s pincushion galls. These alien growths are created when tiny gall wasps inject their eggs into wild roses, creating an impenetrable nest where the larvae can grow safely.

Find out more about the weird and wonderful world of gall wasps

Giant puffballs

The peak of fungi season is nearly upon us, but there's no need to wait - giant puffballs can already be found. They love nutrient-rich soil, so look out for them next to stinging nettles. Typically the size of a football, there's a report from 1877 of a giant puffball that measured 1.63m long, 1.37m wide and 0.24m tall!

When young they are pure white, but as they mature they turn brown and eventually crack open to release their spores.

Join our events over Autumn to deeper dive into the world of fungi!

Fungi and flowers at Aston Clinton Ragpits, 27 September

Fungi walk and talk at Woolley Firs, 17 October

Fungus foray at Bowdown Woods, 25 October

Fungi identification course at Woolley Firs, 7 November

Lucky enough to have a garden? Here’s what you could do for wildlife this month.