With Swallows swooping across the patchwork of white cloud and blue skies, a definite feel of autumn creeping upon us, these hirundines getting ready to leave our shores and head south.
Off around the meadows, where the hedgerows were a constant source of activity. A flock of Long-tailed Tits were calling to each other, their long tails dangling for balance as they swung on a branch, the small roundish bodies streaked in dull pink and black.
Popping up every now and then amongst this moving flock were blue and yellow Blue Tits as well as the longer bodied Blackcap.
One was perched on the lichen covered Hawthorn, peering forward, the chestnut cap obvious only when it looked down, otherwise it looked fairly grey. Coming alongside a couple of moment later a black-capped male hence the name Blackcap!
Perched with its back to me, the faint pale edges to the feathers quite distinctive was a Spotted Flycatcher, fantastic to watch as it flitted up and down returning to a perch having caught (or missed) its insect breakfast. When it turned its dark eye and flecked chest also seen.
At my feet a Bloody-nosed Beetle, slowly trundling towards the edge, where Madder was rambling, the round green berries alongside the leaves which are covered in small clasping hooks.
With the sun out, a lovely wander through the fields, from which the hay bales were removed yesterday (not as many this year due to the lack of rain). Above me a Kestrel was hovering, its brown feathers catching the light, as its body moved, just its head remaining still as it searched for breakfast below, not so many sightings of Kestrels this year as usual, so wonderful to see this one.
From the Blackthorn and Bramble hedgerow came movement, quite a few small greenish-brown warblers, continually keeping just far enough ahead of me to make recognition difficult – eventually a couple identified as Chiffchaffs, the others going down as LBJ’s (little brown jobs)!
A tiny patch of Wild Thyme still in flower alongside some Restharrow and low growing Wild Carrot, as I looked up a flash of red alerted me to a superb Redstart in the Elder tree.