Wednesday 28th September 2022 was a fine day with a cool start, probably the coldest morning so far this autumn. Small faint clouds wafted across the blue sky in a gentle breeze. It was shady under the Oaks, with branches still weighed down with acorns, but more underfoot. Insects crowded onto the new nettle leaves which had sprung up after the heatwave had accelerated the drying out of the first growth. Rose hips in large bunches were covered in glistening spider webs linking roses and nettles. Field Maple leaves were still green but decked with dry golden winged seeds, ready for the first windstorm. Crab apples were assuming a uniform colour now and will turn from orange to red for the winter. The brambles had succeeded in producing very mixed bunches of blackberries unattractive to humans - all the more for wildlife at present and during the winter.
A Speckled Wood butterfly easily overlooked feasting on the
rather unappetising (to humans) profusion of berries but perfect for
insects and birds.
Speckled Wood butterflies were still a common sight during September, with five seen today and five Large White butterflies too but on the grasses in the sun. Two Southern Hawker Dragonflies were seen patrolling the banks.
Clumps of fresh Fleabane were showing good flowers which had gone to seed, hopefully generating many new plants to attract more insects such as butterflies next year. Unfortunately the heatwaves this year did not allow the first flowers to survive, the petals being singed off before seeds could develop.
It was good to see that insects were attracted to this 'autumn' flowering however.
The first bird this morning was a Grey Heron flying across the river, then two Blackbirds were seen on the shady damp grass under the trees with a third in the undergrowth (3). Passing by the well-hidden but often audible Starling Roost the sound today easily matched the sounds from the nearby school playing fields during break. There were 9 starlings seen but many more well hidden amongst the dense vegetation. Noisy Magpies were chasing competitors in the tree canopy all along the river (10 seen) with mostly immobile Woodpigeons (30) cooing from the old oaks, with old feathers drifting down from their nests, some still in use. Keeping their distance were 4 Carrion Crows in their usual lookout tree, observing every slight movement below. Four Herring Gulls were seen heading towards the school for break time whilst two Jackdaws flew out from the woods. Further across a field three Roe Deer were quietly browsing on the grass, undisturbed by construction activity not far away. Not a rare sight here,
but not as common as in the past.
Throughout the morning there was some very impressive birdsong from the small birds with some first 'early winter' song from Robins despite some noise from the construction site, with numbers increasing this month (29). Wrens were starting to sing too but only 6 present today. House Sparrows were calling, flying from the tangled bushes into the sun in good numbers (30). Blue and Great ts, 18 and 7
were not as vocal yet but active in the Ivies, Oaks, Blackthorn and Hollies. There were no large groups of Goldfinches heard but 5 were seen. There were probably large groups forming to feed on the grass seeds in the meadows but they are easily disturbed by the shadow of a Sparrowhawk flying across! One Treecreeper was seen on a Willow trunk and two Nuthatch, one calling on the same trunk of an old Oak.
It was good to see a Chiffchaff and to hear a contact call from another close by whilst a Great-Spotted Woodpecker was seen near the top of an old pine, still and silent, watching. A single Goldcrest was seen in a nearby pine fast-foraging. It was now becoming quite breezy, with dark clouds approaching but still sunny.
Finally a Red Kite was seen flying westward above the tree canopy.
Now observations from
September 2022
(note these are not surveys but just noted en route)
1st September - flock of Greylags Geese seen and heard flying over
2nd - Sparrowhawk, Chiffchaffs, Goldfinches
(3rd - House Martins and nests in TOWN CENTRE)
4th - Robins singing everywhere in full plumage
5th - Giant Thunderstorm at night. Robins joined by singing Wrens
7th - another overnight thunderstorm - river higher and flowing faster
8th - Overnight torrential rain and another am. Birds quickly resumed their song.
9th - Moorhen flapping and paddling in river, Robins.
11th - Robins, Wrens, 2 Nuthatch calling, 2 Brown Hawker Dragonflies, 2 Common Darter dragonflies, many Large White butterflies, 2 Brimstone, spiralling Speckled Woods
13th- Robins, Goldfinches and flock of 40 Starlings
14th - Herring Gulls, Robins, House sparrows, Goldfinches, Moorhen in river, (calmer conditions) Grey Wagtail juvenile across along river
16th - Common Buzzard Robins, Nuthatch, Wrens
21st - Common Hawker Dragonfly, Grey Heron fishing in River
22nd - Robins, Moorhen River flowing well, Southern Hawker dragonfly, Migrant Hawker dragonfly
25th - Southern Hawker dragonfly Speckled Woods, Nuthatch loud, Dunnock 3
29th - Common Buzzard
30th - Great Spotted Woodpecker, Chiffchaff 2, Sparrowhawk, Southern Hawker dragonfly.
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