Winter In Summer Out

Although quite a quiet day there were several notable sightings. It was very much a day that marked the last gasp of the ended summer and ushered in the first hints of the coming winter. It was the first morning that we have had a frost, not sharp but widespread on the grass, the day itself was crisp and blue. There were siskin passing over in small numbers for most of the day and skylarks drifting west in small groups. Meadow pipits were mostly grounded with something over twenty around the lichen heath, from time to time they flew up onto the fence around the water treatment works where I got the picture.
Quite early in the day two visitors came and told me they had seen and heard a ring ouzel in the trees near the Ivy South hide, yet another new bird for the year. Unfortunately it avoided me so I still have not seen one this year. Later in the day I had a lesser redpoll fly over and then a brambling with a small group of chaffinch. Near the Lapwing hide I saw three or four chiffchaff and a couple of Cetti's warbler were reported. From the hide the first goldeneye of the season was a immature drake.

Walking round I went to look at the pollard willows, these have grown well, some putting on nearly three metres, so they should be good for basket makers next winter.

Other birds today included a single swallow, flying north, a raven which flew over east calling loudly. On Ibsley Water 5 goosander were loafing on the spit between the Goosander and Tern hides. On Ivy Lake the two pairs of mandarin were still present and the drakes are starting to look quite smart now. Also on Iblsey Water a green sandpiper, a report of a common sandpiper and a mystery wader flying with lapwing when they were flushed by peregrine.

Other signs of the mixed seasons were several migrant hawker and common darter dragonflies, there were also singing wood crickets and several meadow grasshoppers. Red admiral and speckled wood were the only butterflies I saw but there were several of each.

At the end of the day I found the beetle larva below walking across the concrete near the Tern hide. I don't know what species it is but it had a fierce set of jaws and must be a predator of some kind.