Northerly wander 10.10.13

Wonderful morning; bright, northerly breeze and hedgerows full of fruit for breakfast. A tad too windy for smaller birds to be airborne but nevertheless, great to be outdoors.
Starting from town I took the footpaths to the north of the A120 round to Hadham Hall and then down to Hadham Ford and home.
2 swallows south were good to see, perhaps my last of the year, whilst the reverse was true as I heard, and then watched 30+ redwings moving south high overhead, the first of the autumn. A common buzzard was seen roosting in a tree and a brief glimpse of the local barn owl. There has been an increase in the moorhens population around Hadham Hall, with 14 noted, along with 3 returning mallard. On the main pool were 4 little grebe. Red legged and grey partridge were in fields in the Ash Valley along with 15+ skylarks and 6 yellowhammers sheltering from the stiff breeze.
2 late speckled wood butterflies were on the wing and a strong colony of honey fungus on a tree stump at Hadham Hall. This is an edible fungus but must be taken when very young, the older bodies have a bitter taste and can cause stomach pains. Not really recommended as the taste is not great at the best of times and they must be thoroughly cooked.

distant common buzzard

very battered speckled wood butterfly

Lake at Hadham Hall

honey fungus

recently arrived mallards.