The First Frost of Autumn

The 20th September 2015 - a fine warm day after the first frost of Autumn. A cool, still and misty start meant that leaves and fruits still held traces of frost this morning before being touched by the sun.

ACORNS - a very welcome sight this year.

The sun has just melted the frost on these ripening Crab apples

The river was flowing well but low with the sun gradually warming the river bank. The sky clear, with numerous contrails and no breeze at first. Dog Rose hips were still ripening - food for later in the winter when other fruits become scarce. Berries have been plundered from the Hawthorn thickets but plenty remain on the difficult-to-reach branches overhanging the river - and single leaves were drifting like butterflies - with the sound of acorns suddenly dropping onto the dry leaves. There was from the start  continuous background sound echoing along the river - singing robins near and far, their songs merging, impossible to separate individual songs unless the robin was very close by. The robins today (25) were singing mainly from wooded areas along the river, soon they will be able to show themselves  to their rivals more easily once the trees are bare.

Wrens (18) were singing now as well but giving short versions of their song mostly from high perches where they were more easily seen than usual, on Willows in the sun and Blackthorn where two juveniles chased and adults gave alarm calls.

Nuthatches were quite numerous today (9) most calling loudly from their various chosen territories. In the presence of jays, the calls were amplified and insistent - there will be many altercations over food in the coming weeks despite the obvious bounty, as the jays will stay around to feed rather than moving further afield. 8 jays were counted today, some calling raucously.  Last autumn most left to forage elsewhere after finding oaks devoid of acorns.

House Sparrows woke up in the sun and could be seen and heard chatting in hedgerows (48) whilst larger sun-lovers, the woodpigeons (50) basked in the tree tops or foraged on the harvested fields. One adult was seen feeding a youngster amongst the ivy in a tree. Although breeding most of the year, their plundered eggs and shells can often be seen on the earth below. Predators are numerous, this keeps their numbers under control! Today only 5 starlings were seen - most must have still been at their roosts, or busy foraging out on the fields with 6 carrion crows and 5 magpies. A green woodpecker, strangely silent, was seen flying across between oaks.

In the air about 26 herring gulls wheeled around but no sign of raptors today.

The goldfinches (35) were still present feeding amongst the seeding dock and grasses on the embankment as soon as the sun reached down - and all along the river trees and thickets, blue tits (52) were foraging and bickering, with silent great tits (17) favouring the oaks together with 3 chaffinches. Two Long-tailed tits were seen, with several others heard calling but well hidden amongst the Willows on the bank. Blackbirds (11) were silent today, apart from occasional alarm calls, some foraging together with 2 song thrushes in the Blackthorn hedge in the edge of the wild field.

It was good to see and hear some migrant warblers still present - 6 chiffchaffs were seen calling their typical contact calls and one willow warbler at least - but the best views were of two juvenile male blackcaps just assuming their male plumage, sitting in the sun on the Blackthorn.  At the back of the thicket a bullfinch was heard calling softly, then hastily flew out and across the river, followed by a female. Two goldcrests were busy in a conifer, their fast moving foraging giving them away and in an oak two treecreepers were heard but unseen. 

As it warmed up, Speckled Wood, Large White and Green-veined White butterflies started to fly then lastly the dragonflies - a Southern Hawker and a Migrant Hawker were seen patrolling the river banks where several Hornets were flying too.

The stars of today were large numbers of House Martins seen feeding on plentiful insects over the river course - at least 50 were counted in a short time, in the company of one or two Sand Martins.