01st Oct 2015

It was a bit foggy this morning which didn't make conditions to great for birding but gave the place a wonderful atmosphere as the sun tried to break through. Siskins were main bird of the morning with at least 22 in three groups. A Chiffchaff called once from the river and was the only sign of any still present. There were five Great Crested Grebes this morning so they are obviously moving through at the moment, there was also the long staying Tufted Duck and a Cormorant.

Overhead a few Meadow Pipits were heard calling as they flew south but there was no way of seeing them. Although a couple did drop in to the cattle field briefly before flying on. A nice surprise was a Yellow Wagtail that did the same, but oddly it flew off north.

There wasn't much in the wood, but I did find a fresh Otter spraint under the railway bridge. A Blackcap was tacking along the canal near the wood and as I walked down the western side of the reservoir a Yellowhammer flew up and over me. Yellowhammers are not common but are annual birds here and are normally recorded in the Autumn.

This afternoon a small gathering of gulls had five Common Gulls with them. A Kingfisher was showing very well along the river and allowed a visiting photographer a chance of a long awaited photograph. A female Sparrowhawk cruised around quite high over the reservoir and eventually drifted off south.

Mark sent me this picture of a mushroom taken in the woods. Mark thought it could be Brown Wood Mushroom or The Prince, though I think probably the former as The Prince is quite scarce? There are lots in there at the moment and at least several different types. I should try to identify some more of them.

It turns out the mushroom is a Shaggy Parasol. Thank you to Richard Broughton for the confirmation.

Courtesy and copyright of Mark Ribboons