September began on a wet and windy note, before we saw a "plume" from Europe that drove temperatures into the low 20s Celsius, including temperatures holding up at 20C (68F) overnight during the first weekend of the month. Despite some reasonably significant rainfall early on, September was another drier-than-average month, and many of the drought orders and water restrictions remained as we headed into October.
Website news
Not much to report last month as I got caught up with other things. A few minor updates made to the existing articles for the Chinese water deer, red fox, and European badger. The water deer article is almost finalised and the last few sections will be up before the end of the year.
Science and conservation news
Nightbird. When we think about pollution, we often picture sewage floating in our rivers and seas, plastic littering the landscape, or chimney stacks belching out clouds of smoke or vapour. It is easy for us to overlook the bane of astronomers and night sky enthusiasts, the impact of excessive and/or misdirected light: light pollution. So pervasive is light pollution that it seems to be starting to impact some aspects of human behaviour, including our sleep, mood, and even heart health, and we're not alone. The ornithologists among you may already be aware that some birds can now be heard singing during the night in our towns and cities. A recent study tapping into a global dataset of more than 60 million acoustic detectors, representing nearly 600 diurnal bird species, has assessed the impact of light pollution on avian vocalization. The data showed that, on average, birds exposed to light pollution sang for 50 minutes longer than those that weren't. Moreover, species with large eyes, open nests, large ranges, and migratory habits were more susceptible, singing longest. It is unknown what effects this prolonged activity is likely to have, but singing is energetically expensive and the draws attention of predators.
Squirrel success. Historically, the red squirrel appears to have been abundant in Britain but has been in decline across the UK for most of the last century. Habitat change, particularly to make way for farming and housing, persecution as a pest of forestry, and climate change have played a part. However, it is the arrival and spread of an alien species, the Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), introduced from North America in 1876 appears to correspond most closely to the red's decline. There are some parts of Britain that remain "grey free zones", and one such place is the Isle of Wight off the coast of Hampshire in southern England. A recent collaboration between Bournemouth University and The Wight Squirrel Project to look at the genetic diversity of the island's 3,500-or-so reds has generated some encouraging data. We know from previous studies by the university that the island's reds are genetically discrete from those on the continent, and that there are two genetically distinct populations on the island itself, one in the east and one in the west, separated by major roads and large open spaces. This recent study looked at squirrels in the middle of the island and found promising evidence that the two populations were starting to interbreed. Overall, the researchers concluded that the island remains a suitable location to support and promote the red squirrel population in England.
Winged winners and losers. Ordinarily, long, hot, dry springs and summers, such as the one we have just seen here in Britain, are associated with a boom in butterfly numbers, and some sites have certainly seen more this summer than in previous ones. The trend has not persisted for all species, unfortunately. In their summary of 2025's Big Butterfly Count, Butterfly Conservation describe how species such as the small and large whites and the Jersey tiger moth saw record numbers this year, while holly and common blues and the meadow brown had a very poor year. The small tortoiseshell, which had a very low count in 2024, also recorded a below average count this year, Britain's population having decline by 60% since 2011. The Dorset-based conservation charity is calling on industry and government to work together to improve habitat quality, tackle climate change, and reduce the widespread application of pesticides.
Hedgehog hope? Despite repeated claims of how bats and newts have hampered Britain's growth and economy for too long and approval of a second runway at Gatwick airport that flies in the fact of all we understand about climate change, the current Labour government may be forced to make some wildlife-friendly concessions in their new planning bill. A crossbench group of peers in the House of Lords has tabled amendments to the bill that would ensure new buildings have a wildlife-friendly design and architecture. This includes the addition of so-called "hedgehog highways", small holes cut into fences that allow hedgehogs (and other species) to move freely between gardens, bird-safe glass, and bird nesting boxes. These changes will be debated in parliament, but the peers hope that this will go some way to mitigating the damage the next wave of development will have on Britain's already hugely depleted natural history.
Social city saurian. A recent article by the United Nations remarked on how just over half of us (55% of the human population) currently live in urban areas, with this predicted to increase to nearly 70% by 2050. While good fences make good neighbours, as the saying goes, part of being a successful urban species is that we must develop at least some tolerance for the others with whom we share the space. This doesn't only apply to humans, but also to the many species who make a living in our conurbations. Recently, it seems that sociality for city living is even an important driver in reptile evolution. A new analysis by Croatian researchers, published in Biology Letters last month, reports that wall lizards living in cities formed more connections (i.e., engaged in non-aggressive interactions) with neighbouring territory holders, spent more time close to other lizards, and gathered in groups more often than those at rural sites. The researchers suggest that spatial constraints and resource heterogeneity in urban habitats may enhance social tolerance.
For a round-up of Britain's seasonal wildlife highlights for mid-autumn, check out my Wildlife Watching - October blog. October is also the middle of the pannage season, also known as the Common of Mast, where pigs are turned out onto the New Forest to eat the acorns. Learn more about this ancient tradition here.