Normally at this time we would be busy harvesting from the wildlife friendly veg plots but the summer’s extreme heat and lack of water means that we have grown very little produce this season. Having said that, there are still some seeds and wild fruits about to provide food for wildlife. And as ever the flowering ivy is doing its magic and providing plenty of pollen and nectar for wealth of insects. It’s been great to show visitors just how valuable ivy can be. This evergreen climber has been putting on a great show with humming, buzzing and fluttering of bees, flies, wasps, butterflies and moths!

One insect that we particularly enjoy spotting around now is the ivy mining bee. They are like honeybees but with a furry orange thorax and clear yellow and black bands on their abdomen. They emerge from their nests in late summer which is to time with ivy being in flower. They are solitary bees but one will make its own nest close to others and we have groups of hundreds of nests in some of the loose, soft soils of our south facing cliffs. These busy bees are fascinating to watch as they continue to be active into November.

Out at sea we’ve been spotting sandwich terns. These small angular gull like birds can be heard ‘kerrick’ing and diving headlong into the water as they feed. Only seen here the summer, they migrate to southern Africa to avoid our harsh winters. Other birds that you may see or hear as they make their passages to the warmer south include large waders with long down curved bills called whimbrel as well as smaller, white rumped perching birds such as wheatear.

Around the island we’ve also been enjoying the noisy ‘tink tink’ and liquid song of robin. Both male and females will sing as they mark out winter territories, but late summer/early autumn singing is more subdued and melancholic than their spring equivalent.

All around the island nature reserve garden spiders are easy to see at the moment – they can be identified by the large white cross (made up of pale spots and streaks) on their abdomen. When a female has mated, her body becomes swollen with eggs. In fact she can be twice the size of a male. She builds a silken egg sac in which to lay the eggs and dedicates the rest of her life to protecting them. Unable to leave the eggs to hunt and feed, she dies in late autumn leaving her mass of spiderlings hatching out next spring.

As many readers will already be aware, the island provides habitat for grey seals. Individual grey seals don’t spend all year here but we do have seals using the island and it’s waters all year around. How do we know this? Because we record seals through photo ID. We have an expansive database showing the unique fur markings of individual seals. Photos are taken using zoom lenses so that we can collect data from a distance to minimize the risk of disturbance. We work with volunteers linked to Looe Marine Conservation Group and Seal Research Trust. From the photos its possible to work out which seals are here and how long they stay. Then as we are linked into a huge network of volunteers and other sites, we also know where else ‘our’ seals go. It’s amazing work and helps us to understand more about these iconic marine mammals.

As usual around the autumn equinox we try to reflect and report on the visitor season that’s coming to a close. This year, the particularly hot and calm summer weather meant that the water surrounding the island was very busy with recreational water users and commercial operators and we’d like to thank everyone who gave wildlife the space and respect it needs to thrive. It’s by respecting guidelines and not landing on the island that wildlife and wild places can flourish and be enjoyed by everyone in the future. For more information check out The Cornwall Marine and Coastal Code.

Whilst we are on the subject of ‘thank-yous’, we’d also like to thank our residential seasonal volunteers, Len and Rosie. This year Jon (the Looe Island Warden) and myself are incredibly grateful for all the hard work and dedication that they put into to helping us manage Looe Island Nature Reserve. They demonstrated incredible commitment and willingness to get stuck into all sorts of tasks, no matter what the circumstances. We are also grateful to the fact that they understood the complexities and challenges of running the island along with a wider appreciation of what actions are needed to help restore and enhance wildlife and wild places. We wish them all the very best in whatever adventures lay ahead for them.

Looking to the future, as we move deeper into autumn and winter we will continue to monitor all wildlife. Sightings and records will continue to be collected via monitoring and surveys as well as through ad hoc wildlife encounters. We are involved with lots of schemes and projects but we also simply use Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s ORKS (Online Recording Kernow and Scilly) App to share wildlife records. In fact anyone can share wildlife records – no matter where or how common or widespread the species. All records help improve understanding of the natural history of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, as well as to be used in decision-making, education, research and other public benefit purposes. You can find out more here: Submit a wildlife sighting | Cornwall Wildlife Trust

Finally, remember that every year public trips to the island end early October and then after a winter of catching up on lots of maintenance and admin tasks, Looe Island nature reserve will be ready to re-open around Easter 2026! 

For more information on how you can visit (or even stay in Smuggler’s Cottage or the Bell Tent!), click below. 

Visit Looe Island