Wildlife Highlights

Here you can find out about the wildlife you can seen in Wiltshire at the moment. Visit this months featured site to see a wealth of wildlife, take a look at our identification parade to find out a group you are most likely to see, don’t forget to send us in your records!

Parasol mushroom - Macrolepiota procera This large fungus is fairly common and was named Parasol Mushroom as it resembles a lady’s parasol. It can be found on well drained soils, either singly or in groups and fairy rings (these are naturally occurring rings or arcs of mushrooms) mainly in grasslands and pastures and sometimes in woodlands from July to October. Parasol Mushrooms are edible and are quite popular, but many of the fungi in the same family are poisonous and it is hard to tell them apart.

Red Deer - Cervus elaphus Red Deer are the largest British land mammal and are easy to spot in autumn during the rut. The rut occurs from late September to October. Stags return to the hind's home ranges and compete for access to hinds by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance including roaring, parallel walks and fighting. Serious injury and death can result between stags of similar size that can not assess dominance by any of the other means. The dominant stag then ensures exclusive mating with the hinds.

Wasp Spider - Argiope bruennichi The bright colouring of the female Wasp Spider is what gives this species its common name, and also makes it unmistakable. Adults are normally seen from mid-August when they are mature and it is at this time that the large webs of the female are seen; some females are seen until October. Females are approximately 15mm males are just 4mm! It is only the females that are brightly marked black and yellow, they are also covered with short grey silky hairs; the males in comparison are pale brown in colour with dark lateral bands and some silky hairs.

This months must see

Pedunculate Oak - Quercus robur, also known as English Oak, or sometimes the Common Oak, is our largest and most common native deciduous trees that grows up to 40m in height and has been known to live over 1000 years! They are a symbol of great strength and endurance. The clustered acorns and the deeply rounded lobed leaves make the Pedunculate Oak unmistakable. The acorns (the fruit) are out September to October and the acorns are in individual rough cups with up to three together on a long stalk, and are an important source of food for many birds and small mammals, particularly Jays and Grey Squirrels who cache away the acorns for later consumption.

Also out now

September – Moth caterpillars This month we look at moth caterpillars and adults. Closely related to butterflies (both are in the family Lepidoptera), there are thought to be between 150,000 and 250,000 species of moth. Unfortunately there’s not enough room for all these on this page, but here are a few interesting, common ones to look out for. Many of the larvae are active between June and September. 
Find out about the caterpillars that can be seen now with our ID parade

Site Focus

Whilst you are out and about in Wiltshire, explore Langley Wood National Nature Reserve (NNR) which is an extensive tract of ancient, mainly oak, forest. It is 218 hectares in size and contains a variety of native trees including Small-leaved Lime, Sessile and Pedunculate oak and Hazel. The wood stands on acid clays, locally overlain by sands and gravels. The varied soils and drainage have produced a rich and diverse woodland and several species of tree and shrub present in Langley Wood are now rare or extinct in the New Forest. Most notable of these is Small-leaved Lime. September and October are excellent times to visit Langley Wood to see an array of fungi, of which, Dead Man's Fingers are easy to spot. Due to the wet summer this year should be a bumper year for fungi.

Send in records of any sightings

All environmental records are important, from the most common to the rarest, from the flocks of birds in the air to the fish in the river; we would like to hear about what you see in Wiltshire. If you have already sent us records, thank you very much. We are always interested in receiving more. We would rather receive duplicate records than none at all. Don’t forget to send us any records of your sightings, along with any photos or stories