Traits of autumn

Hello

Very much an autumnal feel to the day with cooler temperatures, a lively breeze and sunshine, cloud and the odd shower.

A juvenile Peregrine and a Common Sandpiper were the only birds of note I saw at Pitsford Reservoir whilst filling up the bird feeders; a couple of Ravens were noisy at Hanging Houghton.

A visit to Harlestone Lake during periods of sunshine brought out the odonata with several Blue Emperors, Common Darters, a Beautiful Demoiselle (they seem to be everywhere this year) and plenty of damselflies which included Common Blue and Large Red-eyed. However also on the mat of floating vegetation were a couple of Small Red-eyed Damselflies which are a more localised species. Birds here were unremarkable but included Kingfisher and Little Egret.

Lilbourne Meadows/the dwindling DIRFT3 site is still proving attractive to birds with two Common Redstarts, five Green Sandpipers and three Snipe present today. A Black-tailed Godwit was on the south side of Clifford Hill Pits this morning.

Stanwick is also still pulling in the birds with two Caspian Gulls plus twenty Yellow-legged Gulls and a Garganey late afternoon. At Harrington Airfield this evening there was a Common Redstart by the Shooting Wall next to the concrete track and six Yellow-legged Gulls with two hundred Lesser Black-backs on fields there.

Regards

Neil M

Juvenile Common Buzzard.

Large Red-eyed Damselfly.

Small Red-eyed Damselfly.

Blue Emperor.

Pike.