Click on the link to send in your sightings info@foteb.org.uk to help us monitor Emm Brook wildlife.This type of ‘citizen science’ allows us to get a clearer picture of what is happening along the Emm.

For previous months sightings see Archive

The "Area Seen" refers to the 11 sections that the Brook has been split into for monitoring purposes (see Wildlife page under Monitoring ).

For what you can expect to see on the Emm this month, click here September

All sightings unless stated are from personal observations by Eddie Napper.

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September 2025

What is this life if full of care , we have no time to stand and stare.

 Leisure - W. H. Davies.

Birds

08/09/25 At 03:00 a female Tawny Owl woke me up again calling in Area 4 around my house.In Area 7A a Whinchat and a Stonechat were seen in Ashridge Meadows by Paul O' Neill.

07/09/25 In Area 10 a Yellow Wagtail flew over the Lavells Lake Car Park field calling. Heard and seen by Paul Bright Thomas.

06/09/25 3 Chiffchaff including 1 singing were seen in Area 8 at Old Forest Road Meadows and a female Wheatear was seen on a neighbours roof in Area 7A. Both sightings by Paul O'Neill.

05/09/25 Cormorrant A walk around Heathlake in Area 1 in this morning's sunshine produced 6 Tufted Duck , 4 Egyptian Goose , numerous Canada Goose , Mute Swan , Cormorrant , Black headed Gull , Mallard , Little Egret , Little Egret Great crested Grebe and a Grey Wagtail . In Area 4 at 21:00 a female Tawny Owl was heard calling near my house.

04/09/25 At 20:30 a male Tawny Owl was heard calling in Area 4 around my house.

03/09/25 A group of 6 Raven were seen and heard calling as they flew over my Area 4 garden heading NW.

02/09/25 25+ Swallow were seen over the west side of Black Swan Lake in Area 10 by Fraser Cottington.

01/09/25 In Area 10 a solitary Swallow was seen heading South and at 23:30 a female Tawny Owl was calling in Area 4.

Insects

09/09/25 Copper Underwing The moth-trap, was out again in my Area 4 garden overnight on 08/09/25 and emptied this morning . The catch was 29 moth's of 15 species. Highlight was a Copper Underwing Amphipyra pyramidea and the micro moth Narrow-winged Grey Eudonia angustea . With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 280 species. Eudonia angustea Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

07/09/25 Rush Veneer The moth-trap, was out again in my Area 4 garden overnight on 06/09/25 and emptied this morning , the catch was 29 moth's of 15 species. Highlight was a Rush Veneer Nomophila noctuella . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 278 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. Long winged Conehead Seen and photgraphed in Area 4 by Paul Hopcraft was a Long winged Conehead Conocephalus fuscus and a Hairy shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum . Hairy shieldbug This insect is also known as the Sloe Bug.

06/09/25 Southern Wood Ant In Area 1 at Gorrick Woods are numerous ant hills, these are large nests of soil, twigs, leaves and pine needles. home to the Southern Wood Ant Formica rufa also known as the 'red wood ant' , its an aggressive predator, equipped with large, biting jaws and the ability to spray formic acid in defence.

05/09/25 Aethes smeathmanniana The moth-trap, was out again in my Area 4 garden overnight on 04/09/25 after a few days rain delay and emptied this morning , the weather again affected the catch, which was 30 moth's of 14 species. Highlight was a micro moth Aethes smeathmanniana . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 277 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

02/09/25 Giant House Spider Not an insect but a spider. Spider sightings always peak in the autumn when the males of many species reach adulthood and wander about looking for females often coming into the house. Therefore it was no suprise when a Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica was on my Area 4 kitchen wall. These spider's are one of our fastest invertebrates, running up to half a metre per second.

01/09/25 Nutmeg The moth-trap, was out again in my Area 4 garden overnight on 31/08/25 and emptied this morning , the weather has certainly changed and the catch was just 12 moth's of 7 species. Highlight was a Nutmeg Phlogophora meticulosa . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2025 is now 276 species. Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

Every year the leaves on the trees and hedgerows change colour from green to a yellow/gold before falling , find out why at Why do leaves change colour .

05/09/25 Sweet Chestnut In Area 1 at Gorrick Woods are Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa with its shiny, red-brown fruits wrapped in a green, spiky case.

03/09/25 Providing some colour on an otherwise gloomy afternoon in Area 7A at Ashridge Meadows were the yellow flowers of Greater Birds-foot trefoil Lotus pedunculatus Common Fleabane and the daisy like flowers of Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica . Both species adding a touch of sun to the end of the flowering season.

Fungi/ Lichen

Reptiles

Fish

Mammals

09/09/25 In Area 10 a female Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus was on the bund at Lavells Lake.s Bittern Hide. Seen and photographed by Richard Sajdak.

05/09/25 In Area 10 at lunchtime a Muntjac Deer Muntiacus reevesi was seen running across a path. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get a photo.

Molluscs