An extended walk via Easton as I thought I'd have a look for the juvenile Rosy Starling. No such luck but I did get a Firecrest in the Easton Square Gardens. The first of many I hope.
I started my walk in the Lower Horse Paddock, where there were a good 300+ Meadow Pipits, 50+ Pied Wagtails (surely there must have been at least 1 White Wagtail in amongst them) 170 Linnets and Goldfinches, plus a few Chaffinches.. Also here were 4 Wheatear, 3 Chiffchaff, and 3 Stonechat.
From here it was off to Easton and then onto the Penns Wood via The Easton Cuttings and Perryfields Butterfly Reserve. Just the 1 Chiffchaff along this route.
Penns Wood, St Andrew's Church and Penn's Copse all very quiet, but there was a single Chiffchaff in Penn's Weare.
The last leg was Rufus Castle, The Cuttings Quarry and Mermaid Track where there was just a single Chiffchaff and a fly-by Swallow.
No bees or butterflies seen today, which was hardly surprising as there was a fine drizzle for much of my walk. No Ivy Bees either but a few Marmalade Hoverflies on the flowering Ivy in Penn's Cops.
Just one other invertebrate seen a Common Green Shieldbug in the church grounds.
Here are a few images and a couple of videos from today:
One of the many Meadow Pipits in the horse paddock
This one has found a tasty snack, a...........
..........Cranefly. And this Autumn there have been thousands. So I'm not surprised there are so many migrants here feasting on these "flies". In fact there is actually a Cranefly Recording Scheme Here.
And a few Wheatear here today, after being absence for a few days.
And another.
And one one on the Brambles.
A male Stonechat and........
..........and a female. Another female was on the other side of the field.
This was the only bug I found today a Common Green Shieldbug.
This was the only ray of sunlight I saw on my walk.
The rest of the walk was like this, wave after wave of rain moving in.
At least Ted was dressed for it.
Birds Recorded: Herring Gull, Wood Pigeon, Collared Dove, 1 Swallow, 300+ Meadow Pipit, 50+ Pied Wagtail, White Wagtail ??, 1 Grey Wagtail, Dunnock, Robin, 3 Stonechat, 4 Wheatear, Blackbird, 6 Chiffchaff, 1 Firecrest, Long-tailed Tit, Great Tit, Blue Tit, Wren, Magpie, Carrion Crow, Jackdaw, Starling, House Sparrow, Chaffinch, 140+ Linnet, 5 Siskin, 30+ Goldfinch
Bees Recorded: None
Wasps Recorded: Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Hoverflies Recorded: Marmalade Hoverfly (Episyrphus balteatus)
Bugs and Beetles Recorded: 1 Common Green Shieldbug (Palomena prasina)
Ships Today
This is the British Replenishment Ship "RFA Tidespring" on Military Ops. More on this vessel Here.
