This is the month when we finally say goodbye to the swallows and house martins that have been with us in the village since April. These tiny creatures arrive almost as the sign of spring these days, following the demise of the legendary cuckoo. I’ve only had one local report this year, when a cuckoo was heard near Haslin Crecent. Both swallows and martins gathered on telegraph posts much earlier than usual, but good numbers of martins could still be seen at the beginning of October. A single swallow was seen feeding at the Pit, also in October. A heron and cormorant are regular visitors to the Pit indicating that there are plenty of small fish available to feed from. Local birdwatchers have been thrilled to see at least thirteen magnificent spoonbills at Burton Meres RSPB Reserve during the late summer. They have large spoon like bills making them easy to identify, although they can often be seen alongside little egrets which are also white in colour, but are slightly smaller, and have a much narrower pointed, dagger like bill.

A single male teal is one of the first autumn migrants to arrive at Hockenhull Platts, but a passing red kite was also seen there, hovering only just above tree top height in early September. This makes five sightings this year for this elegant bird of prey. The barn owlets have now been ringed and there have been 4 individuals from three boxes, an average year. Our family of swans on the canal are now breaking up, with the four surviving cygnets being encouraged to fly. One early attempt at take off from the canal at Waverton resulted in a cygnet crash landing on the road at Egg Bridge. It was rescued by local people and taken off to Stapeley Grange RSPB Centre for examination. When it recovers, it will be returned to the canal in this area. There are now only two breeding pairs of swans in the Chester area, and we have one of them.

Late butterflies seen in the village, have included a bright yellow male brimstone, which came close to sitting on a wheel barrow being used by a working party of the Pit Group. Newly emerged comma’s and red admiral’s have been a welcome sight, after such a dismal summer for butterflies everywhere. I’m also delighted to report that there have been at least six sightings of hedgehogs in the village, and at Rowton, a good indication that perhaps we have turned the corner and a few more are breeding and surviving locally. Several badgers have been found dead in our lanes, and I spotted a newly dug toilet pit with fresh droppings along the canal side at Rowton a few days ago. There are also some very active moles about, at least one digging its way down from the canal towpath to garden level with about eight foot difference in height, even negotiating under an ancient hawthorn hedgerow and strong garden wall. The pair of otters that have been seen regularly for the last three years have been absent from the Hockenhull Platts Reserve holt since March, but reports suggest that they have taken up residence further upstream on the Gowy nearer to Walk Mill. There have been even fewer sightings of water voles this year in the same area which is very disturbing.