A very grey morning, as the sun was hidden well behind the thick clouds, as I looked to the sky a variety of small birds were passing overhead, travelling along their migration route.
Identified were Chaffinches, Meadow Pipits, Bullfinches, Siskin and Goldfinches, they were all calling as they went over, the different voices identifiable. Also crossing the sky were a number of species I couldn’t work out – so became LBJ’s (little brown jobs)!
Undulating its way towards the trees was a Green Woodpecker which then landed and perched upright on the branch of a Holm Oak, a little late a second Woodpecker was disturbed from the Meadow Ant hills and took flight with a disgruntled yaffle.
I stopped and searched for Goldcrests through the remaining leaves of Horse Chestnut, Beech, Sycamore and Field Maple which are turning brown, yellow and orange, as the sound of my walking through the fallen leaves crunching underfoot was drowning out the high pitched calling of the Goldcrests.
A Treecreeper popped into view on the trunk of the Macrocarpa, while Long-tailed Tits flitted along the path.
On the downland there are still a very few flowers in bloom, with Field Scabious providing pale purple colours and Greater Knapweed a darker purple. Autumn Hawkit and Autumn Hawksbeard both showing up amongst the grass, with occasional White and Red Clovers both to be found view.
2 Ravens croaking overhead buzzed a Kestrel which had been hovering above the meadow, causing it to disappear down into the scrub for a while.