DAVID'S NATURE BLOG

7 SEPTEMBER 2025 – SOUTHERN COUNTRY PARK

I hadn’t been out all week (except for health-related appointments) and although I’d enjoyed a bit of photography in the garden the previous day ( photographing both Hummingbird Hawkmoth and Hornet Hoverfly) I was hoping the warm spell of weather might be good for dragonflies and butterflies; so, I decided on a visit to Southern Country Park, NW Bishop’s Stortford.

Passing through Thorley Wedge on the way, I stopped to photograph a lovely bright Comma Butterfly and a rather tatty Common Blue, arriving at the northern entrance to the park shortly after 11.00 a.m. Immediately, I saw another male Common Blue, then a superb Ruddy Darter that literally posed for my camera. A Willow Emerald Damselfly (recently renamed Western Spreadwing) unexpectedly flew in, alighting on the branch of a Lime tree, a mere few feet away though at slightly more than head-level to me. But it was very difficult to get as close as I’d have liked, and anyway for some reason the sunlight was exceptionally bright - giving a rather over-exposed reading through the lens (which I knew meant that I would need to take that into account when processing the image in my software at home). This species had enjoyed good breeding levels in recent years, but in fact I wasn’t destined to find any more today, which was rather disappointing.

A couple of buzzing Migrant Hawkers along the treeline, made me feel as if today’s tally of dragonfly species thus far might eventually be quite good, but in fact I only managed to add just one other species to the list - a Common Darter; although to be fair not many species are still on the wing at this time of year, so I couldn’t have expected many more realistically.

The same could be said for butterflies, as throughout the day I only recorded seven species - both Large and Small White (in reasonable numbers); a Comma; a single Red Admiral; two Small Coppers (both males); a couple of Speckled Woods, and a simply huge number of Common Blues - at least 32 males and 3 females - without doubt the largest number I’ve ever recorded locally. But apart from the rather ragged male seen at Thorley Wedge, I only managed to get just one other (a male) to keep still long enough to photograph.

Another species I hoped to add was a Small Heath, and I was beginning to think that none were going to show, when at the last moment one flew passed me, landing on the ground in front of me and allowing a photograph (for record purposes only). The species is just about holding on in the park, but so far this year I’d not connected with any at all locally, so this sighting was welcome indeed.

Chickory was evident all over the park - a very attractive wildflower; as is Viburnum, with large leaves and masses of bright red berries - although only evident in the Wedge area near the lake. It was noticeable that most berry trees and shrubs were already well in advance with regard to their fruits - a consequence of the long, hot and very dry summer- so autumn fruits are likely not going to be so available to birds and insects this year. Nature certainly moves in strange circles.

I have to say that birdlife wasn’t in any sense prolific or anything remotely close - the only species seen were Woodpigeon; Carrion Crow; Jackdaw; Rook; Magpie; Mallard; Moorhen; Blue Tit; Swallow and a probable House Martin. A Red Kite was seen briefly (indeed, I’ve never recorded the species anywhere locally in September) but it was no more than a fleeting glimpse really.