For the first time in quite a while, I started writing this ‘monthly post’ on the last day of the actual month. For most of 2022, I’ve been lucky to get my posts written by the middle of the next month. Must do better.
The main reason I started writing it on this day is because I felt that it was a good reflection of the month as a whole. You see, on this day, August the 31st, I had one of the most challenging (and frustrating) walks in a while – blocked and obstructed footpaths, scratches on my legs from an over-excited dog, nearly being caught in a cow round-up… So I can’t say it was relaxing. I therefore didn’t enjoy it as much as I could’ve. But it was a useful reminder that these things are sent to test us. And August tested me to the max!
I won’t go into all of the anxiety-inducing detail, but my August required me to draw on a lot of resilience. The end result involved some tears (I’m a crier!) but I sought strength from wildlife when I could. And I paid attention to lots of little things – the birds, for example. Have you noticed that they’ve become louder again after their summer moult? For the first time in ages, I heard chiffchaffs again this month!
So rather than ‘Awful August’ (the initial title of this blog post), I hope that you enjoy reading about some of the highlights within the storm.
Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
Right. I have to start with a laugh. And I have a very close friend to thank. If you haven’t heard of the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, you have got to get involved.
My friend sent me a link to the 2021 finalists for this award at the start of the month. The photographs are incredible. And hilarious.
These photographs were a running theme for me throughout August. I picked out my favourites and shared them with family and friends. As a residential summer school at work loomed, I also introduced these photos to my colleagues. A number of them ended up pinned onto a work whiteboard with various captions. I have no regrets!
Wildlife spots
Although the chiffchaffs came back out to play and I heard robins, great tits, blue tits and blackbirds again, it was still a quiet month for any new bird spots. Autumn will bring the next migration and winter is my best bet now to see a few new ones for 2022.
Instead, moths, butterflies and dragonflies were the stars of August, including:
- Large skipper
- White ermine moth caterpillar
- Rusty tussock moth caterpillar
- Square-spot rustic moth
- Meal moth
- Common darter
I also saw a red fox on my way back from volunteering at the wildlife hospital on the last Sunday of the month. The journey back is through dense countryside so I’m always on the lookout for animals on the road. The fox thankfully made it safely into a nearby field as I drove past.
Butterfly Isles
I started reading a book in July by Patrick Barkham called The Butterfly Isles. I finished it this month and now all I want to do is go out and find butterflies! Barkham’s key goal in the book is to find every single species of British butterfly in one year. That’s 59 species in total.
Reading his story made me realise how few butterflies I’ve seen out of the 59. And it also made me wonder whether that’s just because I’m a bit lazy when it comes to butterfly IDs! They’re a lot smaller than birds and they tend to move more quickly out of sight.
I think it’s already clear that 2022 hasn’t been a great year for butterflies – or wildlife in general – but reading the book encouraged me to reflect. The large and small whites certainly seem to have had good years (at least around the West Midlands) and I can’t believe how many speckled woods I’ve seen this year in woodland, scrub and amongst the hedgerows.
Black-tailed godwits
I couldn’t miss out on a trip to Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve this month and I was lucky enough to spot a couple of black-tailed godwits this time. I saw this bird earlier in the year at Martin Mere Nature Reserve in the north west, but I don’t think they’ve been seen much at my local reserve.
A helpful birder pointed them out to me when I was in the bird hide – I would’ve totally missed them otherwise! Once I’d followed the birder’s instructions and honed my binoculars in on the pair, their fiery summer plumage was plain to see. The orange, tawny and pitch black feathers are woven in such intricate patterns. And their beaks and legs are much longer than you’d expect them to be. They look disproportionately long.
I was so intrigued by their patterns and shapes that the birds inspired a watercolour piece. I had to capture the moment as best I could. I wasn’t able to get a good photo of the pair so this isn’t necessarily a true representation. But the watercolour will always remind me of when I spotted the godwits at Brandon Marsh.
Channeling my inner canal
That subheading doesn’t make sense. Instead, a more accurate – and, I’d argue, less interesting – title would be: channeling my August-2021-self. But let’s go with it!
I completed a walking challenge in August 2021. I was raising money for Parkinson’s UK in memory of my grandad and walked at least 6 miles a day. For some of the time it was even further than that as my partner and I walked from Reading to Bristol on the Kennet & Avon Canal over 9 days in the middle of the month. It was one of the best things I’ve ever done.
So I channeled this towards the end of a trying month and walked along a stretch of the Grand Union Canal between Long Itchington in Warwickshire and Napton Junction where the Grand Union meets the Oxford Canal. The highlight was by a very large marina past a place called Stockton. As I innocently walked across a bridge and blindly stumbled onto a path near some brambles, a flash of bright orange caught my eye on the blackberries. It was a comma butterfly. And then there was another one and another one. All on this one blackberry bush!
