Monday 28th October - the first frosty morning of the autumn after the rain, mist, wind and finally sun of the previous week, the expected cold spell moved in. It was clear and sunny for the first part of the survey then high cloud moved across and the day became colder again.
The frost had rapidly thawed leaving the riverside very damp. The river was flowing fast but the level had dropped by about a meter, the water still muddy. Small clusters of leaves and twigs lay under the trees, blown by the wind, with single leaves. Walking under the old oaks dense carpets of acorns crunched underfoot, even more than there were last year, but mainly from different oaks.
Acorn carpet under an old oak on the river bank - too numerous for wildlife to cache.
How soon will they be gone?
Jays (4) were busy in the trees and long grass, no noisy fights over food at present. Heavy wood pigeons were numerous today (34), most in the trees but some on the ground, foraging warily, flying off if intruders approach too close. Their observations and reactions always serve as a warning to other birds which take off as soon as a woodpigeon signals alarm. Only one collared dove was seen. Magpies (7) were restless, flying from one tree to another, calling - but unusually, carrion crows (16) were far noisier and more numerous today. There was a small group having a very loud and angry altercation which seemed to last for about two hours.
Some distance away 35 starlings were seen in small quiet groups, flying in and out of their day-roost which is layered with flowering Ivy. Ivy was flowering in other areas too, attracting crowds of insects, mostly wasp-types and bees.
Flowering Ivy attracting numerous insects. There will soon be clumps of
Ivy berries forming which will in turn provide food for winter migrant birds
as well as resident birds.
One low-flying song thrush was seen, but blackbirds were more numerous (17), still just our resident resident birds, ranging along the entire stretch of the rivers checking on the locations of Rosa canina rose hips, a good crop this year, and other fruits small and large, in advance of icy weather when foraging on the frozen ground becomes difficult. It was good to see that the first fieldfares, only two at present, had arrived. The wind direction just beginning to become more favourable for migration from the east. There will be redwings and 'European' blackbirds with them and, according to recent studies, possibly migrating robins as well! At the moment 21 robins were seen and most heard as well but only singing very short snatches of song or making alarm calls. They predictably guard choicest berries such as Elder, Holly and Spindle. Wrens were sheltering in the undergrowth, only 10 seen with two singing - and two dunnock, also well hidden. It was quiet and high calls gave away the presence of two goldcrests and nearby a single blue tit was seen collecting spiders from the corner of a bat box. Elsewhere a total of 34 were seen in various trees searching for insects whilst 15 great tits were seen - a group following each other with a few (3) long-tailed tits from Ash trees to Willows over the river. A single chiffchaff was calling in the thicket there. Behind the Willows a weak call came from a bullfinch in a favourite sheltered location.
House sparrows (about 80) had sought out warm sheltered places after a freezing start to the day, with some groups eventually singing together well hidden under brambles. Others were low down under the river banks, bathing in shallows. Perhaps the river water feels warm after a frosty night. Some goldfinches (18) and starlings had joined singing sparrows which had chosen a taller thicket in the sun.
In the same area a treecreeper was making its way up a tree trunk then flew off to a larger mature tree.
Above, a great-spotted woodpecker was seen flying across, then another flew north and a third was heard drumming! (3) whilst low down on the grass, a green woodpecker called loudly, yaffling.
Familiar calls came from several of the old oaks long the river - these were from nuthatches (6) which are certainly making their presence known, commanding prime nest sites as they start preparing their nests well in advance over the winter.
Overhead 4 calling jackdaws were seen, about 10 black-headed gulls and 14 herring gulls, some calling. I looked up - the gulls had disappeared but a fine juvenile buzzard was flying low, chased by a single crow. The buzzard shook off the crow and headed straight towards me flying low over and across a bridge to investigate a road-works vehicle nearby. Maybe it would find small mammals on the verge, disturbed by the road works!
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