October 2011 part 5

25th Home local reserve. First new sighting here is a Shoverler duck.

Shoveler(Anas clypeata) Can be found in marshes or lowland grassland close to shallow water and reservoirs. Feeds on crustaceans, snails, insects and their larvae, seeds and leaves of water plants. Nests on the ground close to water and lays 9-11 eggs from April.
I count over 100 lapwings and loads of Canada geese and in amongst them is a barnacle goose- another 1st

Barnacle Goose ( Branta leucopsis) Can be found on coastal low-lands , estuaries and near farmland. Usually seen in noisy flocks. Grazes on vegetation, leaves, stems and seeds. It nests in the Artic.
We also see a blue hawker dragonfly and a red(male) and a grey(female ) darter dragonfly.

Amongst the hedge are a holly is full of berries and a spindle berry is also present.

Spindle berries grow on the spindle tree or bush (Euonymus europaeus) Found throughout Europe. The seeds are poisonous. The wood is used to make knitting needles, pegs and toothpicks, makes excellent charcoal.
At the oak hide we see chaffinches, 3 male and 3 female pheasants, blue tits , great tits and green finch.
29th Local river
"9 long tailed tits fly into view, 3 magpies and a blackbird too, 7 mallards float on by , while across the water  3 pigeons fly,  a robin sings and a blue tit plays and in glides a heron to complete this phrase." P Beach 
Water levels  are low. Back home a female blackbird eats the pyracantha berries.
It has been the 7th warmest October in 100 years.

October 2011 part 4

22nd 8 buzzards today to either side of us in 2 groups circling higher and higher if only they were closer. More flocks fly through on this sunny but windy day.
23rd Mix of sun, cloud and wind.  More buzzards fly across a dramatic sky and a pair of rooks fly past.

 Rooks (Corvus frugilegus) Mainly living amongst tall trees, most rookeries are found on farmland . They are a very gregarious bird. They feed on farmland, rubbish tips and on road verges eating earthworms, grain , berries, beetles and other insects. Nests are built at the top of the tree in groups of up to 1000 each may contain 3-4 eggs.
As we pack away to come home I spot a beautiful spider and I don't like spiders much.

Common cross spider (Araneus diadematus) An extremely common spider variable in colour but always has a cross-shaped mark on its abdomen.

October 2011 part 3

21st Back at Home Farm Hereford. Sunny but windy 6 Buzzards are riding the wind  effortlessly over head they really are beautiful powerful birds. The field now is home to a flock of sheep. They have black faces and black legs - just like I used to draw when I was a child.

Suffolk sheep (ovis domestic) A large powerful sheep suitable for meat it had become internationally popular. Ewes weigh about 82kg, rams up to 135kg. Lambs are born as early as Nov or Dec.
Several flocks of birds fly over one of which contains redwings which are coming back to our shores along with fieldfares for the winter.

 Redwings (Turdus iliscus) arrives in October and stays until March. Can be found in hedges and orchards or parkland and gardens. A rather shy bird that is sociable outside the breeding season. Feeds on wind fall apples and berries in winter but will eat worms, snails and insects. Only a few pairs breed here and they lay 4-5 eggs.

October 2011 part 2

15th Local nature reserve woods. On arrival we can hear birds all around us the first I see is a blue tit looking busy as usual in the tree. The crunchy leaves make it impossible to walk quietly. A woodpecker can be heard and we tread very carefully but cannot find him. 2 longtailed tits flutter into a nearby tree and 3 nuthatches explore the bark of trees on the other side of the path.. The wood goes quiet as a buzzard flies over head.  We hear lots of commotion coming from the beyond the trees -geese- we think but as yet we cannot see them so we speed up as we go to the hide. Once there we see a large group of greylag geese feeding in the field I count around 1000 with others joining them from the lake all the time as they slowly move towards us.

A gaggle of geese on the ground , a flock or skein in flight.
Later that night 12pm I see the hedgehog and give her an extra hand full of mealworms feeding her up for her long sleep I cant help wondering if this is the last time I will see her this year.
20th 6 longtailed tits in the garden.

October 2011 part 1

 "Now Autumn 's fire burns slowly along the woods,
and day by day the dead leaves fall and melt." W. Allingham
October starts with the weather 10deg above average. By the end of the first week the breezy weather has started the fall of the leaves. However when the sun is out it is still beautifully warm.
9th Blue and Great tits feeding in the garden as well as the female G.S. Woodpecker. The orange pyracantha berries look like jewels in the hedge. Just like last year there are lots of berries in general around so are we in for another bad winter? Found a woodpecker feather on the ground.
11th Both male and female G.S. Woodpeckers in garden.
12th Dovedale Derbyshire on the river we see 5 dippers. Startling one when we arrive, then seeing a pair and 2 others, one of which chased the other one away. I love the way they bob up and down.

 Dipper (cinclus cinclus) Stands on rocks bobbing in the water. Will walk ,swim and dive below the surface of the water to search for food. They hold their territory throughout the year. The song a "zit zit" can be heard over the sound of the water. Mainly eats small invertebrates. Lays 4-5 eggs