I love being by the water. No matter how many times you walk along a stretch of canal, there’s something different. The vegetation, the birds flying over, the sound of the leaves, reeds and grasses. And there’s usually a good place to have lunch too!
I hope you had a good August – here’s my full wild list
Week 31
Mon 1st Aug: Lots of meadow browns on an evening walk near Honington Farm.
Tues 2nd Aug: Saw two green woodpeckers on a morning walk around the meadow. I think at least one of them was a juvenile.
Weds 3rd Aug: Spied on some pigeons that were out on the trellis. One must’ve been an adult and the other a, rather large, juvenile – the ‘adult’ was feeding it!
Thurs 4th Aug: Went to watch the athletics (part of the Commonwealth Games). I was totally mesmerised by the gulls and the pigeons having a whale of a time above the stadium.
Fri 5th Aug: Read about an Australian grasshopper in BBC Wildlife that has cloned itself – for thousands of years, only females of the species have existed…!
Sat 6th Aug: Lovely walk up the Hanson Track. Lots of butterflies and bees (including a large skipper!) Birds were quieter.
Sun 7th Aug: Got a beautiful shot of a common blue butterfly on ragwort and saw a family of kestrels on a walk to Burmington and round.
Week 32
Mon 8th Aug: My friend shared a link to the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards shortlist for 2021. I would strongly recommend checking these photos out – they are hilarious!
Tues 9th Aug: I realised today that the bee hotel at the bottom of the garden might have been used!
Weds 10th Aug: Took a moment to admire a little egret as it flew overhead on a morning walk.
Thurs 11th Aug: I learnt more about hybridisation today – this time, a cross between a grosbeak and a tanager baffled scientists.
Fri 12th Aug: I was treated to some beautiful flowers from my partner today. The sunflowers were particularly delightful.
Sat 13th Aug: Spent some time painting the wonderful Harlech Castle this afternoon. Not strictly ‘wildlife’ but seeing the castle always reminds me of the jackdaws that caw and cackle around the old walls.
Sun 14th Aug: Impromptu 9-mile walk to Idlicote (before the heat set in!) Saw a hare.
Week 33
Mon 15th Aug: Rescued a rusty tussock moth caterpillar at work – didn’t have a clue what the critter was at the time. Had to look it up afterwards!
Tues 16th Aug: Read a chapter of The Butterfly Isles this afternoon – this was about black hairstreak and swallowtail butterflies.
Weds 17th Aug: A colleague shared a photo of a caterpillar with me earlier in the week and I worked out what it was today! It was a sycamore moth caterpillar.
Thurs 18th Aug: Nice late afternoon walk up the Hanson Track. Saw a red admiral butterfly.
Fri 19th Aug: Read up on what’s happening locally with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. I always feel I live in quite a coldspot when it comes to wildlife conservation, but apparently there are some local projects!
Sat 20th Aug: Day trip to Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve and Piles Coppice. Saw herons, little egrets and two black-tailed godwits!
Sun 21st Aug: Started a watercolour of the black-tailed godwits – yesterday’s trip really inspired me!
Week 34
Mon 22nd Aug: Started The Peregrine by J A Baker today. This was a ‘mystery’ book that I received for my birthday in July.
Tues 23rd Aug: Took time out from a busy first day of the summer school at work to admire the purple flowers.
Weds 24th Aug: Focused on some of the little things in the chaos of work: green woodpeckers calling through the trees near the accommodation and bats swirling through the sky at an evening social.
Thurs 25th Aug: Read some of BBC Wildlife Magazine during a break from the summer school. This one was about the Mary Anning Rocks campaign in Lyme Regis. Mary Anning was a pioneering paleontologist.
Fri 26th Aug: Saw a blue tit outside my bedroom window at work when I was totally and utterly exhausted. The little blue bird gave me something to focus on in my haze.
Sat 27th Aug: Read some more of The Peregrine – the detail that Baker captured is just incredible.
Sun 28th Aug: Clifford Chambers walk. This walk went through Atherstone-on-Stour and Preston-on-Stour. Saw lots and lots of buzzards and a green woodpecker. Also heard chiffchaffs and blue tits.
Week 35
Mon 29th Aug: Another walk up the Hanson Track. Saw absolutely loads of speckled wood butterflies and I think there may have been a raven nearby… Difficult to know for sure! Also saw a kestrel.
Tues 30th Aug: Channeled my 2021 self by having an inspiring walk along the Grand Union canal between Long Itchington and the Napton Junction.
Weds 31st Aug: I ended the month with a challenging (and sometimes frustrating!) walk from Little Compton to Chastleton. Highlight was the comma butterflies.
Ramblings of a (very!) amateur artist 
Great post 🙂 x
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