The season's a turning - very much a cross roads at the moment. Since the last blogging Richard Sears who lives on site managed a yellow browed warbler bathing in the garden pond on Tuesday the 1st - there had to be one somewhere on site! Unfortunately it didn't linger long enough for a photo; but thanks to
Erich Hediger for this shot of the previous weeks little stint:
A couple of dunlin passing through:
The wader passage is slowing now but still worth looking - thanks to Roy L for this of a jack snipe on Watton NR on Sunday:
Which by yesterday had reached South Marsh East with a common snipe - thanks to Erich:
And John Coish:
Hundreds of golden plover over:
Along with lapwings (Brian Colley):
There's plenty of birds disappearing - like blackcaps, willow warblers and chiffchaffs:
Its always worth checking the mixed tit flocks at this time - birds like this juv bullfinch:
Treecreeper:
And then some cooler birds - bramblings which first arrived on the 1st of October:
Lots of migratory continental blackbirds with the their darker bills:
The first fieldfares have been through in small numbers, along with many elusive redwings:
The first whooper swans dropped in - 3 on Saturday morning on D res; and these 12 pink footed geese have been around Watton NR since Sunday:
Lots of cormorants arriving for winter - some roosting on Watton NR:
Where do these go in winter? still a mystery - the rare nathusius's pipistrelle courtesy of East Yorkshire Bat Group:
And a soprano pipistrelle:
Autumnal shaggy inkcaps:
A bit of bug life - tree damselbug:
And courtesy of Doug Fairweather -
Deraeocoris lutescens - a new species for site
Hawthorn shieldbug is already on this list - although not often in as rosey a hue as this individual:
Likewise
Pantilius tunicatus:
Another new one
Neolygus viridis:
And the last bit of nectar for the nettle tap moths:
As a round up of the rest:
Little egrets regularly on Hempholme
Willow tits in D woods
Kingfisher on North Marsh near daily
Hobby (probably the last of the year on the 4th)
Scaup on D res on Sunday
Ruff in decoy fields on Sunday
Great white egret on the river Hull on Sunday
A few swallows through
A lone wheatear on the access road yesterday morning
And a nice reprise - lots of marsh harrier hunting activity from two birds on South Marsh East:
They're clearly finding lots to eat - will it be a short eared owl year?
Otter showed 4 times in 5 hours on Sunday - and again yesterday afternoon - so not bad for something 'elusive'
Tomorrow looks good for an influx of geese, swans and wildfowl; Whereas Friday and the weekend look promising for more eastern migrants.
This Saturday sees the RSPB Wildlife Explorers visiting for some graft tree pruning - Margaret and the team always have room for more so if you're aged between 8 and 12 and preferably have an adult to supervise pop down on Saturday at 9am to see what its all about:
