27th October. Morning wander

A morning walk along the ridge footpath and then round to Acremore Street and down Hoecroft Lane. A morning of quantity rather than quality with 171 gulls, mostly lesser black backed, with some herring and black headed along with a feeding party of 150+ starlings at the polo fields. The large majority of the starlings were first year birds.

Also of note: 3 bullfinches, good numbers of skylark overhead, several yellowhammers and linnets and over 500 jackdaws in the sheep field south of The Ford.

Pheasants have recently been let out of their pens ready for the first shoot of the season on 6th Nov. The attached photo shows a female roosting in a tree along Hoecroft Lane. The rest are an attempt to capture the wonderful colours that can be found around Little Hadham at present.

Sun Rise 26th October

Lovely sky on Tuesday 26th at 6.55am. These were taken looking east over the chapel at the bottom of the garden.

Grey heron

This grey heron was found perching near the river Ash, Sunday 24th October. Also, in an adjacent ploughed field 25+ pied wagtails. Also, the usual suspects as I wandered over the golf course and along the Ash valley: yellowhammers, gold, green and chaffinches and a solitary kestrel.

The full moon was photographed from the back garden.

Butterflies will be finished for the year following two nights of frost, the first being severe enough to finish the dahlias and fuscias in the garden.

Fieldfares arrive

After several reports of fieldfares in neighbouring parishes, I eventuallyrecorded these Scandinavian migrants this morning. A party of 12 rose from local hedgerows around Ash Valley Golf Course, before heading off west at 7.45am.

Redwings arrive 13th Oct

After yesterday's good birds I was out early, visiting Hadham Hall lagoons, hoping for some waders. No such luck, but a party of 11 redwings flew west overhead, the first for autumn. Green and great spotted woodpeckers, 1 goldcrest and good numbers of goldfinches were observed. No birds at all on the large lagoon, first time it has been empty, but plenty of evidence of ploughing and harrowing in adjacent fields.
A buzzard was flushed from an oak, flying off south and several lesser black backed gulls headed north.
A field near Clintons, Bury Green is holding good numbers of gulls at present and a trip there this afternoon is planned. From drive by viewing, I suspect 45 LBBG's and about 3 GBBG's but worth a check for anything more unusual.

Surprise sighting

Following on from the ring ouzel, another good bird. Driving along Acremore Street ~(Bury Green to Little Hadham war memorial, I witnessed a merlin. It appeared from an oak and flew low to the ground in front of the car for 100 yards before banking over a hedge.
The flight pattern of flap and glide plus the fact that it stayed very low gave me the impression of merlin over male sparrowhawk. The earliest merlin for Hadham.

Ring Ouzel 12th Oct

An early morning wander across Ash Valley G.C. paid dividends this morning when I recorded only my 2nd ring ouzel. Found between 6th and 15th fairway, the bird refused to pose for the camera, remaing half hidden in the centre of one of three chosen roosting trees. Plenty of alarm calling due to my presence and 1 flyover that clinched the id.

Also on offer: grey wagtail, little owl, meadow pipit along with flocks of longtailed tits and goldfinches. In all 25 species in 2 hours.

Flowers were still apparent, with (1)scentless mayweed, (2)poppy, (4)celery leafed buttercup, (3)field scabious, smooth hawk's weed and dandelion and daisy on show. Excellent for almost mid October. Finally: 1 comma butterfly

Wednesday 6th Oct.

Wonderful walk in sunny conditions meant a few insect sightings. Firstly a speckled wood butterfly found along Hoecroft Lane and then 1 of 2 red admirals near Millennium Wood. Here, sunning itself on the picnic bench was a ruddy darter dragonfly.
Birds were in good number with at least 11 migrating swallows over the polo field and 25+ lesser black backed gulls feeding on the same fields. Long tailed, great and blue tits accompanied myself along Hoecroft Lane whilst a solitary skylark called overhead. At the pond in MW I flushed a large female sparrow hawk that was probably keeping an eye on the local moorhens.

Photos attached show the variety of colour to be found within the local woodland. Also, 1 of the speckled wood, ruddy darter and long tailed tit.