August is the last month of summer and is of course the summer holidays. This gives you time to look at the abundant nature around you!
Even though it is still summer, you may notice that some trees are starting to change colour. Some trees such as sycamore and field maple will start to drop their seed. These two species from the maple family have winged seed that is carried by the wind so that the tree can disperse the seed farther away from the adult tree and has more chance of growing and becoming new saplings. If you throw the winged seed up in the air you will see it acts rather like a helicopter and can move quite a distance if there is a strong wind. This is one method plants use to spread their seed.
Some trees such as elderberry, blackthorn, hawthorn and wild dog rose have berries now. Of course, probably the favourite of everyone is blackberry which is ripening now and gives us 'free food'.
Of course, most flowers in fields and meadows are past their best as far as colour goes but they are seeding so that there will be a lovely array of colour next year. There are still some plants that have flowers on them and these attract butterflies such as meadow brown, large whites, small skippers and many more of our well known favourites such as peacock and red admiral.
Other insects that you often hear in the long grass but are difficult to see are grasshoppers. The most common grasshoppers in the UK are common green, common field and meadow grasshoppers. These are camouflaged by being green or brown and merge into their backgrounds.
You may notice that especially on hot, dry days that there are swarms of flying ants. These are the female black ants that have temporary wings which after a short flight they bite off again. They fly around looking for new places to colonise.
While the ants are flying around you may notice that the swallows and house martins are flying around enjoying catching and eating them. It really is a feast time for them! Sometimes in August large flocks of swallows and house martins are lined up on telephone wires preening themselves. This is because at this time of year they are moulting, gradually replacing their old feathers with new ones. Young house martins are emerging from their nests but may return if the weather gets bad. Most swifts have left for their return journey to Africa for the winter.
It is not only house martins that still have their young around. Wood pigeons may still be sitting on a second brood of eggs and starlings and jackdaws may still be feeding their young in the nest.
The ripening wheat and barley attracts large flocks of house sparrows that feed on the seeds.
Wading birds such as knot, bar-tailed godwit and plover are returning to river estuaries after breeding on wetlands, higher ground or farther north in the UK. They will now remain here until the winter is over.
If the weather is nice you may visit the seaside. If there are any rock pools, have a look and see what is living in there. The rock pools are filled with water when the tide goes out and many creatures get stranded in these amazing little habitats. You may see shrimps, snails, crabs, sea anemone and even goby fish. The most common shell you see stuck to the rock is the limpet. These hold on tight and are sealed to the surface of the rock so that when the tide goes out and they are exposed to the air, they don't dry out. They wait until the tide covers them again and then they go off to feed on algae amazingly enough returning to the same spot as they have left, resealing themselves on the same rock until they go off to feed again. Science has not really yet discovered how they know where to return to and it is still a mystery of nature.
Please remember that if you go rock pooling and put live animals into a bucket to return them to the same rock pool before you leave the beach.
Even though it is still summer, you may notice that some trees are starting to change colour. Some trees such as sycamore and field maple will start to drop their seed. These two species from the maple family have winged seed that is carried by the wind so that the tree can disperse the seed farther away from the adult tree and has more chance of growing and becoming new saplings. If you throw the winged seed up in the air you will see it acts rather like a helicopter and can move quite a distance if there is a strong wind. This is one method plants use to spread their seed.
Some trees such as elderberry, blackthorn, hawthorn and wild dog rose have berries now. Of course, probably the favourite of everyone is blackberry which is ripening now and gives us 'free food'.
Of course, most flowers in fields and meadows are past their best as far as colour goes but they are seeding so that there will be a lovely array of colour next year. There are still some plants that have flowers on them and these attract butterflies such as meadow brown, large whites, small skippers and many more of our well known favourites such as peacock and red admiral.
Other insects that you often hear in the long grass but are difficult to see are grasshoppers. The most common grasshoppers in the UK are common green, common field and meadow grasshoppers. These are camouflaged by being green or brown and merge into their backgrounds.
You may notice that especially on hot, dry days that there are swarms of flying ants. These are the female black ants that have temporary wings which after a short flight they bite off again. They fly around looking for new places to colonise.
While the ants are flying around you may notice that the swallows and house martins are flying around enjoying catching and eating them. It really is a feast time for them! Sometimes in August large flocks of swallows and house martins are lined up on telephone wires preening themselves. This is because at this time of year they are moulting, gradually replacing their old feathers with new ones. Young house martins are emerging from their nests but may return if the weather gets bad. Most swifts have left for their return journey to Africa for the winter.
It is not only house martins that still have their young around. Wood pigeons may still be sitting on a second brood of eggs and starlings and jackdaws may still be feeding their young in the nest.
The ripening wheat and barley attracts large flocks of house sparrows that feed on the seeds.
Wading birds such as knot, bar-tailed godwit and plover are returning to river estuaries after breeding on wetlands, higher ground or farther north in the UK. They will now remain here until the winter is over.
If the weather is nice you may visit the seaside. If there are any rock pools, have a look and see what is living in there. The rock pools are filled with water when the tide goes out and many creatures get stranded in these amazing little habitats. You may see shrimps, snails, crabs, sea anemone and even goby fish. The most common shell you see stuck to the rock is the limpet. These hold on tight and are sealed to the surface of the rock so that when the tide goes out and they are exposed to the air, they don't dry out. They wait until the tide covers them again and then they go off to feed on algae amazingly enough returning to the same spot as they have left, resealing themselves on the same rock until they go off to feed again. Science has not really yet discovered how they know where to return to and it is still a mystery of nature.
Please remember that if you go rock pooling and put live animals into a bucket to return them to the same rock pool before you leave the beach.