Tuesday 26th October was semi-cloudy, and damp, continuing the pattern of weather for the whole of October this year. October started with cloud and rain becoming even darker after the first week with still and misty weather, even foggy, certainly not fresh and breezy. By the second week the sun had hardly appeared but Common Darter and Migrant Hawker dragonflies were seen and a Brown Hairstreak butterfly was spotted dropping down into a Blackthorn bush alongside the river during a sunny interval. The signs of autumn are late this year.
A Migrant Hawker dragonfly waits patiently on a Bramble with ripe Blackberries
in the sun - maybe a Southern Hawker, as it wasn't small.
On Tuesday 26th, the ground remained free of the usual carpets of fallen leaves, some trees were still green, with only Hazels showing yellowing leaves and Ash tree leaves fell almost unnoticed. Areas of mud were covered in small holes, signs of birds such as blackbirds foraging. Other small birds foraged largely unseen in the dense tree canopies, given away only by their intermittent contact calls.
Blue ts (21) and Great ts (8) were visible when they descended to fly across to the next tree, not hurrying as insects were plentiful, especially over the river banks and water or high in the honeydew on tree leaves in the tree canopies where 3 Long-tailed ts were following each other. Wrens (12) were seen again after the summer and now heard again too, They are always present in good numbers but not easily detectable during the summer months. Just one Dunnock was seen in the undergrowth but remained quiet. It was good to see 10 Goldfinches in a small flock flying across to feed on the bountiful seed heads of Teasel, Thistle and Dock plants. A single Bullfinch called from the Willows but there was no sign of either Greenfinches or Chaffinches. House Sparrows (65) made up for the absence, but they are Red Listed Birds, as are the Starlings , with falling populations. There were 45 starlings, some catching aerial insects in the low cloud above the river, others flying in small groups.
Sixteen Blackbirds were seen, most on the ground, quiet apart from the occasional alarm call but no Song thrushes, migrant Fieldfare or Redwing were seen.
Robins (33) were present in good numbers having finished moulting, now ready to defend their territories. Some were practising their winter songs.
The most notable bird of the day was the Green Woodpecker, possibly 3 individuals yaffling' loudly in several different locations indicating the onset of rain. It's not called the Rainbird for nothing! They have been calling almost every day recently with alerts increasing just before 21st October when prolonged rainfall events caused some natural short-lived 'water out of bank' incidents. They nest in trees in the same areas as Great Spotted Woodpeckers, but feed on ants and other ground-based insects. Nuthatches favour the same habitat as the Great Spotted woodpeckers, with 4 seen today. in different old oak trees, with pairs establishing their winter territories.
A Grey Heron flew across, getting away from noisy Herring Gulls (total 23) whilst Carrion Crows (14), a single Jackdaw and 2 Rooks flew at a higher altitude in different directions, some Crows landing in the Oaks joining some of the 30 Woodpigeons resting on the branches or others feeding on the grass.
Also present in the same area were 9 Magpies in separate groups of two or three.
Another highlight of the day was a kestrel flying apart from the other birds, hovering, surveying an area of grasses and scrub then suddenly dropping down out of sight.
