A strong westerly breeze blowing this morning, as I headed into it a small number of Swallows swooped past flashes of deep blue as they skimmed above the ground.
Along the hedgerow an abundance of berries, with the nobbly blackberries alongside the dull purple of the sloes and the deep red of haws. Moving amongst these prickly plants (Bramble, Blackthorn and Hawthorn) a few Blue Tits and Great Tits, both species churring and chittering as they moved.
A Long-tailed Tit then emerged, the fluffy roundish body with a long tail (looking a little like a lollipop!), followed by another and then another as they flitted across in front of me to land on the long ropes of Black Bryony, which was covered in fat red berries.
Sliming across the grass a huge tan brown Slug and over the mud a few snails – Garden and Dark-Banded, plus the spiral shaped Cochlicella acuta. With this slightly damper weather more molluscs are appearing than was seen during the last few months.
A movement in a sheltered Sycamore caught the attention, as I watched a small brown warbler amongst the large leaves was spotted, thinking of the characteristics – dark legs, pale stripe above its eye, brownish green colour, small size – a Chiffchaff. Spending a bit of time just watching as it moved about, showing itself then hiding from view under the leaf or behind a twig before popping out again.
Later a Garden Warbler was seen, as well as a wonderful Wheatear, which took off from a rock on the downs, the white rump flashing as it moved making it unmistakable.
Overhead all three of our wagtail species – Pied Wagtail, Yellow Wagtail and slightly more unusually a Grey Wagtail, all have an easily recognisable wagtail flight pattern.
Most flowers have now gone over, but a purple head of Greater Knapweed was showing along with some yellow of Bristly Ox-tongue and Autumn Hawkbit.