s foteb.org.uk | Friends of the Emm Brook

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 October

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

Click on any picture to see a larger image

October 2026

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

 Leisure - W. H. Davies.

Birds

28/10/26 In Area 4 at 07:30 a Ring necked Parakeet was heard calling as it flew over my Area 4 garden.

27/10/26 Back again at Skinner Drive Balancing Pond in Area 7A, Paul O'Neill saw a male and female Stonechat , a male Merlin it flew in front of the trees alongside Ashridge Stream at a height of about 1m before turning through a gap in the trees into the field behind and a group of 8 Linnet .

25/10/26 2 Mute Swan were again seen at Skinner Drive Balancing Pond in Area 7A. Also seen were Kingfisher , a female Kestrel , a male and female Stonechat , 2 Meadow Pipit and a fly over Chaffinch. . All sightings by Paul O'Neill.

23/10/26 In Area 10 at Black Swan Lake a Common Gull on a bouy near the left jetty near Dinton Activity Centre, seen by Philip Giles.

22/10/26 Soaring over the Area 10 Car park field and woods were 2 Common Buzzard enjoying the thermals.

21/10/26 2 Mute Swan were at Skinner Drive Balancing Pond in Area 7A. After being absent for a few days, the single swan has returned (assume it's the same individual) with another. Seen by Paul O'Neill.

18/10/26 Autumn migration is well underway across Area 4. Paul Bright-Thomas had his eyes to the skies and saw 536 Wood Pigeon heading South, in flocks of up to 90 (from 07:30), 7 Stock Dove ,192 Redwing heading West, 30 Chaffinch in all directions and a Chiffchaff calling near the Emm Brook.

16/10/26 A Kestrel was seen in the Area 10 Car Park field by Fraser Cottington.

15/10/26 In Area 4 a Male and Female Mandarin Duck the pair flew low towards Kingfisher bridge and a flock of 13 Mallard were seen by Paul Bright-Thomas.

14/10/26 In Area 10 a Common Gull was seen off the Activity Centre beach by Peter Scuadamore.

13/10/26 Seen in Area 7A by Paul O'Neill at Skinner Drive Balancing Pond were a Mute Swan , 5 Chiffchaff and 3 Stonechat an adult male, adult female, and a 1st Winter.

11/10/26 This morning I was woken at 0:200 by a calling female Tawny Owl calling from trees around my Area 4 house . In Area 5 a Sparrowhawk landed momentarily on an oak tree in the back garden. of Brookside also a Red kite had his breakfast on the same tree earlier as he does most mornings. Sighting by Fran Stickler

10/10/26 At Skinner Drive Balancing Pond in Area 7A a male Stonechat and 3 female, were seen by Paul O'Neill.

08/10/26 Seen by Paul Bright-Thomas in Area 4 were 4 Redwing , low W . A solitary Brambling and 2 Song Thrush low over, circling.

07/10/26 3 Greylag Goose flew low SW towards Morrisons (and the sunset) in Area 4.Seen by Paul Bright-Thomas.

06/10/26 Ring-necked Parakeet were seen and heard in Area 1 near Gorrick Woods. In Area 7A there were 5 Common Buzzard riding the thermals above Matthews Green.

05/10/26 Over Paul Bright- Thomas's garden in Area 4 were 35 Chaffinch . Definitely on the move, two groups of 10. Some heard high up, but the majority actually quite low, and stopping in gardens and on trees.

03/10/26 Grey Wagtail On the beach at Dinton Activity Centre in Area 10 were 2 Grey Wagtail seen by Philip Giles .During the litter pick in Area 5 a Kingfisher was seen flying under Dragonfly Bridge.

01/10/26 Calling from bushes near Morrisons car park in Area 5 was a male Chiffchaff .

Insects

28/10/26 November Moth agg More in hope than anything else the moth trap was out overnight on 27/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 3 moth's of 2 species. Highlight was 2 November Moth agg Epirrita dilutata agg Three of the members of the genus Epirrita, (November Moth, Autumnal Moth, and Pale November Moth, can be very difficult to separate on markings alone, especially as some show marked melanism. Where detailed examination has not taken place records are added as Epirrita dilutata agg,the only other moth was a Merveille du Jour Griposia aprilina . With 1 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 281 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

23/10/26 The heavy overnight rain and cooler nights over the last few days has temporarily stopped any moth trapping. Normal service will be resumed as soon as the weather permits.

19/10/26 Migrant Hawker The moth trap was out overnight on 18/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 21 moth's of 9 species.It was another cooler night with no highlights as the temperature dropped to single figures. With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 280 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released. In Area 10 a Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta dragonfly was seen and photographed by Jon Jackson.

16/10/26 Feathered Thorn The moth trap was out overnight on 15/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 41 moth's of 14 species. Palpita vitrealis Highlights were a Feathered Thorn Colotois pennaria , the micro moth Acleris sporsana , Pine Carpet Thera firmata Pine Carpet and Palpita vitrealis. With 4 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 280 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

15/10/26 In Area 10 in the sunshine a Large White Pieris brassicae, butterfly was seen drifting across the lawn at the Dinton Pastures cafe.

