What garden wildlife is doing now

Dragonflies and damselflies are laying eggs

Dragonflies and damselflies will be mating and laying eggs in your pond. Look out for common species such as the red darter dragonfly and the common blue damselfly. You may attract more unusual species such as the common hawker. After laying eggs, the carnivorous nymphs will predate other larvae in your pond, including frog and newt tadpoles. Some can spend up to four years in the pond before emerging as an adult.

Blackbirds are raising their young

Blackbirds are juggling the duties of raising a second or even third brood, while still feeding fledgling chicks that haven’t yet got the hang of feeding themselves. Look out for stressed parents feeding their chicks on your lawn – a dish of rehydrated mealworms can give the parents a helping hand, but make sure you take it in at night as mealworms can be harmful to hedgehogs.

Young swifts are taking flight

If swifts are nesting near or with you, now's the time the chicks are fledging and taking flight. In the last couple of weeks they will have been building up their wing muscles by doing 'press-ups' in the nest. This is to get them into shape for flying, as they spend the first two years of their life completely airborne and never come to the ground. They spend so much time in the air that they aren't very good at being on the ground – they can't launch themselves into the air like other birds can. If you find a grounded swift, carefully pick it up and keep it warm in a shoe box or similar, and contact your local rescue centre for advice.

Baby frogs and toads are leaving garden ponds

Froglets and toadlets are leaving garden ponds this month, taking advantage of low-growing plants around the pond to shelter from predators like birds and cats. Take extra care when mowing your lawn and try to keep as much foliage around the pond intact as possible, as this will help the baby frogs and toads during their transition to life outside the pond.

Caterpillars are pupating

Caterpillars pupate from spring to autumn, but the majority are doing so now, with most of us not noticing. If you have hops, look out for caterpillars of the comma butterfly (pictured). On nettles you may have small tortoiseshell and peacock caterpillars, which gather together beneath large silken 'tents', or the red admiral, which lives individually in a rolled up leaf. If you find a caterpillar, or pupa, leave it well alone so it can complete its lifecyle. The comma, small tortoiseshell, peacock and red admiral are all colourful late summer butterflies – being kind to them in caterpillar form means there will be more of the adults on our buddleias next month.