Nature Report for Autumn 2025

The following information has kindly been provided to the Parish Council from local resident Mr L Seymour:-

It's been a pretty good year around the parish for nature spotting (although this year has been more like it should be in terms of numbers and variety of life. It's more a highlight of how poor some of the more recent years have been across the UK and the impact poor weather and loss of habitat has had). 

It is looking like this will be a 'mast' year over the autumn, with lots of berries, seeds, nuts and cones on our trees and in our hedgerows. One to bear in mind later in the year where nature may need a helping hand with such early signs (e.g overwintering birds may need that little bit extra on winter tables). 

Birds: Lots of activity with kestrels and buzzards again over the adjoining farmland. The swifts/ martins that we've had will soon be leaving, as will other migrants.

There have been multiple hatches this year too, with such a warm early spring and sustained warmth (I know for me personally it meant holding off hedge cutting until much later this year as there were early and late dunnock nesting). 

Mammals: Rabbit and deer as usual, but also seen shrew and bank voles this summer. 

Others of notes: Butterfly count was a good one for me this year, with my most common spot being the Peacock. However also noted red admiral, green veined white, small white, large white, ringlet and speckled wood. Similarly, spotted lots of hoverfly, bees and dragon/damsel fly. 

Common toads have been pretty plentiful in our wooded areas, as have bats. 

Hedgehog will be very active at this time of year, as they flatten up before winter (one to certainly bear in mind when checking garden edges before strimming etc.). 

Rivers... I continue to undertake river fly monitoring in the Calder as a volunteer for Ribble Rivers Trust. My results have been good in terms of the presence of the 8 indicator species. Although a bit sad to say that litter continues to be more and more present in and around the waters edge (which I look to 'pick' when there).