13/10/26 Green-brindled Crescent The moth trap was out overnight on 12/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 41 moth's of 14 species. Red-line Quaker Highlights were a Green-brindled Crescent Allophyes oxyacanthae , Red-line Quaker Agrochola lota and Blairs Shoulder-knot Lithophane leautieri Blairs Shoulder-knot With 3 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 276 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

11/10/26 The moth trap was out overnight on 10/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 15 moth's of 6 species.It was another cooler night with no highlights With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 273 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

09/10/26 The moth trap was out overnight on 08/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 51 moth's of 10 species.It was another cooler night with no highlights With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 273 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

07/10/26 Deep-brown Dart The moth trap was out overnight on 06/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 53 moth's of 23 species. Yellow-line Quaker Highlights were a Deep-brown Dart Aporophyla lueneburgensis and a Yellow-line Quaker Agrochola macilenta With 2 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 273 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

05/10/26 The moth trap was out overnight on 04/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 35 moth's of 13 species.It was another night with no highlights With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 271 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

03/10/26 Merveille du jour The moth trap was out overnight on 02/10/26 and checked this morning . The catch was 47 moth's of 22 species. Barred Sallow Highlights were a Merveille du jour Dichonia aprilina .Literally meaning ‘wonder of the day’. This attractive, black and white patterned, emerald green moth, reckoned as one of the most beautiful to be found in the British isles, is aptly named as it is a little wonder to behold,a Barred Sallow Tiliacea aurago and Beaded Chestnut Agrochola lychnidis. Beaded Chestnut With 3 new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is 271 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

02/10/26 Tipula vernalis With the moth trap out overnight during October, it coincides with peak Cranfly season.Tipulidae Cranefly are also known as Daddy Long legs. The adults are on the wing during the late summer and are common in gardens and fields, Tipula confusa often coming indoors. They rarely feed at this time, concentrating on mating and laying their eggs among the grass.If you look closely, the male has a square-ended body, but the female has a long, sharp-ended body - this stinger-like 'tail' is her ovipositor, which she uses to lay her eggs in the ground. Speckled Wood In Area 5 there were 2 fighting Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria butterflies. Scrapping for their piece of of a bramble bush.

01/10/26 The moth trap was out overnight on 30/09/26 and checked this morning . The catch was just 13 moth's of 8 species. With no new moth species added ,the total for 2026 is still 268 species.Following inspection and recording/photographing anything caught was released.

Plants/ Trees

15/10/26 Wild Hops In Area 10 by the bridge over the Emm Brook near the kids play area Wild Hops Humulus lupulus are still very visible. Hop bears male and female flowers on different plants: the male flowers are small, but the female ones are like large, scaled apples and are unmistakeable and used in beer production. This picture shows the female flowers.

06/10/26 Maple Black Spot In Area 1 a Maple Black Spot Rhytisma acerinum was seen on a roadside Field Maple Acer campestre . Tar spot is a leaf spot disease caused by the fungus Rhytisma acerinum. It is seen most commonly on sycamore, but can also affect a number of other Acer species. The spots are unsightly, and the disease can cause slightly premature leaf fall. It has no long-term effect on the vigour of affected trees, however.

02/10/26 Common Toadflax Seen on the Spine Road in Area's 4 & 5 today were Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris , White Campion Silene latifolia , White Campion Yarrow Achillea millefoliumand suprisingly a . Cyclamen Cyclamen persicum which seemed to be thriving.

01/10/26 Sycamore seeds All along the Emm Brook you can see the seeds of European Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus . They are a pair of joined, winged seeds called samaras (often called "helicopters" or "keys"). They form a distinctive V-shape and spin as they fall to the ground.

Spiders

01/10/26 Giant House Spider It’s that time of year again. The nights are darkening and it’s spider season .So why does autumn seem to bring in so many spiders? Well, its mating season the weather’s getting colder and the spiders are tempted into houses, sheds and garages by the prospect of a bit more warmth.Look out for Giant House Spider Eratigena atrica .

Fungi/ Lichen

Do not eat any fungi that have not been properly identified , some are DEADLY when ingested .

Reptiles

Fish

Mammals/Amphibians

30/10/26 Wood Mouse Seen in Paul Hopcraft's Area 4 garden was a Wood Mouse Apodemus sylvaticus. It appears to be feeding on the winged fruits of a Acer Palmatum Bloodgood.

27/10/26 On my way home at 21:45 a group of 3 Red Fox Vulpes vulpes were seen running along the verge of Heron Road in Area 4.

09/10/26 Looking for bulbs in one of my Area 4 hanging baskets was a Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis.

06/10/26 In Area 4 at 19:30 a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes was seen running along the verge of Heron Road.

02/10/26 Roe Deer feeding In Area 5 on the Spine Road were signs that Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus had been feeding on the lower branches of the roadside Willow.