Few moths and a few birds

A walk home from Tescos in town was rather uneventful birdwise. A few great spotted woodpeckers, a common buzzard and several yellow hammers were all I had come across before scanning a field near Bury Green. Here 15+ chaffinches, 2 dunnock and 3 yellowhammers were feeding on a recently cultivated field. Over the stream here a tree held good numbers of the same species, plus a solitary chiffchaff. However, at the small pond, overgrown with goat willow, the bird activity was much greater. A party of 8 strong long tailed tits were heard calling and moving down towards Lower Farm but, more interestingly, at least 15 chiffchaff were feeding constantly. Most were too quick for the camera, a  distant shot here.

2 chaffinches and a yellowhammer

one of 15 chiffchaffs at the pond in Bury Green

Lesser black backed gulls at the polo fields

Horse chestnut at Bury Green, just turning autumnal

As I continued along Acremore Street a party of 25+ swallows and house martins were noted feeding over a hay field and several lesser black backed gulls were loafing around on the polo fields. A bulfinch called but remained unseen.

The moth trap has been very quiet of late with clear starry skies bringing low overnight temperatures. The only new moth for the garden since Sunday has been an Acleris sparasana, a rather dull grey micro.
Apart from that, a rosy rustic, willow beauty and spectacle have been more noteworthy than the regular setaceous hebrew characters, lunar underwings, common marbled carpet and brown spot pinions.
 However, tonight looks slightly more promising as the temperature is still 14C at 9pm. So far, a common marbled carpet, lunar underwing and setaceous hebrew character!!

rosy rustic

brown spot pinion

willow beauty