Sunday 12 October 2008

Indian Summer

It started out misty as befits a good autumn day.
Spiders' webs caught the dew......and the far side of Restharrow Scrape couldn't be seen.

Two Meadow Pipits posed in the murk, which soon cleared to give a glorious sunny warm day.
Up at Hope Point there were flocks of Goldfinches and Wagtails flying south, while on the sea a lone Shag drifted with the current.

A Grey Heron was disturbed from the rocks below, where two Little Egrets also foraged.

In the stubble fields , I found no Fluellen but there were Field Pansies ('freak'd with jet' thought Milton).
Insects enjoying the Indian Summer included a Small Copper (the first ever in my garden) and the first (and very late) Humming-Bird Hawk Moth - the only 'humming-bird' we get, and it may have flown in from France on the warm southerly wind.
And finally....
Mrs K is expecting a cold winter, so a load of logs had to be shifted from the front to the back garden. This gave an opportunity for keeping an eye and an ear open for any more birds for the October list, and a few more were added, including this Coal Tit.
Jays were abundant, with a party of four flying over at one point.
The Met Office is forecasting another mild, drier, winter this year, by the way.

8 comments:

NW Nature Nut said...

Your October list is looking GREAT! That photo of the Pipit on the fence post is wonderful! You should make yourself a print and frame it.

Mary said...

Those are wonderful spider webs shots! and the swan! All of it looks wonderful! I sure hope I get a few more birds coming through before the end of the month...my count is looking pretty slim. Maybe if I go outside and do some work.....well, maybe not.

Greenie said...

Steve ,
An enjoyable meandre through an improving , weatherwise , day .

me ann my camera said...

Congratulations on such a nghtyn October Bird Count List! And your spider web photos are very beutiful!

Seth and Michelle said...

Great photos, as always! You're at 30 species?? I think I might have to take the rest of the month off and search the yard more! Thanks and great post!

Kingsdowner said...

Thanks for the comments, at last the sky's clear and the colours are shining.
There's not too many species in my garden/yard, but we're well-placed for flyover migration (is that cheating?)
The problem is that 99% of the flyovers are Wood Pigeons!

abbey meadows said...

Some excellent photography. Love the shots taken in the mist.

Rambling Woods said...

I have added you to my link list also. Thank you for adding mine. I love seeing the different birds and the similarities. Your coal tit looks like our chickadee if I am seeing it correctly. Of course the word "tit" has another meaning here in the states.....You are doing well in the October Bird Hunt. If I could add the ones, I hear, I could have a longer list..Seeing them is the challenge..LOL..