A glorious autumnal morning with hundreds and hundreds of Swallows passing overhead, the almost constant stream a wonderful sight. The sound of these hirundines capturing the ears to the exclusion of almost everything else. As they swooped and swarmed I watched to see if any white-rumped House Martins or collared Sand Martins were amongst them – but very few of these were spotted.
The other major migration sight was a flock of 40+ Meadow Pipits flitting around one of the meadows, landing on the hales bales, the fenceline and the ground, the white tail feathers flashing as they flitted. The occasional call cemented the identification.
At the side of the fields and amongst the uncut meadows a scattering of wildflowers are still to be spotted, although after last night’s rain everything was a bit bedraggled. Red Clover and Rough Hawkbit probably the most common flower still in bloom but Fleabane and Ragwort adding a yellow colour and Greater Knapweed a purple.
Most of the yellow flowers of Agrimony have now turned to seed-heads, easily collected on your socks, bootlaces and dog!
A Red Admiral basking on an Ivy leaf while buzzing around the flowers were Ivy Bees Colletes hederae, look out for their stripy abdomens.
Across many of the paths a slow parade of large Slugs, while under a piece of wood a Slowworm was curled.
In the sloe covered Blackthorn hedge a Blackcap was perched, the grey body making it look larger than it actually is, the black cap easily spotted as it bowed its head. Alongside this warbler was another species, this a Chiffchaff, smaller more delicate and a pale yellowy green.
As well as these small birds the larger birds were showing well this morning with a Green Woodpecker undulating across the sky landing in the end on the top of a large anthill, a wonderful view had of the reds, black and greens.
Flying over the huge shape of a Raven, the deep croak making it unmistakable as does the large wedge-shaped tail and long wings. This was followed by our other corvid species, the Carrion Crow, Magpie, Jackdaw and from the woods a squawking Jay.