Local wander

A superbly clear and sharp morning was too good to miss, so I was out before 8.30. A common buzzard and 2 little owls were seen within 100 yards of the house. A good start. Later 2 goldcrests were found along a footpath along with greenfinch, nuthatch, fieldfare and redwing. A check of some conifers for a possible firecrest didn't give up anything but another half mile or so found me going through a large flock of small warblers. Sadly, all were goldcrests. A kestrel was seen over the golf course and then, as I was listening to skylarks, I heard a meadow pipit call. Photo 1 and 2. A seldom seen bird for the parish. Almost immediately, my eyes were drawn to 3 gulls sitting on the fairway. Common gulls, again, an irregular Little Hadham visitor. (Photos 3 and 4.) A great spotted woodpecker was found in a small coppice (photo 5 and 6.) A male, diagnostic feature being the red on the back of the neck. Photo 7 is a view looking south west from the highpoint of the golf course.
A few fungi were found. Photo 8 could be orange scale head. This is a hallucinagenic mushroom, called big laughing gym in Japan. However, it could be Marginate pixy cap, a deadly poisonous mushroom! The other fungi is an unidentified bracket fungus.
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Hadham Hall wander

Quick check around fields east of Hadaham Hall. Usual fare on the lagoon; the 3 little grebes (1 juvenile) + 3 tufted duck, 2 coot and the 3 swans that have been present for a month. The 2 resident barn owls were in their day quarters and a confiding robin was seen. Very little else and a check of the mature conifers gave no views of goldcrest. Photo 1, the lagoon with l'grebe and tufties, photo 2 mute swan, photo 3 robin, 5 an as yet unidentified fungi, but could be The Miller and 4 a jay in the garden earlier this morning.
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Garden watch

An hour watching bird movement in the garden this morning. Good selection of birds: blue tits (6+) great tit (8+) coal tit (3) nuthatch, blackbird (2) jackdaw (20+!) Wood pigeon (3) collared dove (2) dunnock (2) great spotted woodpecker (2, male and female) robin (2) goldfinch (2) chaffinch wrenand house sparrow (8) whilst overhead: carrion crow, magpie, fieldfare, redwing, starling, grey heron, black headed gull, lesser black backed gull, ghreenfinch.
Several photos of the nuthatch, one showing a coal tit, too.
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Tesco back to Hadham

A wonderful walk, being very wet underfoot. A common buzzard seen near East Wood, (photo 1 and 2) whilst smaller birds such as long tailed tits, blue tits and great tits were everywhere along with large numbers of blackbird, jay and fieldfare (photo 3 with a GSW.) In fields near Millfield Lane a large flock of mixed seed eaters were found. 20+ yellowhammers (photos 4 and 5) along with 20+ goldfinch, 4 siskin and several chaffinch. More long tailed tits in Acremore Street with song thrush. A black headed gull (photo 6) was seen landing on a flooded field near the River Ash (photo 7.)
All in all a splendid walk: bird list: mallard, cmn buzzard, pheasant, black headed gull, wood pigeon, collared dove, little owl, green woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker, skylark, pied wagtail, wren, dunnock, robin, song thrush, redwing, fieldfare, blackbird, great tit, coal tit, blue tit, long tailed tit, magpie, jay, jackdaw, rook, carrion crow, starling, house sparrow, chaffinch, linnet, goldfinch, greenfinch, siskin, yellowhammer. 35 species in all, a good total for November.
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Round up

A while since last posting: a few moths have been seen in the garden trap. Most notably a new one for the garden, a red line quaker (photo 1) along with feathered thorn (2) and december moth (3)
Several walks around the parish have given records of siskins, fieldfare, redwing, huge increase in jay and blackbirds. A trip to Amwell gave views of scaup and red crested pochard, whilst a great grey shrike was found at Rye Meads. At Oare Marshes, new birds for the year were Short eared owl and black redstart. I have given RSPB group talks at Broadstairs, Houghton Regis, Chorleywood and Little Hadham. This week it's Tonbridge and next week a local one in Broxbourne. Several photos of the wonderful colours this autumn.
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Typical November moth sp

With regular frosts at present, very little moth movement, but a new moth for the year was the only one at the trap. This was a common species, Sprawler.
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